Sparkled Beauty

A purchase totally inspired by my blogger friends and YTers - Elf smudge pots. I grabbed quite a few during a 50% off sale on their site (reg. $3).

Meant to be long lasting eyeshadows (and eyeliners) with a gel formula, enriched with vitamin E to hydrate the eye area, these smudge pots are right up my alley.

The shades I have:
Top row, from L-R: Back to Basics and Cruisin Chic
Bottom row: Poppin Party, Ocean Bound and Hit the Town.

If you wonder how they compare to my beloved Maybelline Color Tattoos, stay tuned till the end of the post :)

I thought it's important to show you the smudge pots in their original packaging so you know what to look for if you go find them at Target (or Superstore).

Quite bulky with (unnecessary) extra empty space. elf uses the space for the ingredient list and other information for the product (like the little logo of an open bottle that says "6M", which confuses me). Am I supposed to throw these out after 6 months of use? Hmm....

Suggested a brush or finger to apply (as eyeshadow) and buff it out, and of course a brush if used as eyeliner.

The first 2 shades are in the neutral family: Back to Basics (left) and Cruisin Chic (right).

In the pot, Back to Basics is more gold and appears lighter than Cruisin Chic which is more brown. On the eyes, they are very similar.

Pigmentation is also similar between these two, as you see in the swatches below (with a synthetic brush). Pick one that stands out more on your skin tone. You probably don't need both. 

The 3 darker shades: Poppin Party, Ocean Bound and Hit the Town.

I had high hope for these but they swatch more sheer than the neutrals and remove a little more easily too. They work better as bases for that reason.

Swatches, again, with a brush. I had seen more pigmented swatches on blogs using a finger, but the pots are small (for even a brush) and I don't feel like sticking my finger in there.

Here is Back to Basics smudge pot (0.19oz/ 5.5g) next to Maybelline Color Tattoo in Shimmering Sea (0.14oz/ 4g). The smudge pot container is taller but narrower, holds more product for lower price point.

Overall, I am happy with the smudge pots. They work well for the purposes I intend for them, last through the day and do not crease on me. I still wish for more colours (9 shades for now, none are matte), and more pigmentation on darker shades.

Here are a few FOTDs I did with Poppin Party and with Cruisin Chic.