Bourjois Color Band Eyeshadow Review

I recently posted on Instagram about some new launches in the drug store and I had my eyes on a few products including the Bourjois Colorband Eyeshadow & Eyeliner. I don't think I have ever tried eyeshadow sticks or if I have then, they may not have been great since I can't remember. I have had my eyes on trying either the By Terry or Laura Mercier ones but they are pricey so these Bourjois budget friendly ones seemed like a more affordable choice. I like Bourjois as a brand because they do really nice makeup although I can never find my shade in their foundation range. After reading a few reviews of these eyeshadow sticks, I decided to pick all the shades up bar the black one and I took advantage of Boots 3 for 2 offer and Superdrug's buy 1 get another half price offer. I did not want the black one because I rarely ever use black eyeshadows. 

Packaging

Not much to say here, is there? It is compact and nice. The colours on the  packaging/body of the eyeshadow stick are a good match to the actual color pay off of the eyeshadows which is great. I have bought some products which indicated a lovely colour in the lid/packaging only to get something totally different (not cool). They are really easy to travel with and I think they are a good length for the price. The pencils need to be sharpened which I know will be a palaver when the time comes but I really hope to get minimal waste when I eventually sharpen it. The lid is quite secure and I have not experienced it coming off in my handbag so I am pleased about that.

Shades Chosen

I picked up all the shades as I mentioned except number 1 which is the black shade. I am impressed with the colour range available and I think you would be hard pressed not to find a shade you fancy. I think the names of the shades are so lovely and sound very posh in my opinion.

Brun Dadaiste (2) - This is one of my favourite shades as it's a rich bronzey gold shade which looks really flattering on my lids. I recently paired it with MAC amber lights and it was incredible!

Beige Minimaliste (3)-I wanted a shade like this simple for one of the shades in my L'Oreal La Palette Nude (Rose). It is a pale champagne gold shade which looks lovely although I think the application is not as great as the other shades

Rose Fauviste (4)- I love this shade as it's a perfect spring shade. It's a rose pink shade which is very pretty and reminds me a lot of Maybelline's Color Tattoo Pink Gold.

Mauve Baroque (5)- Many people have said that this shade is similar to By Terry Misty Rock but I have not tried this yet. It is a lovely lilac shade which I also really like and it

Gris Graffiti (6)- This is my second favourite shade and I had no idea it will be. It a slate greyish blue shade which is really beautiful. It is one of the colours I sometimes like to wear on its own. 

Application/How I use them

Bourjois claim that the Colorband eyeshadows can double as eyeshadows and eyeliners. I find it hard to believe anyone would use these as eyeliners. The tips are a little chunky so I think it may be difficult to use it as an eyeliner and some of them contain glitter so it may look patchy. I am not an MUA so it's possible that it can be manoeuvred to work well. I guess it can work as a smudged smoky eyeliner but that's not a look I fancy. I prefer to use it as an eyeshadow and for me it has dual purposes. They can be used as an eyeshadow base to intensify other eyeshadows placed on top (my preferred way of wearing them) or on their own as quick eyeshadow (which I do when I am in a rush). I think they work really well both ways and I love its dual purpose function. I mentioned that I paired the Brun Dadiste (2) with MAC Amber Light and it looked incredible. I also paired the Beige Minimaliste (3) with a Loreal La Palette Nude Rose shade and it looked really pretty. If you have any eyeshadows that are not very pigmented, these eyeshadow sticks can help improve their application and longevity.

Pigmentation, Lasting Power/Longevity

I was not expecting anything outstanding and I can't say they are but they are really impressive for a drug store brand. Of course, some shades like Brun Dadaiste and Gris Graffitti are absolutely pigmented and comparable to high end brands. I find that the Beige Minimaliste shade is a little lacking in pigmentation. It is okay but compared to the darker shades, I would say it is less pigmented. Bourjois describe these eyeshadow sticks as waterproof, long lasting (24hr), smudge-proof and non-transfer and I agree with some of these claims. I have not tested it out yet to see if it is waterproof or not but it really lasts for a long time. The swatches on my hands lasted almost all day until I purposefully took them away with a makeup remover. I love their lasting power and I think that's what sets them apart from other drug store similar brands (not that I have tested others in depth but I have done swatches). I don't think they are 100% non transfer because when I lightly rubbed my swatches with my fingers, I got some glitter transfer. The eyeshadow colors in itself did not transfer per say. I just thought it was worth noting. However, it did not get smudged at all which is pretty impressive if you ask me.

Cost

Each Colorband Eyeshadow retails for £5.99 and I think that's a fair amount to pay for the quality. Of course, I am pretty sure most people are like me and never pay full price for anything from the drug store. I got them all on offers from Boots and Superdrug so I paid around £20 for all five them compared to £30 which is the full price for all of them. 

Cons

1. The colour pay off of the lighter shades is not as pigmented as the darker shades.

2. One of the shades (Beige Minimaliste) is not easy to apply and seems a little patchy with streaks of glitter.

3. They need to be sharpened which may lead to waste

Overall Thoughts

I am really pleased I purchased these babies as they are so easy to use and they really save time in the morning. My favourite shades are Brun Dadaiste and Gris Graffiti are my favourite shades and I have used them more than the rest. If you are not ready to splash out on the By Terry or the Laura Mercier versions, I would suggest trying these eyeshadow sticks as a starting point. I hope you enjoyed this lil' post written on a long tube/train ride home..xx