Matte Eyes to Mesmerise

The brand said that the formula combined the "long-lasting, smoothing powers of [their] iconic Eyes to Mesmerise cream shadows" with a matte formula that is supposed to be "long-lasting" and easy to "build, blend, and wear." They actually specifically out that it should feel "smooth" to the touch and "doesn't drag the skin on the eye lid."

It's an incredibly dry, draggy formula that feels more like an old cream eyeshadow that's dried out and is on its last legs of usefulness. It was really quite at odds with how shiny/glossy the product looked in the pots, but if you looked closely at the center of each, you could see faint cracks that alluded to it being a drier product.

The texture was dry, thick, and quick to dry down, which was a recipe for uneven application that did not blend, did not build (layering was atrocious!), and really only was feasible to use as an eyeliner where sharper, precise motions were desired and no blending was wanted, but it still lacked the fluidity ideal for working around the curvature of the eye area.

I tried using fingertips and different brushes to apply, and for something all over, using a fluffy brush and diffusing during the initial application yielded less awful results but ultimately, still disappointing. They are nothing like the original Eyes to Mesmerise shades!

I found that they didn't crease or fade, but they were more prone to flaking as an eyeshadow, so the wear was more like seven to nine hours.