Eye Drops vs. Laura Geller Shadow Shifter

If you're familiar with eyeshadow pigments, you've probably heard about using eye drops to liquify and intensify the pigment you're working with. I've done it many times before in the past but it seems like every Youtuber I watch mentions that you can use eye drops but then they proceed to use some other mixing medium; this always made me wonder if eye drops were really the best thing to use to get the strongest pigmentation. A few months ago I found a duo pack of the Laura Geller Shadow Shifter on clearance at Ulta for about $8 so I decided to get it and try something new. I've been practicing with it for several weeks now and I've included swatches for both high end and drugstore pigments so everyone can see how they compare!

PROS:

These drops definitely work. As you can see, I got a much more pigmented swatch from liquifying the pigment with these drops. Surprisingly, the drugstore pigments were harder to remove with the drops than the MAC ones! I can also completely testify to the fact that this product did not make my shadows crease. I always get nervous putting any wet products on my eyes but this product really did seal everything in. I can't say they were waterproof because I didn't jump in a pool or anything with it on but it did hold up extremely well on my eyes for several hours.

CONS:

Balance. If you don't get the ratio of drops to pigment just right when mixing it, it can be a disaster. You can even see in my Maybelline swatch that the product looked chunky in some parts- I left this in the picture intentionally to show how that can happen. I used the same amounts when mixing all my swatches yet not all of them turned out perfectly smooth; this is a common risk I've found with the product which makes me feel like the turnout will be unpredictable every time. *ALSO* my biggest issue with these had to do with layering. Many people get their brush wet then dip it directly in the pigment and apply it; this was impossible to do as the application was incredibly uneven. I always mix it on the back of my hand first and then apply it to my eyes. Occasionally I would need to go back in and pick up more pigment to get the full intensity on my eyes and THIS is where it can really turn to shit. I did this one of my MAC pigments that isn't featured and the second application of pigment completely chunked up on my eye and then removed it completely! I was not swiping with my brush I was patting it on and I still had this problem- it completely ruined my look that night and I was not happy!

IS IT WORTH IT?

Ahem, do you see the differences between the eye drop swatches and the shadow shifter ones? NO! Almost all the swatches both drugstore and MAC were equally as pigmented with both drops! The only differences I really saw were in the MAC pigments; Kitschmas went on just a little bit smoother with the shadow shifter, and Push the Edge actually went on too dark in my opinion- the eye drops pulled a much more wearable purple and showed off it's slight duo-chrome much better. Bottom line, if you can find them on clearance I would say give them a shot and see if it helps waterproof your makeup (especially in the summer months). If you can't find them on sale, HELL NO! These retail for $17-$20 and there's no way I would EVER advise anyone to spend that kind of money on these. Eye drops are like $4 so I'd go that direction. Also note that I included the swatches after two swipes of a makeup wipe below and the eye drops held up pretty much as well as the shadow shifter drops!

*this post was not sponsored and all photos are my own*

Walmart Beauty Box (Winter)

For those of you who don't know this exists, you need to go get it...like right now. I know many people are familiar with Ipsy, Birchbox, and various other beauty subscription boxes but the Walmart Beauty Box is actually fairly new one on the market.

Let me start with the fact that it's quarterly, so you get a new box for every season. For junkies like myself, I'd prefer more frequent boxes, but that's exactly why this is a perfect box for the non-committal or for those who may want to add it in conjunction to another subscription box. Each box is only $5. Yes, FIVE DOLLARS! I easily got $20 worth of product in my first box which makes this one of the first subscription boxes I can completely vouch for on the value!

Heres's some of the basic background information:

• I can never find the beauty box on Walmart's website. This is because you make a separate account on an entirely different URL: https://beautybox.walmart.com/ 
• They divide the age groups into two and you may receive a different box based on which group you fit in.
• Obviously they only include products that can be found in Walmart, but you also get manufacturer coupons that can be used almost anywhere! 

I received my first box back in August before I had my blog so I don't have all of the pictures for it :/ BUT I am going to list every product I got in my Fall box and the links for each product at the end of this post! Here's the list of what was included in my winter beauty box:

• L'Oreal OleoTherapy Travel-Size Shampoo & Conditioner (retail value is about $2 each) click here

• Maybelline Color Sensational "The Buffs" Lipstick in the shade "Maple Kiss" (retail value is about $5) click here

• Jergens Travel-Size BB Body Lotion (unknown retail value, the full size is about $12) click here

• Olay Fresh Effects Everything Off! Makeup Removing Wipes Sample Size (unknown retail value, the full size is about $4) click here

• Nivea Cocoa Butter Sample Packet with $1 off coupon (full size retail value is about $5) click here

• Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder Sample with $1 off coupon (full size retail value is about $7) click here

I love that this is the second time they've given me full size lip products! This is one of the biggest points that prove the box is worth it for me because most lip products are $5 and up alone and that's the cost of the entire box. Of what I've tried in my box I've loved pretty much everything! My only complaint is the color of the Maybelline lipstick; it's too dark for my skin tone and just doesn't work but I do think it's an excellent match for the Marsala Pantone Color of the Year!

FALL BOX:

• Full size Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant (retail value is around $8) click here 
• Full size Covergirl Glosstini Nail Polish *no longer available in the teal I got but the average retail price was about $2-3) click here 
• Full size L'Oreal Glossy Balm in the shade "Pink Me Up" (retail value is around $7)           click here 
• Dove Oxygen Series Travel-Size Shampoo & Conditioner (retail value for each is about $2 each)  click here 
• Dove Pure Care Dry Oil Travel-Size (unknown retail value, the full size is about $12)         click here 
• Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Perfume Sample (unknown retail value, the full size is about $20) click here 
• L'Oreal Youth Code Pore Vanisher Sample Packet (unknown retail value, the full size is about $20) click here 
• Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup flyer with 8 shades of sample packets and a $2 off coupon (unknown retail value, the full size is about $14) click here

*this post was not sponsored and all pictures are my own*