ColourPop Flower Buds Super Shock Shadow Duo Review & Swatches
Flower Buds
ColourPop Flower Buds Super Shock Shadow Duo ($12.00 for 0.14 oz.) includes two cream-to-powder eyeshadows in sparkling mauve and blackened teal with a satin sheen. The darker shade was slightly more emollient than ideal, so blending out the edge wasn’t as easy to do, especially given how dark the base was.
Flower Buds
LELimited Edition. $12.00.
Ray Day
Ray Day is a medium-dark, pinky-mauve base with warm undertones and a blue-to-lavender shifting shimmer that gave it a metallic finish. It had a more emollient texture, but it didn’t end up being too slippery as the product applied well to bare skin and yielded full color coverage in one layer. It stayed on well for over 10 hours without fading or creasing on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Terra Moons Cinnamon Sugar (P, $6.25) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
- NARS Melrose (P, $22.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Sugarpill Dream State (PiP, $13.00) is cooler (85% similar).
- ColourPop Northern Lights (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- Sydney Grace Master Plan (DC, $8.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Sydney Grace The Mielke Way (P, $6.25) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
- MAC Right Before Your Eyes (LE, $22.00) is cooler (85% similar).
- Half Magic Dopamine Sparkle (P, $26.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
- Huda Beauty Neon Green #9 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Anastasia Barb (LE, $12.00) is cooler (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.07 oz. - $85.71 Per Ounce
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow is a cream-based formula that comes in a multitude of shades and finishes. The more metallic shades have the most slip to them (they have a “wetter” feel), while the more matte ones have a firmer, more clay-like consistency. Almost every shade I’ve tried from ColourPop has been exceptionally long-wearing (10+ hours of wear, usually there until I remove, even 14 hours later). The pigmentation can vary from shade to shade, but the average shade is quite pigmented.
From feedback I’ve seen from readers, many love them but some don’t like them at all. They aren’t a traditional cream eyeshadow, as they are denser (more sponge-like), and they apply best with flat, firm, synthetic brushes (I like the MAC 242 and 249) for me. The brand recommends using fingers for the most pigmented application, but I’ve only felt that fingers were necessary on a few shades (usually the super glittery ones).
The more matte shades can be on the drier side and vary from medium to opaque in coverage, though they're often buildable. They can be a little hard to diffuse the edges of, though some are lovely to work with.
The more glittery shades have been the weakest to me, as they can be sheerer or harder to apply. Sometimes, they are more pigmented and work like the other finishes in the formula, but often, they are sheerer and only function well patted on top of more pigmented eyeshadows to add glitter. They do, however, tend to have little fallout over time with the occasional shade having a more moderate amount of fallout (but still less fallout than most powder eyeshadows with glitter).
Browse all of our ColourPop Super Shock Shadow swatches.
Ray Day
LELimited Edition. $6.00.
Water Me
Water Me is a blackened-teal base with fine, emerald green and navy blue pearl throughout. It had mostly opaque, buildable color payoff with a smooth, emollient consistency that was a little more slippery than ideal. It worked better applied in more opaque areas and then carefully diffused or used with a powder eyeshadow to soften the edge. It stayed on well for over 10 hours without fading or creasing on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Estee Lauder Charred Emerald (LE, $45.00) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Make Up For Ever ME302 Peacock (DC, $21.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (95% similar).
- The Estee Edit Wavy (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
- Viseart Shameless (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (95% similar).
- Coloured Raine Forbidden (DC, $6.99) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Too Faced Storm Cloud (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty For Once (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Anastasia Throne (LE, $12.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Chantecaille Lagoon (P, $34.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Dior Denim #4 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.07 oz. - $85.71 Per Ounce
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow is a cream-based formula that comes in a multitude of shades and finishes. The more metallic shades have the most slip to them (they have a “wetter” feel), while the more matte ones have a firmer, more clay-like consistency. Almost every shade I’ve tried from ColourPop has been exceptionally long-wearing (10+ hours of wear, usually there until I remove, even 14 hours later). The pigmentation can vary from shade to shade, but the average shade is quite pigmented.
From feedback I’ve seen from readers, many love them but some don’t like them at all. They aren’t a traditional cream eyeshadow, as they are denser (more sponge-like), and they apply best with flat, firm, synthetic brushes (I like the MAC 242 and 249) for me. The brand recommends using fingers for the most pigmented application, but I’ve only felt that fingers were necessary on a few shades (usually the super glittery ones).
The more matte shades can be on the drier side and vary from medium to opaque in coverage, though they're often buildable. They can be a little hard to diffuse the edges of, though some are lovely to work with.
The more glittery shades have been the weakest to me, as they can be sheerer or harder to apply. Sometimes, they are more pigmented and work like the other finishes in the formula, but often, they are sheerer and only function well patted on top of more pigmented eyeshadows to add glitter. They do, however, tend to have little fallout over time with the occasional shade having a more moderate amount of fallout (but still less fallout than most powder eyeshadows with glitter).
Browse all of our ColourPop Super Shock Shadow swatches.
I like both of these. Ray Day is stunning. Again, I don’t need another shadow like this but Ray Day is tempting. I like the formula and you can’t beat the price point, LOL!
Gorgeous shades, particularly the teal. It’s good to see CP branch out with their colour duos.
Water Me is beautiful but it’s the sort of colour I love but rarely wear. How weird is that? But I’ve got the Estee Edit Wavy (those 2 palettes were/are such treasures) so when I am feeling in the mood for a rich green shade, I’ve got that! Ray Day (love that name) is lovely but not the type of colour I wear ever (my lids are pink enough on their own, a characteristic I’m usually trying to cover!). If I decide I want to give a colour like that a try, I’ve probably got near enough dupes.
This duo kinda gives me ND Retro Mini + UD Loaded vibes – I’ve been using this combo recently and they work really together.