ColourPop The Bull, The Lion, The Water Bearer, The Fish Zodiac Loose Pigments Reviews & Swatches
The Bull
ColourPop The Bull Zodiac Loose Pigment ($6.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a bright, emerald green with subtle, cooler undertones and warmer, golden sparkle. It had rich color coverage applied with a dampened brush (using water) that adhered evenly and smoothly to my skin. The only difficulty I had was diffusing the edges once the product was dried down, as it did not move as much or as readily. I was able to pick up a bit of product on a dry brush to help soften the edges that way.
The consistency seemed finely-milled in the jar and had minimal fallout when applied with a dampened brush. It wore well for seven and a half hours, left a faint stain behind, and had minimal fallout over time when I applied it with water. It was still going strong after 10 hours of wear when I used a setting spray (MAC Fix+).
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Clionadh Forest Heart (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Grasshopper (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Give Me Glow Zack (P, $7.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Iggy (DC, $21.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Buxom Pre-nup (P, $12.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever ME304 Emerald (P, $17.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- ColourPop Juicy (LE, $4.50) is warmer (90% similar).
- Bad Habit Lifted (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- KVD Beauty Leafar (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Left on Thread (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.078 oz. - $76.92 Per Ounce
The reformulated Loose Pigments are supposed to be "high impact, concentrated" pigments that are "best used wet for a supercharged, intense metallic or duochrome finish." The brand specifically warns against using them dry on a "bare eye" (as in "should never be applied"), which is where the original and reformulation differ, as the originals could be used wet or dry. The brand also stated to "layer over an eyeshadow primer or Super Shock Shadow" for "the best staying power and pigmentation," so presumably they are not particularly long-wearing "as is." That's accurate; they last around seven hours applied wet with water but get to 10 hours when used with an adhesive spray (I tested with MAC Fix+, which I have a lot of prior testing experience with).
They are better than the originals, though they still suffer from a lot of the expected downsides to working with loose pigment, and whether the color and finish outweigh the application pitfalls is a matter of preference, skill, and patience. The formula needed to have a fairly wet brush; not quite sopping-wet but more than slightly damp (which is more in line with the amount of wetness I find necessary to apply 90%+ of products). If my brush was too wet, though, it tended to spread the product out too readily and was more likely to go on unevenly. The more glittery shades worked better with an adhesive spray or tacky base, rather than just wet with water, as they needed more to help the larger sparkles adhere to skin and minimized fallout/excessive spread of the sparkles (beyond where I wanted them) when blended.
Because the formula really does work best with a wet/dampened brush, they aren't as blendable once they're dry, so working with two or three shades in the same area is more challenging than working with more traditional, pressed powder eyeshadows. They're more in the vein of liquid and cream eyeshadows, which are blendable as they're drying, but once they set, most formulas are locked in place; these are not quite that locked in place but just didn't want to diffuse readily. They wore between six and eight hours before creasing, fading, and/or having a fair amount of fallout (applied wet with water). I would only recommend purchasing the formula if you intend to use them with an adhesive spray or tacky base. Drier primers, like MAC 24HR or Urban Decay Primer Potion work decently with most shades (fade-resistant but light to moderate fallout otherwise), but I would still opt for a tackier base. The following shades stained, and they stained through eyeshadow primer: The Ram, The Bull, The Water Bearer, The Archer.
The pigmentation was semi-opaque to opaque for most shades, and as it was a loose product, it was often more about how much product was applied, though I tried to apply a consistent amount for swatches (which were all done wet with water). The consistency varied from airy and finely-milled to heavier and more glittery. I noticed more of a "puff" of pigment as I worked with most shades, which seemed to confirm how finely-milled they were. They can also be used on cheeks and lips, and the more sparkly shades worked better as cheek products than the ones with deeper intensity or base colors, as they tended to be a bit harder to apply and diffuse (even using them dry as using them wet on cheeks often translated into stripes of color).
The packaging changed significantly, as the jars are now taller, slimmer, and have no sifter, though there's a plastic "lid" that sits inside the top of the jar. I'm not a fan of this style of packaging, especially as these are meant to be used wet, then it becomes very challenging to sift out just enough product for a use and mix a wet brush with dry powder elsewhere (instead of sticking one's brush right in the jar). It is also going to be progressively more difficult to pick up just the right amount of product as product gets used up (and you're going lower and lower into the jar). The taller jars also are a bit easier to knock over for those prone to clumsiness (like myself).
Browse all of our ColourPop Zodiac Loose Pigment swatches.
Ingredients
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethiconol, Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Look Using this Product
The Bull
LELimited Edition. $6.00.
The Lion
ColourPop The Lion Zodiac Loose Pigment ($6.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a bright, medium gold with warm undertones and a glittery finish. It had good color coverage that was buildable to full coverage (or a ton of product picked up in one go, but this shade was definitely less pigmented compared to other shades in the line). The consistency was soft and finely-milled, though it had lots of sparkle in it, so it wasn’t completely smooth, which was as anticipated based on the finish.
It stayed on well for seven hours with some fallout over time when I applied it using a dampened brush (with water), but a glitter glue/adhesive would be a better pick with this shade as it still had a noticeable amount of fallout when I used a setting spray (MAC Fix+) over time (but the color and overall effect lasted better–closer to 10 hours).
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Make Up For Ever D410 Gold Nugget (DC, $21.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Muse #3 (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- LORAC Gold Leaf (LE, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Chanel Rêve d'Orient #3 (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Dior Earthy Canvas #2 (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Moira Sending Me (P, $8.50) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- L'Oreal Eternal Sunshine (P, $7.99) is lighter (95% similar).
- Pat McGrath Antique Gold 002 (LE, $25.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Chanel Quintessence #5 (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- MAC Spun from Gold (LE, $18.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.078 oz. - $76.92 Per Ounce
The reformulated Loose Pigments are supposed to be "high impact, concentrated" pigments that are "best used wet for a supercharged, intense metallic or duochrome finish." The brand specifically warns against using them dry on a "bare eye" (as in "should never be applied"), which is where the original and reformulation differ, as the originals could be used wet or dry. The brand also stated to "layer over an eyeshadow primer or Super Shock Shadow" for "the best staying power and pigmentation," so presumably they are not particularly long-wearing "as is." That's accurate; they last around seven hours applied wet with water but get to 10 hours when used with an adhesive spray (I tested with MAC Fix+, which I have a lot of prior testing experience with).
They are better than the originals, though they still suffer from a lot of the expected downsides to working with loose pigment, and whether the color and finish outweigh the application pitfalls is a matter of preference, skill, and patience. The formula needed to have a fairly wet brush; not quite sopping-wet but more than slightly damp (which is more in line with the amount of wetness I find necessary to apply 90%+ of products). If my brush was too wet, though, it tended to spread the product out too readily and was more likely to go on unevenly. The more glittery shades worked better with an adhesive spray or tacky base, rather than just wet with water, as they needed more to help the larger sparkles adhere to skin and minimized fallout/excessive spread of the sparkles (beyond where I wanted them) when blended.
Because the formula really does work best with a wet/dampened brush, they aren't as blendable once they're dry, so working with two or three shades in the same area is more challenging than working with more traditional, pressed powder eyeshadows. They're more in the vein of liquid and cream eyeshadows, which are blendable as they're drying, but once they set, most formulas are locked in place; these are not quite that locked in place but just didn't want to diffuse readily. They wore between six and eight hours before creasing, fading, and/or having a fair amount of fallout (applied wet with water). I would only recommend purchasing the formula if you intend to use them with an adhesive spray or tacky base. Drier primers, like MAC 24HR or Urban Decay Primer Potion work decently with most shades (fade-resistant but light to moderate fallout otherwise), but I would still opt for a tackier base. The following shades stained, and they stained through eyeshadow primer: The Ram, The Bull, The Water Bearer, The Archer.
The pigmentation was semi-opaque to opaque for most shades, and as it was a loose product, it was often more about how much product was applied, though I tried to apply a consistent amount for swatches (which were all done wet with water). The consistency varied from airy and finely-milled to heavier and more glittery. I noticed more of a "puff" of pigment as I worked with most shades, which seemed to confirm how finely-milled they were. They can also be used on cheeks and lips, and the more sparkly shades worked better as cheek products than the ones with deeper intensity or base colors, as they tended to be a bit harder to apply and diffuse (even using them dry as using them wet on cheeks often translated into stripes of color).
The packaging changed significantly, as the jars are now taller, slimmer, and have no sifter, though there's a plastic "lid" that sits inside the top of the jar. I'm not a fan of this style of packaging, especially as these are meant to be used wet, then it becomes very challenging to sift out just enough product for a use and mix a wet brush with dry powder elsewhere (instead of sticking one's brush right in the jar). It is also going to be progressively more difficult to pick up just the right amount of product as product gets used up (and you're going lower and lower into the jar). The taller jars also are a bit easier to knock over for those prone to clumsiness (like myself).
Browse all of our ColourPop Zodiac Loose Pigment swatches.
Ingredients
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Tin Oxide, Dimethiconol, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Look Using this Product
The Lion
LELimited Edition. $6.00.
The Water Bearer
ColourPop The Water Bearer Zodiac Loose Pigment ($6.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a bright, medium blue with strong, cool undertones and a metallic sheen with slight sparkle. It had opaque pigmentation that adhered well to bare skin and diffused without too much trouble along the edges, though to really blow out the color took some doing (easiest by getting a bit of dry product and softly diffusing that along the existing edge). The texture was finely-milled, almost airy and weightless with how finely-milled it was, and sat smoothly on my skin. It lasted nicely for eight hours, left a bit of a stain behind, and had minimal fallout just using water as my wetting agent on my brush.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Bay Breeze (LE, $4.50) is lighter (95% similar).
- Huda Beauty Sapphire #9 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Boy Crazy (P, $6.25) is darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Free Spirit (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- NARS Naked City (LE, $28.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Give Me Glow Bubbles (P, $7.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Peeps Blue (LE, $6.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Rising Tide (LE, $4.50) is warmer (90% similar).
- Give Me Glow Under the Sea (P, $7.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Foil Eyes #25 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.078 oz. - $76.92 Per Ounce
The reformulated Loose Pigments are supposed to be "high impact, concentrated" pigments that are "best used wet for a supercharged, intense metallic or duochrome finish." The brand specifically warns against using them dry on a "bare eye" (as in "should never be applied"), which is where the original and reformulation differ, as the originals could be used wet or dry. The brand also stated to "layer over an eyeshadow primer or Super Shock Shadow" for "the best staying power and pigmentation," so presumably they are not particularly long-wearing "as is." That's accurate; they last around seven hours applied wet with water but get to 10 hours when used with an adhesive spray (I tested with MAC Fix+, which I have a lot of prior testing experience with).
They are better than the originals, though they still suffer from a lot of the expected downsides to working with loose pigment, and whether the color and finish outweigh the application pitfalls is a matter of preference, skill, and patience. The formula needed to have a fairly wet brush; not quite sopping-wet but more than slightly damp (which is more in line with the amount of wetness I find necessary to apply 90%+ of products). If my brush was too wet, though, it tended to spread the product out too readily and was more likely to go on unevenly. The more glittery shades worked better with an adhesive spray or tacky base, rather than just wet with water, as they needed more to help the larger sparkles adhere to skin and minimized fallout/excessive spread of the sparkles (beyond where I wanted them) when blended.
Because the formula really does work best with a wet/dampened brush, they aren't as blendable once they're dry, so working with two or three shades in the same area is more challenging than working with more traditional, pressed powder eyeshadows. They're more in the vein of liquid and cream eyeshadows, which are blendable as they're drying, but once they set, most formulas are locked in place; these are not quite that locked in place but just didn't want to diffuse readily. They wore between six and eight hours before creasing, fading, and/or having a fair amount of fallout (applied wet with water). I would only recommend purchasing the formula if you intend to use them with an adhesive spray or tacky base. Drier primers, like MAC 24HR or Urban Decay Primer Potion work decently with most shades (fade-resistant but light to moderate fallout otherwise), but I would still opt for a tackier base. The following shades stained, and they stained through eyeshadow primer: The Ram, The Bull, The Water Bearer, The Archer.
The pigmentation was semi-opaque to opaque for most shades, and as it was a loose product, it was often more about how much product was applied, though I tried to apply a consistent amount for swatches (which were all done wet with water). The consistency varied from airy and finely-milled to heavier and more glittery. I noticed more of a "puff" of pigment as I worked with most shades, which seemed to confirm how finely-milled they were. They can also be used on cheeks and lips, and the more sparkly shades worked better as cheek products than the ones with deeper intensity or base colors, as they tended to be a bit harder to apply and diffuse (even using them dry as using them wet on cheeks often translated into stripes of color).
The packaging changed significantly, as the jars are now taller, slimmer, and have no sifter, though there's a plastic "lid" that sits inside the top of the jar. I'm not a fan of this style of packaging, especially as these are meant to be used wet, then it becomes very challenging to sift out just enough product for a use and mix a wet brush with dry powder elsewhere (instead of sticking one's brush right in the jar). It is also going to be progressively more difficult to pick up just the right amount of product as product gets used up (and you're going lower and lower into the jar). The taller jars also are a bit easier to knock over for those prone to clumsiness (like myself).
Browse all of our ColourPop Zodiac Loose Pigment swatches.
Ingredients
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Silica, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Tin Oxide, Dimethiconol, Palmitic Acid, Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Look Using this Product
The Water Bearer
LELimited Edition. $6.00.
The Fish
ColourPop The Fish Zodiac Loose Pigment ($6.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a pale green with slightly cooler undertones but looked warmer, more gold-green overall due to the heavy amount of gold sparkles throughout the shade. The consistency was airy and finely-milled to a degree, but there was a lot of sparkle/micro-glitter, so there was added texture from that. I highly recommend applying this using a setting spray or glitter adhesive with the latter being the best to mitigate fallout over time, but it was manageable with just setting spray as the sparkles seemed a bit smaller.
It had good pigmentation that was buildable to full coverage with a second layer. I was able to diffuse the edges after it had dried down without too much effort. This shade wore well for seven hours with some fallout over time when I applied it with a dampened brush (using water), and it lasted better at 10 hours with more minimal fallout when I used it with a setting spray (MAC Fix+).
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Urban Decay Prickly (LE, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Cle de Peau Harmony (Right) (PiP, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Atmosphere (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Viseart Coy #2 (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Merciful (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Game Changer (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Abracadabra (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Glaminatrix Pixie (P, $8.04) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- NARS Zambezi (P, $19.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Mint Chocolate Chip (LE, $6.25) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.078 oz. - $76.92 Per Ounce
The reformulated Loose Pigments are supposed to be "high impact, concentrated" pigments that are "best used wet for a supercharged, intense metallic or duochrome finish." The brand specifically warns against using them dry on a "bare eye" (as in "should never be applied"), which is where the original and reformulation differ, as the originals could be used wet or dry. The brand also stated to "layer over an eyeshadow primer or Super Shock Shadow" for "the best staying power and pigmentation," so presumably they are not particularly long-wearing "as is." That's accurate; they last around seven hours applied wet with water but get to 10 hours when used with an adhesive spray (I tested with MAC Fix+, which I have a lot of prior testing experience with).
They are better than the originals, though they still suffer from a lot of the expected downsides to working with loose pigment, and whether the color and finish outweigh the application pitfalls is a matter of preference, skill, and patience. The formula needed to have a fairly wet brush; not quite sopping-wet but more than slightly damp (which is more in line with the amount of wetness I find necessary to apply 90%+ of products). If my brush was too wet, though, it tended to spread the product out too readily and was more likely to go on unevenly. The more glittery shades worked better with an adhesive spray or tacky base, rather than just wet with water, as they needed more to help the larger sparkles adhere to skin and minimized fallout/excessive spread of the sparkles (beyond where I wanted them) when blended.
Because the formula really does work best with a wet/dampened brush, they aren't as blendable once they're dry, so working with two or three shades in the same area is more challenging than working with more traditional, pressed powder eyeshadows. They're more in the vein of liquid and cream eyeshadows, which are blendable as they're drying, but once they set, most formulas are locked in place; these are not quite that locked in place but just didn't want to diffuse readily. They wore between six and eight hours before creasing, fading, and/or having a fair amount of fallout (applied wet with water). I would only recommend purchasing the formula if you intend to use them with an adhesive spray or tacky base. Drier primers, like MAC 24HR or Urban Decay Primer Potion work decently with most shades (fade-resistant but light to moderate fallout otherwise), but I would still opt for a tackier base. The following shades stained, and they stained through eyeshadow primer: The Ram, The Bull, The Water Bearer, The Archer.
The pigmentation was semi-opaque to opaque for most shades, and as it was a loose product, it was often more about how much product was applied, though I tried to apply a consistent amount for swatches (which were all done wet with water). The consistency varied from airy and finely-milled to heavier and more glittery. I noticed more of a "puff" of pigment as I worked with most shades, which seemed to confirm how finely-milled they were. They can also be used on cheeks and lips, and the more sparkly shades worked better as cheek products than the ones with deeper intensity or base colors, as they tended to be a bit harder to apply and diffuse (even using them dry as using them wet on cheeks often translated into stripes of color).
The packaging changed significantly, as the jars are now taller, slimmer, and have no sifter, though there's a plastic "lid" that sits inside the top of the jar. I'm not a fan of this style of packaging, especially as these are meant to be used wet, then it becomes very challenging to sift out just enough product for a use and mix a wet brush with dry powder elsewhere (instead of sticking one's brush right in the jar). It is also going to be progressively more difficult to pick up just the right amount of product as product gets used up (and you're going lower and lower into the jar). The taller jars also are a bit easier to knock over for those prone to clumsiness (like myself).
Browse all of our ColourPop Zodiac Loose Pigment swatches.
Ingredients
Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Tin Oxide, Dimethiconol, Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Vibrant shades of blue and green, but the gold was definitely disappointing. Gorgeous eye look Christine.
The text of the Water Bearer’s review seems to be for the Fish?
Sorry, Lulu! Something happened in the HTML that caused some broken code and ate the Water Bearer paragraph for readers to see (it was still intact on my view).
The Bull shade reminds me of your shadow you did with Mac. Do you still use it?
I haven’t used it years! Actually, I didn’t even know where it was for awhile, haha.
The Bull and Water Bearer are gorgeous, but I have so many dupes for both.
I have The Bull, and can honestly say that it works ever bit as well as similar loose pigments from MAC..that I spent much more on! It’s a vibrant emerald green..and stayed on for over 8 hours. Mixed it with Inglot Duraline…so I don’t know how it works with water alone. Very happy with it…as I am with most Colourpop products.