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Most Overrated and Underrated Eyeshadow Formula
Over & Under: Most Overrated & Underrated Eyeshadow Formula
There are always products that receive endless raves, but they don’t always live up to our expectations or work out as well as they do for others. Share your picks for most overrated and underrated EYESHADOW FORMULAS. Don’t forget to share your whats and whys as to your choices!
- Most Overrated: [answer]
- Most Underrated: [answer]
My Picks
- Most Overrated: It bums me out to say it, but MAC. They CAN make an excellent eyeshadow, but after trying so many more brands, a lot of their eyeshadows fall flat. There are many that are great, but there are a fair amount of duds, too.
- Most Underrated: Bare Escentuals Ready is so dense, buttery, and smooth–excellent pigmentation, too–and was a total surprise to me. I’m also a huge fan of Tarina Tarantino’s eyeshadow formula for the same reasons.
Urban Decay. No hear me out, really, I LOVE LOVE them and their shade range and such, but for 18 bucks you’d think they could make their formula a little less….crease-y. It bums me out cause I don’t like to have to use primer every time I wanna wear some of their shades.
Most overrated: I’ll have to agree with you on Mac for this one. It’s not that they’re necessarily bad, but the lack of consistency both in overall quality and in terms of formulations makes it frustrating to work with them.
Most underrated: Laura Mercier. High quality and a wonderful range of dimensional colours. I feel like they get lost in the shuffle.
Most Overated: Definitely MAC! I think the most frustrating part is that I see these colors that would be absolutely GORGEOUS (like Patina) and than they completely lack pigmentation. I feel like the only super pigmented colors are ones that are more dramatic, especialy on my lighter skin (like Woodwinked, Expensive Pink, Star Violet)
Most Underrated: Probably Bare Escentuals or The Balm (although The Balm is getting more recognition lately). The softness of both of those brands is bar none!
Overrated: MAC.
Underrated: theBalm
@ssaemblog I completely agree. 🙂
For me, Coastal Scents are overrated. I do not think they are of good quality, but they seem to get so much hype. On the other hand, Wet n Wild’s eyeshadows are so buttery and soft and most of them have amazing pigmentation. I actually prefer those over my MAC shadows!
Overrated: Definitely, MAC; I’ve never been impressed by the formula of any of their shadows. The only thing that attracted me to the brand was the range of colors, but I can’t recall any particular shade that was amazing to work with in relation to formula. Underrated: I really like L’Oreal. I’ve found the singles/duos to be amazing, although the quads can be a bit mediocre. Tarte is another one I really like, especially for more “conservative” looks. True, the color is not intense, but I don’t think they are intended to be, so the product does actually deliver. I think the reason people are disappointed in Tarte shadows is because they are used to “in your face” intensity, though when applied with a damp brush, alot of the shades really pop. I worked in a bank when I discovered Tarte, so the shadows were actually ideal at the time.
I agree with your choices. I’ve heard of MAC eyeshadows for years and when I finally picked up four of their shadows I realized that they are highly overrated. The pigmentation isn’t wonderful and the texture is not my favorite.
On the other hand, I’m in love with Bare Escentuals READY eyeshadows. I own most of the duos and quads and despite how wonderful their are (apply like a dream, bleeding is effortless, they don’t fade or crease), I don’t hear almost anybody talking about them online or on YouTube.
@ingerasata
Yes and I will try the Bare Escentuals one day. The Illusions d’Ombre from Chanel are really beautiful, pigments are great. Urban Decay is great too and I hope the huge collection to come will be pretty, everyone says it’s simply amazing ( but costly ).
Most overrated ( when launched ) : Big Bounce Shadows from M.A.C. It was liquid, impossible to apply normally and really bad on the whole. I still have 2 of them but I never wear them.
Most underrated : the single eyeshadows ( powder ) from Two Faced : they’re smooth, pretty shades and they last pretty well even without a primer. Recently the Swimming Pool palette from Dior which is gorgeous though very light, and Marie-Galante from Nars, which is both sheer and intense ! Not so easy to apply for both of them for pigments are really very soft.
Most overrated : Wet n Wild – Yes the pigmentation is great, but they have way too much fallout and are way too fragile. Trying to find a pallette in store that is not cracked and already broken or starting to crumble is a real pain.
Most underrated – I am not sure here. Maybe Essence. Really nice pigmentation, although the color range is not great if you are looking for good neutrals.
Most Overrated: Definitely MAC, I love the variety of collections and the complexity of some shades, but I’d say at least a third of their eyeshadows are inconsistent in their application. I’ve gotten 3 Espresso pro pans in my life, and I swear each had a different feel to it and needed different application methods.
Most Underrated: mmm… I’d say Inglot, but thanks to the bloggeresses reviews it isn’t anymore. Something indie probably, any Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow outs most commercial brands “pigments” to shame, in my experience! Also, I really like Revlon Colorstay quads, and they have a budget prize so a lot of people just ignore them thinking the quality might be bad. It isn’t!
Over rated: Urban Decay , the flake and there is a tonne of fallout, also they are just regular unless you use the primer potion which is a great marketing scheme. without it the shadows are not impressive!
Chanel is also a bit over rated
under rated: maybe under used, Sonia Kashuk, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown , Dior
I do agree some of the UD shadows have insane fall out, but I’ve used them without primer and they’re fine! Have you ever tried them wet? I’ve also used them over a MAC paint pot and they have super vibrant payoff too. I don’t think you only need the UDPP personally!
Overrated: MAC. WAY too many shades with chalky or skippy color payoff to be considered one of the best shadow brands.
Underrated: Sugarpill deserves to be sold in Sephoras. Their shadows are amazing.
Over rated: MAC. I love some of their shadows, and there is no use denying the fantastic range of colors, but they are pretty darned hard and it pisses me off that they severely lessen the quality of limited edition shadows.
Under rated: theBalm. Holy moly theBalm shadows are SO soft, SO buttery, SO pigmented, and I’ve only had an issues with fallout in about 2 (I own over 30). This brand also makes the best shimmery white shades… EVER.
Most Overrated:
1) MAC. I find them to be rather average, to be honest.
2) European formulation of Chanel monos/quads/duos. Some are ok but most are underperfoming. At this price point there are MUCH better eyeshadows. I haven’t tried the US version but most people who have tried both say that the US ones are better but still not excellent.
3) Dior quints. I *strongly* dislike these. Most are very sheer and crease fast even with primer.
Most Underrated:
1) Guerlain monos. These are fantastic! Great pigmentation, beautiful, classic-with-a-twist colors, blend like a dream and last many hours on my very oily lids even without primer. And actually not expensive considering how much product you get. You have also mentioned this at a previous post where you also said that Guerlain costs $300/oz while MAC is $290/oz.
2) Rouge Bunny Rouge. These NEED more attention. Very pigmented, unique colors (most of them), smooth as butter and long-lasting too.
3) YSL Pure Chromatics Wet&Dry quads. Can i just say, “Wow!” ? There are no words to describe these quads, you simply have to get yourself at least one!
4) One more brand that needs much more attention overall, not just for eyeshadows, is Meow Cosmetics. Huge variety of finishes (from matte to ultra-shimmery), colors (from the most basic to the most complex) and very affordable. LOVE! My only complain is that some of their matte eyeshadows (not all) can get chalky but that’s it !
Overrated: Yup, MAC. The quality is very inconsistent, especially with LE items.
Underrated: Hourglass, and I agree with BE. My favorite shadows in the entire world in terms of texture, color, and wear are by Suqqu. I wouldn’t exactly say that they are underrated, but they aren’t mentioned a lot because they are so hard to get if you are in the US.
I know a majority of people are going to say MAC is overrated. MAC *USED TO BE GOOD.* They still make some great stuff, but it has become far less consistent, and you really have to test the stuff out to find the winners. I feel like MAC has got this big ass ego (kinda like Kanye West) over the years. They know people will buy their stuff no matter what, and it seems to me they have watered down much of their product, and within collections, tend to put out a lot of duds. I can see why people like MAC, though; it’s not a bad price compared to other brands, there’s a huge range, and while it may not be the “best,” there are still a ton of shadows from them that are great. In addition, MAC is available all over the place compared to other brands. Plus, I love the neutral shades in the “satin” formulation. I have tried many a formula claiming to be satin that feels dry, or is completely matte, or is more frosty than satin, etc.
I also think UD is kind of overrated, too. I think they are great, but still overrated.
As for underrated, theBalm doesn’t get as much love as it should, but I think that’s mostly due to the fact that it’s not as available as a number of other brands.
Most Overrated:
Mac: but it is much cheaper so acceptable and understandable.
Chanel: most of them, actually including all makeup range from eyeshadow, blush, and etc etc but it is chanel though…beautiful packaging.
old guerlain: but the new 4 colours eyeshadow palette is good.
Most Underrated:
YSL Pure Chromatics: I am surprised that it is quite rare to see any review about it. I found it too shimmery at first but everytime i wear it, I got lots of compliments so now I got 4 palettes from this range.
Laura Mercier: I can see many post about their foundation, base products but not much about eyeshadow. it is actually very good.
Overrated: I’d have to say Urban Decay. I love a lot of their eyeshadows, but so many of them have annoying glitter fallout or just don’t work out for me. I still love the Naked palettes though.
Underrated: Too many to name. There are so many small mineral makeup companies that make really good eyeshadows. I’m planning on writing a post about it soon actually 🙂 Just ordered some from Chinovi Cosmetics, hope they’re as pretty as they look online!
Overrated: Lancome, specifically their quads. Lancome gets a lot of love on youtube (mainly due to michelle phan), but oh my god some of their quads are just horrible and pathetic for the price being paid.
Underrated: theBalm, Tarina Tarantino and some canadian brands like Quo, Vasanti and Annabelle, etc
Overrated: 1 Urban Decay- I love some of their shadows but all of their glitter ones i find terrible. Some of their shades would be so lovely but then they ruin them by tossing in glitter chunks. 2 )NARS, Recently I bought a duo in Nouveau Monde and it’s not that greatly pigmented. the Olive shows more grey than green or gold. 3) Coastal Scents- I know they are cheap and you get tons of colors but they break too easily and
Underrated: 1) Bare Minerals- I started with them back with i was 16 or 17 with 3 colors it was a wine collection and years later i still use those colors(new jars though) they are soft, rich, true to skin, blendable and I love that they are wet or dry. Loose pigments in general get a bad wrap which I think needs to change. 2)The Balm gorgeous shades that I adore. 3) Too Faced- I havent heard much about them lately but i love the ones i have and their primers are amazing! Label Whore is one of my favorite colors ever made!
Overrated: Urban Decay, but I’ve only tried their matte shadows.
Underrated: theBalm, definitely
Over Rated: Inglot
Under Rated: The Balm
Overrated: MAC – really excellent marketing and super quick on the mark with their awesome colours.. wish their formulas were more consistent and much better quality. Chanel – blah and double blahUnderrated – Sugarpill – don’t know why they haven’t been picked up by Sephora. Guerlain’s single mono shadows are really impressive.
@wwendalynne I wish Sephora would pick up Sugarpill and OCC! I also wish they wouldn’t have phased out theBalm!
Overrated: It’s a tie between MAC and UD. MAC because of the inconsistency and UD because they’re shimmer overload!
Underrated: Catrice (a German drugstore brand). It’s only available in Europe right now. I have a few from blog sales and swaps. The matte ones are especially nice. I recently contacted the company and they are getting ready to launch an online store and still looking for a distributor in the US. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Overrated: Urban Decay. I only have the Naked Palette I. I find that the shadows crease even more than some of my drugstore brands.
Underrated: L’oreal Wear Infinite Studio Secrets Quads. I never see anyone talk about them. The colors are beautiful, well pigmented, and wear very well without creasing.
Overrated: Chanel (as well as overpriced)- no better than MAC, no better than Laura Mercier or Bobbi Brown, imho;
Underrated: Too Faced- these shadows are beautifully shaded, blend effortlessly, are creamy and last a long time, and priced more reasonably.
Nothing wrong with Chanel, mind you, but for what the customer gets, overpriced!!
Overrated: Lancome – before I knew that they tested on animals I bought a quad from them, and boy was it awful. Good thing they have Michelle Phan in their back-pocket peddling their products
Underrated: Either theBalm or Too Faced. I’d probably say that theBalm shadows are a little better, but Too Faced still makes great ones, I never have a problem working with them.
who is Michelle Phan?
@hwendy Michelle Phan is a YouTube beauty guru. She signed on as Lancome’s video make up artist a few years ago.
@hwendy A Youtube guru. I’ve never watched her videos because they don’t seem genuine to me personally.
@Bittenhoney I’ve tried to watch her videos and I can’t get through a full one. I just feel like they lack personality. I also don’t think they are fully genuine, either. I watch some bigger gurus, but I love watching TheBombshellSuite, nvmakeuplover, leighannsays, etc… They just seem more real to me, and somehow even when they are just rambling I can still make it through a full video, lol.
@Miss J @Bittenhoney
Leesha for Xsparkage is really good too. Her tutorials are always inventive and fun:)
@Mel610 @Miss @Bittenhoney Yup, Leesha is one of the more well known beauty YouTubers I watch!
@Bittenhoneythanks
and I didn’t know Lancome is ever popular too! 😛
I thought it was for older generation. :PPPP
Overrated: UD. Too much sparkle/glitter with fallout. Cute when I was 17, not so much now.
Underrated: Inglot. The brand has gotten more recognition lately as they’ve come stateside. Their shadows are blendable, super pigmented, and it’s so inexpensive to make a palette.
I just started buying Too Faced this year. So I think that brand and TheBalm, Bare Minerals Ready, and Lorac are underrated.
Overrated: I have to agree with MAC, and it’s a shame. I know they’re moderately priced for today’s market, but I rarely buy anything from them now. NYX is not that good, either.
@Bittenhoney, i agree my NYX palette- one of the worst set of eyeshadows I own.
Overrated: NYX & Stilla. I have a palette from each and they both leave a lot to be desired
Underated: Urban Decay. I didn’t find out about this brand until last year and introduced the shadows to my sister this year! (I’m in my 30s and use to only buy makeup in department stores or the MAC store)
I discovered Urban Decay through YouTube. One would never know about this brand unless they read blogs or shop in Sephora! OR have great sister like me:-)
MAC, Guerlain, Chanel over-rated
the Balm under-rated
Overrated: MAC
Underrated: thebalm
Overrated: MAC, UD, L’oreal,
Underrated: e.l.f. NYC, Maybelline, Revlon, TooFaced
@MYAKINS so agree with the elf
I can totally see where you’re coming from with MAC being overrated, but tbh I don’t think the formula itself is overrated. What I mean is that I think most MAC addicts will acknowledge that there are much nicer formulas, but a lot of us fall for MAC’s nice shades and, well, the hype too. To me, Urban Decay’s formula (new or old) is somewhat overrated because I think they blend a bit TOO easily. That’s just personal preference though because I don’t have a lot of lid real estate :P. Most underrated I’d say is Illamasqua, mostly because of underexposure though.
Agree on Illamasqua, too! It’s still new here, and I don’t think it’s as widely available here, so it doesn’t get enough love.
Totally agree with Urban Decay’s eyeshadow! I love my Naked palettes, but sometimes I’m like “Where’s that color I just put?” It blended into the other colors… We can’t blend that much, the color washes off. Particularly the shimmer ones. But I still love them as lower lids and highlight colors 🙂
totally agree tuh buttttt itz way better tuh have very soft highly highly pigmented eyeshadows rather the dry hard little tuh none pigmentation like Mac 🙂 @AnneSophie
Most Overrated: MAC! I love their eyeshadow pots but man their quads on recent collections have been a bummer to me (the call me bubbles one is really poor in pigmentation except for the brash shadow that comes with it)
Most Underrated: Urban Decay, everybody loves the ones that come in the naked palette but I hardly ever hear about the colorful ones, which are awesome!, BE ready is also amazing
Most overrated: MAC and Nars-they’re just ok to me
Most Underrated- Urban Decay and Shu Uemura. I got a taupe and a peach Shu Uemura at a Nordstrom Rack and they are the most beautiful pigmented colors, and are similar to Urban Decay
overrated; mac
underrated; thebalm (omg amazing), sugarpill, urban decay
Mac over rated, Wet N Wild under rated.
Agree with you 100% – MAC overrated and BE/TT way underrated
Yeah definately MAC is overrated. I love TT and also love Lancôme myself.
I totally agree with you on Mac!!!! I thought I was the only one who felt that way!!!!
Definitely agree. Also, tarte shadows have come a long way.
Mac overrated by a lot. Got rid of almost all of mine. Urban decay is a close second for me. Underrated is a few wet n wild shadows and bare minerals and stila – particularly the in the light palette.
MAC is a bit too hit or miss. I haven’t had good results with Bobbi Brown eyeshadows. Beautiful colors, but weird color payoff and sometimes chalky.
I had no idea TheBalm was so good till this year! Mary Lou-Manizer started it for me. I also bought my first BE Ready shadow duo, and I agree.
Mac lipsticks are also overrated too…
Wet ‘N Wild are underrated. I think most people are afraid of them because they are so cheap! 🙂
I agree on the Mac shadows for sure! But their lipsticks are great! Especially since they have difft finishes. I feel def 100% that wet n wild is very underrated! They’ve come a long way!
UD and MAC are overated (both are too hit or miss for me). NYX is underrated
Mac over rated & bare Escentuals under rated! The ready shadows are so amazing & so are the loose shadows!
MAC is overrated, Urban Decay & makeup geek eyeshadows are soo underrated!
Oh! How could I forget Burberry as most underrated? So beautiful!! Shame on me. 🙂
MAC is the best by far. I love all of their shadows. I do believe Urban Decay is underrated.
To me, MAC is middle of the road, I still love them. Stila has taken a nose-dive (I miss those cardboard trios!). I’ve paid $$$ for Nars, which I think are overrated. Some shadows are so chalky and sheer or too dense and muddy. Bobbi Brown is very very overrated – some of the shadows are so sheer and others are easily dupeable. I think WnW’s are underrated.
MAC is very overrated and hard to work with. e.l.f. are the most underrated in my book.
MAC is so overrated!!!!! Wet N Wild, BH Cosmetics & NYX is underrated
Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipsticks are heaven on earth. Definitely underrated!
Ok. You guys have convinced me to adventure into the land of wet’n’wild
I will have to remember that one Erica because all I use is urban decay and unfortunately dont have enough money to be buying very expensive makeup!
mac is definitely overrated but i am definitely excited to try UD “new” formula. i’ve just gotten away from UD becuz all of their colors are looking the same in EVERY palette 🙁 BE is definitely THE SHYT esp since they’ve gone to the pressed form. i will rep MILANI as underrated becuz they have been awesome. the liners, lippies and shadows, hell even the blushes i’ve been reachin for more than mac. ELF eeeh i LOVE their brushes but not too fond of the shadows. dnt sleep on covergirl though…
Mac is sooo over rated! I don’t get the hype, gel eyeliner is rubbish, mascara and eyeshadow! Sleek make up , Milani,Rimmel and revlon are Soooo under rated! Shame
I love my MAC D;
MAC and Urban Decay are way overrated. Wet n’ Wild and Tarte I think are underrated.
I will definitely be checking out TheBalm (such a weird brand name) based on this thread.
Overrated: I’ll go with Mac too. I’d like to find something more original, but honestly, they’re treated like some gold standard, and the truth is NYX and Revlon Colorstay are just two of the lines that are nearly as good.
Underrated: thebalm, Kat Von D* and probably MakeupGeek, which I’m just now exploring but am so far finding comparable to theBalm
*The new palettes, that is – Saint, Sinner, Poetica. The old ones were good, but the new ones are much better.
Most Overrated: MAC. Wildly popular, universally-known, increasingly mediocre.
Most Underrated: Smashbox – a richly-pigmented assortment of surprisingly lovely colours, all overshadowed by their primer. It’s a great product – but so are the shadows! On the indie front: AlimaPure. I’ve a passion for their silky-soft shadows; even the matte range is deliciously well-pigmented, and the breadth of their ‘neutral’ selection is truly lovely.
@Ariane Totally agree with Smashbox shadows! I love every one I’ve tried.
@Ariane My first eyeshadow was a smashbox one and I absolutely love it. It is a shame sephora in my country stopped carrying the brand.
II AGREE MAC IS WAY OVER RATED!! WHEN I FIRST STARTED BUYING MAC I WAS SO INTO THE HYPE ABOUT THE ‘NAME’ AND THEN MY SECOND HIGER END BRAND WAS URBAN DECAY OMG THAT’S WEN I FELL IN LOVE REALLY I DON’T THINK ANY ONE WPULD REALLY BUY MAC AS MYCH IF THEY DIDN’T HAV BACK TUH MAC URBAN DECAY HAS THE BEST EYESHADOWS EVER MAC SHADOWS HONESTLY HAVE NOTHING ON URBAN DECAYS !! JUST SAYIN
I love how everyone is hopping on the Bare Escentuals train only after they have solid shadows! What everyone doesn’t realize is that their loose shadows apply the exact same way, and are just as pigmented and buttery. They can be used as pigments but they are so much more than that. People should give them a chance or even just swatch a few on your hands and see what you’re all missing!
Personally, I hate loose shadows. I have tried them, and they’re worth neither the prep nor the clean-up afterward. Speaking of BE, except for a free Buxom lipgloss I got from Sephora, none of their products (the ones I’ve used anyway) are worth squat. They’re all really lousy. Thanks, but I’ll stick with Laura Mercier pressed shadows; they’re soft and always well-pigmented.
@GenaCunningham Agreed. I used to use BE loose shadows, and it’s true that they were very pretty. But the fallout on my face was bad, and the fallout all over my bathroom counter was worse. I found there were plenty of pressed shadows that were just as lovely with none of the fallout. And now BE’s Ready line is among that group.
@GlowMyWay Thanks–Since they’re getting such rave reviews from so many ladies, maybe I should try BE’s pressed powders! Perhaps I shall….
Overrated- MAC does seem to strike out pretty often, but I was surprised by how much NARS can be hit or miss. I generally stick to their face and lip products.
Underrated – theBalm is pretty great. The Meet Matt(e) palette is one of the best matte collections I’ve picked up to date. I also adore Lorac’s eyeshadow formula, and I’m generally suprised I don’t see it mentioned more on beauty blogs. Lorac’s Serenity was actually my first high end eyeshadow, and I still use it to this day!
I’m surprised so many people are saying UD is underrated – I’ve always heard (and experienced) great things about their eyeshadows and I feel like they’re held as a standard of what good eyeshadow is, so they’re neither overrated nor underrated.
Overrated – Lancome and NARS – I’ve never paid for either, just received them as gifts or tested them in Sephora, but I’ve never found any I thought were good enough to spend my own money on, or any better than anything you can get in a drugstore.
Underrated – Kat Von D, I think people are put off by her persona, but the eyeshadows really are quite good. Sleek, but only because they don’t really have much of a brand presence in the US and it’s hard for us to get a hold of their excellent palettes.
@Heidi I’m totally with you on the Kat Von D pallettes not getting enough credit, but I think a bigger reason, with the exception of two, all of the older pallettes had those cream shadows that were useless after a few weeks. I still love mine, regardless (I have all but Angeles & Mi Vida Loca, because of the shade ranges, not lack of quality). Sephora has improved their brand of shadows, as well, even in the blockbuster sets. While they’re still not the best, they are usable.
@xamyx @Heidi I totally agree – the cream shadows really gave that line a bad reputation, and Sephora hasn’t really marketed the fact that the new ones are strictly reformulated powder shadows that are really good. I would actually rate the new ones as about equal to the reformulated Urban Decay shadows.
So true! I love from thebalm the lipstick .
Agree that MAC is overrated. Some of the shades are great but most I’ve found to be “so so”. Underrated: Girlactik Beauty Star Shadows.
MAC overrated; Too Faced Underrated. Well, at least out of the ones I own. :]
…that said I still love my MAC shadows haha
Overrated=MAC Underrated=Too Faced, NYX, ELF
I also think Too Faced is very underrated…MAC is hit or miss.
Urban decay is way overrated and not worth the $$ at all. Nyx underratef
Too Faced is a fabulous brand. I’ve recently bought a few of their palettes & the color payoff is great. I’m still a loyal MAC lover though.
Def agree MAC is overrated and Sleek and Make-up geek eyeshadows are INCREDIBLY underrated two of the best eyeshadow formulas I’ve tried so far and I’ve heard great things about Tarina Tarantino so I’ll def have to try some soon 🙂
Makeup geek?
ESL shades are useless! NYX & MAYBELLINE colors are amazing. Too faced is awesome. NARS (night clubbing) is waste of money. MAC eyeshades dont pay off. But I want to know abt ricepaper and amber lights? Have heard good reviews abt them.. Not all MAC shades can be over rated. Vanilla, freshwater, white frost, wood winked & CARBON(pathetic black) is the most over rated eyeshade in my opinion.
Inglot ones are so amazing. Havent used them though
I will forever love MAC & UD. I stick with the neutral shades, I have tried many store brand & just can’t find any to make me fall in love.
I do want to try Make Up Forever though.
for overrated part, definitely a big YES for MAC!!!!! Tarino Tarantino is still not selling in our country love to try though
Wet n Wild is underrated . they should do more palettes . their matte formula is the greatest Ive tried. I got mixed feeling about UD – i kinda love limited palettes, the way they look and feel , but sometimes i want small compact palette . I mean i got vegan for touch ups when partying and its Huge for 6 eyeshadows .
Also Sleek is GOOD .
Most Overrated: I have to agree with you Christine, MAC is very overrated. They do make good eyeshadows however they’re not very consistent. Some of them are really pigmented en feel nice and almost buttery, while some are just so hard to work with.Most Underrated: Inglot, they’re so soft en feel almost buttery and they’re so pigmented. Another plus is that they do a lot of bright colours and not just your standard neutrals and a few brights. Also Inglot does a lot of matt eyeshadows and they’re not chalky at all.
I can’t think of a “most overrated” because, to be honest, I think every line has winners and real losers too, though I do wish MAC would stop releasing quite so many LE shadows.
Most underrated would probably Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadows. Hardly anyone seems to know about or use them (I believe mine is the ONLY review at MakeupAlley) and I only discovered them after seeing you review them here, Christine. I’d also have to agree about TheBalm. They makes some amazingly good shadows – Insane Jane and All About Alex are 2 real stunners!
• Most Overrated: M·A·C & NARS! It’s not that they’re horrible, per se, but it just doesn’t live up to its hype. Urban Decay for example, their eyeshadow are popular but I can see why.
• Most Underrated: TheBalm, Tarina Tarantino, Hourglass & Sleek. Simply because they ARE better than M·A·C & NARS’ eyeshadows and yet, underrated.
To each their own I personally LOVE MAC although I’ll admit there can be a few bad products here and there.
I think bobbi brown is very well known brand but their eye shadows are underated.
Chanel eyeshadows are very overrated.
Kryolan eyeshadows are extremely underrated. I believe this company produces such outstanding products. I
Overrated: Mac. However, I think it’s because Mac is a gateway for so many teens into the realm of non-drugstore makeup. They really haven’t tried anything else so they assume Mac is the best just because it’s better than some of the cheap stuff they’re used to. Mac has an appeal to a certain audience who is willing to be drawn in by the bright colors and flashy promos.
Underrated: Urban Decay. Yeah, I know, to those who are somewhat knowledgable UD is a name brand who is well known for their eyeshadows. But going back to my earlier comment, they’re not nearly as popular as Mac because they’re not sold at department stores (I think online at Macy’s but only a few products and I’ve never seen an actual UD counter in person at a Macy’s). Not everyone has access to Sephora or Ulta so maybe they’ve heard of it but haven’t tried it.
@AnGeLwInGz Your comment regarding MAC is spot on. Even the department stores in which it is found consider MAC to be “the kids” line.
@AnGeLwInGz I agree with you both. Also, I think the way it’s packaged and promoted has a lot to do with the appeal; MAC’s ads are gorgeous.
love MAC but I think Sleek is so underated
To me, the most underated eyeshdows are the Revlon color-stay line .. I just have the best luck with these eye shadows and hardly any creasing. I wish their colors were better though, their purples are awful .. but the browns are quite nice.
Over-rated: anything by Cover girl or Maybelline .. those eye shadows are cheaply made, and crease like mad on me.
I also buy high end eye shadows .. and so far no complaints.
Most Overrated: Bobbi Brown powder eye shadows. Every palette I have purchased has been extremely poorly pigmented.
Most Underrated: Almay Intense i-color palettes. I have about five of these stashed at work and I think they are wonderful. The texture and pigmentation is great and the color combinations are very wearable.
Overrated? MAC! Once you’re tried a really good quality eyeshadow, you’ll never want to go back.
Underrate? Tarina Tarintino. Once she got rid of the too cutesy packaging I gave her shadows a try and find them to be of excellent quality.
I think Sleek’s are overrated. Everything else I’ve tried from them I love but if you don’t live in the UK, the palettes aren’t worth it, especially with shipping. I’ve heard too many horror stories about them and international shipping too.
In my humble opinion, i think Mary Kay is overrated and Black Opal is underrated. What about Sunkist? Is it overrated or is their range of products not up to par?
Most overrated: Dior, Chanel, YSL, Lancome. They are absolutely awful quality and the price is just hideous! -__-
Most underrated: STILA!!!! & Too Faced! They are SUCH good brands! I have grown to love them so much! Also drugstore wise: WetnWild as good as MAC, Revlon and a Finnish brand called Lumene!
@samettinen I’m so surprised to see so many list Lancome as “overrated”. Lancome was my first higher end line back in high school, some 20+ years ago, and they were really good. I’ve only tried a few eyeshadows in the last few years, but they’re purples so I thought maybe that was why they weren’t the greatest. I actually dug up some of my old shadows from years ago, and they’re still amazing (texture/pigment), even though they’re probably too old to use. I guess when they changed the name to “Color Design”, the formula changed.
@samettinen Nice post! I haven’t used Lancome in years, so I can’t say for sure about that one, but Dior, YSL and Chanel are TOTALLY overrated. Guerlain isn’t worth the $$$ in my opinion, either; while their palettes, especially the 4- and 6-coulours are lovely, the shimmery shades are terribly gritty and lack pigment.
I don’t know why I keep forgetting about Stila! Their shadows are wonderful–so soft and well-pigmented. Stila shadows are woefully underrated.
overrated: It’s not like this product has gotten particularly great reviews in general, but the matte neutral benefit shadows I’ve tried have never been very good.
underrated: L.A. colors pressed shadows! In complete honesty, I have never used an eyeshadow that retails for less than $15 and was as good as these. They are heads and tails above any drug store shadow I’ve ever tried–especially Revlon, Maybelline pressed shadows, and Covergirl. They are so pigmented and beautiful, and they usually retail for $1-$3, even for a palette! The trouble is the best palettes (the five-piece metallic shadows) sell out everywhere and can be hard to find. (Plus, given the lofty nature of the brand, sometimes you’ll stumble on very old versions of them that aren’t as great). They also might not offer a huge range of finishes, certainly not very many mattes. I’ve had one color break up pretty easily, too.
I’ve had some good experiences with NYX, but I’ve never really been disappointed with their products. In any case, I find Smashbox’s lid primer to do much better on very cheap shadows than UDPP or other light formulas. (Though I don’t know how well Smashbox’s works on oily lids).
If you ever see an L.A. Colors palette, snag it!
I forgot about Covergirl; their eyeshadows are horrible in my experience. I have a couple of Benefit matte shadows that are really nice: very soft and richly pigmented. I still think Laura Mercier and Stila are the best though. I have to say that I haven’t had good luck with Maybelline palettes; the color payoff just isn’t rich enough. In fact, I threw away a (relatively) new Maybelline palette just the other day because it was so lousy; I NEVER throw away powdered eyeshadow or blush.
I wish I could find more LA Girls products near me! Once in a while, I find and NYX display; I’m going to snag some shadows for sure next time I see one. Thanks for the tips, ladies!
Most overrated: Mac (too well known-and the quality just isnt the same)
Most underrated: Shiseido ( never hear people talking about their shadows, they are vevery and highly pigmented!)
I’ve just been getting really “into” MAC over the past 3 years; it seems like every time I (and only I) start loving a certain brand, they go totally downhill! The same thing has happened with 1928 jewelry, INC clothing (Macy’s in-house label) and now MAC! You can blame me, ladies! LOL.
Bobbi Brown and Lancome are most definitely over rated! They take so much product to get a nice even effect. I happen to really enjoy Estee Lauder eye shadows. They are very easy to use and have good pigment.
Most overrated: Lancome, MAC, BobbiBrown, Chanel (except Illusion d’ombre)
Most underrated: Stila, LORAC, Benefit,