Audacity in London

Lancome Audacity in London Eyeshadow Palette ($69.00 for 0.576 oz.) includes 16 eyeshadows and most of them are terrible. Even when they swatched decently--which is probably being generous--they applied worse on the lid, as the thin, dusty textures did no favors on my lids. The eyeshadows applied unevenly, patchily, and often looked like faded versions of the way they did in the pan, which meant that they tended to muddy and lose contrast as they are more muted colors to begin. If the palette was actually pigmented, blendable, long-wearing, and easy to use, the color scheme would be more unique. Instead, we have a palette that does little well.

The brand describes the eyeshadows are "ultra-creamy" with "high-pigment metallics" that can be used as a top coat or on "the whole lid for a dramatic, glitter effect." If the eyeshadows were more blendable and less prone to fading, it might work for someone who likes sheer washes of color, but I just think the formula is poorly done across the board. Some of the eyeshadows felt really firm and chalk-like; they were noisy eyeshadows as they felt so dry and were so thin on the skin.

The four shades that are positioned horizontally in the palette are just massive glitterbombs with seemingly little binder, and they did not work alone or patted over one of the other eyeshadows unless applied with a glitter adhesive. I tried them over three primers--MAC Paint Pot, Smashbox 24HR Primer, Too Faced Shadow Insurance--and the performance was still dismal over a primer. It is funny, because a lot of high-end brands use a creamier, almost wet-like formula with their glitter eyeshadows these days, which may not be foolproof or yield fallout-free wear yet, they are usable and function decently without a primer.

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