Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio ($2.99 for 0.12 oz.) consists of a lime green, medium-dark blue, and a pink-plum. It’s one of six limited edition trios that will be popping in drugstores this July. The Color Icon formula is described as “high-pigmentation” that “lasts and lasts.”

This palette was an exercise in hope, frustration, and utter disappointment. When Wet ‘n’ Wild first launched the Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios, they were amazing and made a believer out of me of highly pigmented eyeshadow for under $5. I remember paying $10 for each trio on eBay because they sold out so quickly locally, and even at $10, they were totally worth it. So, when I first saw all the beautiful bright and bold colors Wet ‘n’ Wild was launching for summer, I truly couldn’t wait to swatch. Look at the trio: it’s like POW! color! and it screams summer. I swatched, and I deflated a little: everything was so soft that it crumbled and disintegrated into a semi-loose powder, but the pigmentation seemed manageable.

On the lid, it was the stuff of nightmares. It’s not a color combination I’d think of, but I was determined to at least try them together, and so I did. Over bare lids, over NARS’ Smudge Proof, over Wet ‘n’ Wild Fergie Eyeshadow Primer, over Urban Decay Primer Potion, and over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, and it was disappointing across the board. I tried an arsenal of brushes as well as sponge-tip applicators (including the ones that came in the palette). The consistency was just so powdery that it needed a slightly tacky, creamy base to adhere, bind, and build. Otherwise, the product wouldn’t stick, and you’d pack and pack the color on until you had more underneath your eye than on it, and by the time you did the other eye, it looked faded and uneven. I felt so defeated that I thought, “It’s the color combination. It just doesn’t work. Let me try it with Inglot eyeshadows…” and in two minutes–really just throwing it on as an experiment–and it was like, “No, it’s not me, it’s you!” Because Inglot was pigmented, even, and the colors could actually be used together without turning into a muddy, powdery mess.

I’m Seeing Triples Browbone is a warm-toned, lime green with a satin finish. It had a slightly powdery texture but was the least powdery of the three. It had semi-opaque color payoff. Sephora Apple Mojito is slightly darker, less warm-toned. Sugarpill Acidberry is brighter. MAC Lucky Green is more shimmery. Illamasqua Pivot is more matte. Wet ‘n’ Wild I Dream of Greenie has a lime green shade that’s a bit more neon and shimmery but better performing. See comparison swatches.

I’m Seeing Triples Crease is a medium-dark blue with a nearly matte finish. It’s actually an interesting blue, because there’s a little cobalt in there, that gives it a cooler tone and look, and it is more unique than not. It seemed to have really nice color payoff, but it was very powdery, so it has to be patted on the lid with very minimal blending or else it sheers out a lot. Urban Decay Radium is darker, more muted, shimmery. MAC Winkle is lighter. Inglot #369 is lighter. See comparison swatches.

I’m Seeing Triples Eyelid is a pinky-plum with a nearly matte finish–if you can get it to be opaque, you’ll see more of the satin finish come out. This one was noticeably sheer even swatched, and it was the hardest to apply on the lid. Disney Sha La La is more berry-ish. Sugarpill 2AM is cooler-toned, purpler. MAC Vibrant Grape is deeper. MAC Plum Dressing is warmer, darker. See comparison swatches.

Is there any redemption? It’s $2.99. With a sufficiently tacky base (I’m thinking NYX Milk would be an excellent budget-friendly option that many already have in their stashes), it could be worth playing around with. I tried just the green and blue shades over Milani’s Winter White Shadow Eyez (eyeshadow pencil), which is shimmery so it amplified the finish of both eyeshadows, and the difference is dramatic–it doesn’t even look like the same product. They both applied better, and they wore longer, too–about eight hours before there looked to be fading (though the Shadow Eyez last around ten hours or better on me alone) but no creasing. The wear of the eyeshadows over regular primer didn’t cause creasing, but the shadows looked sad and faded after six hours. On bare lids, all three had completely disappeared after four hours (it did not “last and last” as promised).

I have a few of the other trios to test still, and I’ve only worn one other one, which wasn’t as bad as this one (not particularly impressive), so I’m still holding out hope that I just happened to start with the worst of the trios this time around.  Cross your fingers for me!

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Browbone Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Browbone Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Crease Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Crease Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Eyelid Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Eyelid Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio (over NARS’ Primer)

Wet ‘n’ Wild I’m Seeing Triples Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio over Milani Winter White