Disappointing product #1: Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencil

Hello everyone,

Who doesn't like a quick, yet long-lasting makeup routine? Eyeshadow sticks are a nice addition to your existing collections and it can't be better if it only costs £3.19! I am talking about Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencils. It comes in 6 different colours and I own two: Vanilla Sky (white with silver glitters) and Denim Diva (metallic navy with hint of blue glitters). I discovered them at my local Boots store whilst hunting for an affordable eyeshadow stick and was quite impressed by it. The colour is so saturated, the texture is creamy and most importantly, it is LONG-LASTING. I recently came across a well-known YouTuber StyleSuzi talking about the product as one of her monthly favourite (and best drugstore discovery). It's been just over a year since the purchase and I can't say that I agree with her. Here is why.

I purchased Vanilla Sky to highlight inner corners and Denim Diva for a smokey makeup. As you can tell by pictures below, the colour is exactly what you expect. In terms of colour, Denim Diva is really nice deep blue and although you can't really tell from the picture, it's actually quite metallic under the light which makes it a perfect companion for your night-out smokey makeup.

Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencil in Denim Diva

Despite my initial impression after the first swatch at the shop, this eyeshadow stick is quite hard to work with. Don't get me wrong: it is one of the most long-lasting makeup item that I own. But the problem lies with its blendability which is disappointingly poor.

It will be perfectly set as you've first applied as long as you don't touch it; but if you try to blend it out, rather than being blended, the whole thing moves, making a mess. Unless you want a very patchy eye-makeup look, I suggest you use this product only to line (thick or thin) rather than using as a eyeshadow (base). 

A bigger issue raises with Vanilla Sky. I did not use the product consistently over the years. I do own quite a lot of makeup products so I'd like to rotate them. The other day, I had a sudden impulse to use it and this is what happened. 

As you can tell from the picture above, rather than being creamy and gliding along your bottom lash line, the whole product just breaks into little crumbs. After the whole tip was gone, I tried to sharpen it, hoping that whatever was hidden inside is not dried out. Oh well, I was wrong. 

No matter how long I tried, this is the result that I got. It was a very frustrating experience. I know that the product only costs RRP £3.19 and I probably got even cheaper with usual Boots 'buy 1 get half price'-like deal but this was really not what I expected, especially given the fact that other products at a similar price mark such as Rimmel's Scandaleyes eyeshadow stick is exactly the same as I first purchased. There was no way that I could use this product (I don't want to put anything rough around my sensitive eyelids); this would totally poke your eyes!

Anyway, the good news is that Denim Diva remains okay until now. However, would I repurchase Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencil? 

No way. 

I think it's worth investing if you forgot to pack an eyeshadow pencil and needs a quick one just to get through one day/night but for me, it is not a keeper. 

Have you ever used Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencil? What are your thoughts? 

Thanks for reading x