Wet nâ Wild eyeshadow
By Lauren Kelly, Assistant Editor
Brands such as Urban Decay and Mac, with their fancy, colourful palettes, have upped the ante when it comes to eyeshadow. However, these palettes range in price from $40â75, and often come with many colours the average beauty fan would rarely use. Although you can turn to single colour pots instead to save a bit of cash and only get colours youâll use, these will put you out at least $20. For those wishing to save money, drugstore options seem like the best bet. In most cases, though, the lower cost comes at the price of lower pigmentation and staying power. Instead of choosing between affordable and quality, there is one fantastic solutionâthe eyeshadow offerings from Wet nâ Wild, a low-end drugstore brand that unfortunately isnât very common in Canada.
Wet nâ Wildâs line has a wide variety of shades, from neutral palettes to ones with more exciting colours. You can purchase the eyeshadow as singles, or in small palettes of three, five, and eight. Most of the colours have a subtle shimmer to them, and each one I have tried has been very true to the surface or face colourâmeaning that the colour it looks like on the palette is what it is once you apply it, with subtle variations depending on skin toneâand theyâre all richly pigmented. The large palettes of eight come in three options: a beige, brown, and mushroom green every day set; a set with both cool and warm purples and pinks; and a set of brights including salmon, blue, turquoise, and yellow.
Two favourites of mine are the eyeshadow trios âWalking on Eggshellsâ and âSilent Treatment.â Walking on Eggshells comes with a highlight colour, a medium brown and a pinkish beige. Although this may sound boring, it is a great palette for every day, and each colour is a dupe (which refers to a close duplicate of another product) for a Mac eyeshadow, in this case Shroom, Cork, and Naked Lunch. Silent Treatment is another easy to wear palette, but the star of it is an incredibly rich purple-toned grey. Research online will lead you to many other dupe options, especially for the larger palettes.
Each palette has very basic packaging, with a see-through plastic hinged lid. The space inside them is well utilized as the colours are in rectangular pans instead of circular, allowing them to snuggle up tight. This results in a sleek and slim product that is easy to keep with you for reapplication, unlike some of the much bulkier offerings from high-end brands. Each eyeshadow is infused with macadamia oil, which probably plays a hand in how creamy and rich the colours are.
This eyeshadow line truly has something for everyone. Whether you want everyday neutrals for work or school, rich metallics for evening or weekend smokey eyes, or fun and usable brights for a pop of colourâyouâll be able to find an affordable option. Although it took me some time to find the line, the Metrotown Superstore (and Iâm sure others as well, although Iâve yet to see them at another location) carries the trios for $3 each. No matter which palette you buy, it will cost you less than $10, a fifth of what equivalent offerings from Sephora would put you out.
