OUT WITH THE OLD - Collection 2000 Granite Eyeshadow

(i obtained this from cheapsmells.com for just £1.79 which seems to be the only place that stock this older model)

In the past year I've adopted a more 'smoky' eye look using gold that blends into a black sweeping over my eyelids. Before now I've been using a cheap but effective unknown eyeshadow that came free with a magazine. I finally thought it was time to put a bit of money into my eyeshadow and treat myself to this Collection 2000 shade in Granite.

It states it is 'crease resistant' and 'lasts for up to 8 hours'. This is something I definitely look for as my gold eyeshadow lasts a long time but without the black to blend into the look definitely becomes tiresome and weary and much less dramatic.

The palette itself is quite dull and boring and I'm glad they've updated with a more see-through plastic look recently which makes it look less blocky and dull. The palette itself is a black colour with slight hints of glitter streaking through although not so much that it overpowers the colour. A sponge applicator is provided but I find it far too big to use on eyes and end up smudging the eyeshadow a fair bit so I prefer to use my own brushes and use this applicator just to blend the colours in the middle slightly.

Now for the comparison...

When put side by side it is clear that the free eyeshadow (picture on the left) is far more glittery. Upon further use though the glitter is not excessive when on the eyelid and is actually a lot more subtle than it appears. This texture instead makes the eyeshadow more grainy which helps it stay on the eyelid a little while longer as it's quite tough.

As you can see from the swatches the collection 2000 eyeshadow (right) is far more pigmented and more of a solid colour whereas the freebie is glittery and can look tacky after too much build up of colour.

Although my free eyeshadow was great as a starter to see whether my small eyes could take such a heavy colour I'll definitely be using my collection 2000 eyeshadow now. It's really good value for money and helps bring out my smoky eye look perfectly!