This is a good deal, even if you skip using the rollerballs. The price for this is about on par with other mineral eyeshadows (similar ingredient lists, too), considering you get 4 colors in one little package.
Published:
Pros
Texture, colors (for nighttime wear)
Cons
lip-gloss-like tube, uncomfortable rollerball, can be messy
The cute little box the St. Tropez Rollerball Eyeshadow comes in lists it as paraben free. The ingredients listed are Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Red 40 Lake, Phenoxyethanol, and Ethelhexylglycerin. It's also marked as not tested on animals.
The best use for this makeup is for going out - it's very glittery, so I couldn't wear it to work (I work in a conservative office environment). It's so shiny I'm not sure I'd wear it to go out at night, either.
The St. Tropez rollerball eyeshadow is awkward to use. The rollerballs only work when they're held upside down, which is logical because that's when the powder is touching, but they aren't particularly gently on your eyelid. Consistency-wise, the rollerballs leave a very, very thick layer of eyeshadow on the eye - I felt like Tom Sawyer whitewashing a fence. The lightest color also sent a cascade of super-sparkly pale cream-colored eyeshadow all over my eyelashes and cheek. It left a ton of sparkle behind. It does not stay in place well because of how thick it goes on. The only way for it to not be thick is to hold it less than completely upside down, in which case you end up with dabs of eyeshadow on your eye instead of a line. Were the shadow being used without the rollerball, though, it has a very nice smooth consistency and even color.
The two lighter colors in this set don't last at all. A dab of a fingertip or a light swipe of a tissue and they were gone completely. The two darker colors stood up to those tests better.
The darkest shade looks almost like chocolate in the container, but when rolled on it's the color of a brand new penny - pretty for blue eyes but about as subtle as a brick to the face - again, I could not have worn this to work.
I used handsoap to remove the glitter left on my hands and it worked perfectly. BUT - I used Mary Kay eye makeup remover for my eyes, and I'm covered in the shimmer. The color came off just fine.
Comes in a little box, a little over 2.5" x 2.75 x 0.75" with a plastic window on the front. The 4 tubes look sort of like rollerball lip gloss. Each one is clear so you can see the powder in them.
I decided to try this eyeshadow out after work on a Thursday - I don't have to work Friday and didn't want to end up glittery at work, just in case. It's a good thing! The first color I tried was the lightest. I turned the package upside down to apply it - it's a very strange angle without looking up at the ceiling - and on the first roll, powder went all down my cheek. When I tried to touch it up, it left shimmer all over. Next lightest color looked about the same. It left dots as I tried to not turn the little tube completely upside down. The ball didn't hurt, per sey, but wasn't very comfortable.
The two darker colors are a shimmery medium brown and a very very shimmery copper. They're both inappropriate for working in a conservative environment for me - I've got fair skin.
When I found that I wasn't keen on the rollerballs, I tried putting the darkest color on a finger and applying it that way - it put a much thinner layer on, was just as bright, and was much more effective than using the rollerball. The ball, though, is a great way to make sure the eyeshadow doesn't spill everywhere!
Follow-up commentaryI still don't like it2 months after original review
I used this again for a night out. The glitter still gets everywhere, and the color was gone by midnight after applying it at 7:00. I really love the colors, though.
This product was provided free of charge to the reviewer. This review is in compliance with the
FTC guidelines.