Review -- e.l.f. Smudge Pots

I've always been a fan of e.l.f's products, but the line is definitely hit and miss.

I'm always willing to try out new products from the brand, though, because they're so affordable that there's very little risk involved.

But lately, everything I try from e.l.f. is a serious home run -- I've reviewed the Pressed Mineral Blushes and Prism Eyeshadow Palettes recently, both of which I absolutely love.

However, I think my favorite new product that I've tried from e.l.f. in recent months are the Smudge Pots.

e.l.f. touts them as a smooth gel formula that can work as a cream shadow or an eyeliner. They're also enriched with Vitamin E so they can help hydrate and nourish the delicate eye area (which is especially nice for mature skin.)

They are available in 9 shades, which range from frosty white to bold cobalt blue.  

I picked up 6 of the shades: Pearls of Wisdom, a shimmery white; Ain't That Sweet, a pale pink; Cruisin' Chic, a warm taupe; Back to Basics, a golden tan; Brownie Points, a rich bronze-y brown; and Hit the Town, a charcoal with blue undertones.

From l. to r.: Pearls of Wisdom, Ain't That Sweet, Cruisin' Chic, Back to Basics, Brownie Points, & Hit The Town

From l. to r.: Pearls of Wisdom, Ain't That Sweet, Cruisin' Chic, Back to Basics, Brownie Points, & Hit The Town

The Smudge Pots have a nice creamy consistency that makes them incredibly easy to blend across the eye if you're using them as a cream shadow or colored base. They're also nicely pigmented, so the darker shades work well as eye liners too. 

What really impresses me about them, though, is their lasting power. 

I use them primarily as shadows and I never have much luck being able to wear cream shadows on their own even though I layer them over an eye primer. But when I use the Smudge Pots over a primer, I can actually wear them alone and they don't crease or fade at all.  

I'm actually kind of amazed.

I also use them as bases for powdered shadows and they help improve the vibrancy and lasting power of those.  

I might actually like these better than Maybelline's Color Tattoos -- at the very least, they're just as good and for only $2, it's hard to nearly impossible to beat the value for your money.

I will say that the two lightest shades, Pearls of Wisdom and Ain't That Sweet, are much sheerer than the other colors and don't tend to wear as well.  I don't think they work as well on their own, but I still like them as bases.  

My personal favorite shades are Crusin' Chic, which works well as an all over lid color by itself and as a base under so many taupe or light brown shadows, and Brownie Points, which I love as an eyeliner or a base for a bronze smoky eye.

You can purchase the Smudge Pots at e.l.f.'s website.

I definitely recommend checking these out if you're a fan of cream shadows. They're only $2 each, and when e.l.f. runs one of their sales, you can get them for less than that.  I can't imagine you'll find a cream shadow that performs better than these for cheaper than that. (And you get 5.5 grams of product compared to 4 grams with Maybelline Color Tattoos or 5 grams with MAC's Paint Pots.)

My only complaint is that I wish there were more shades.

Have you tried the e.l.f. Smudge Pots? Do you like them? What is your favorite cream shadow product?