LA Colors Lily Eyeshadow Trio

I was at Dollar Tree a few weeks ago, and came across some L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Trios.  I believe they are usually available at Dollar Tree, and they’re also available online (for $2) at Cherryculture.  I’d never tried anything from the brand before besides nail polish, so I bought three to test out. Lily has white, silvery grey, and charcoal grey / black is pictured above.   Next is Orchid, which has a pale pink, a yellow, and a light brown.

LA Colors Orchid Eyeshadow Trio

And here is Iris, which has a mauve, a pink, and a blue-based purple.

LA Colors Iris Eyeshadow Trio

Although all the eyeshadows appear to have a metallic finish, it’s actually an overspray; they have a more satin finish when you break through the overspray.  The texture of the shadows varies significatly – some are VERY soft and powdery, while others are much harder. Here’s a look at Orchid after I swatched it a couple times and used it:

I’ve only swatched the pink side, but I’ve used the yellow and brown shades an equal amount.  The yellow shades is extremely soft and powdery – the flower disappeared immediately. This shade has a lot of fallout.  The brown shade is packed more firmly – the flower design is still there even after multiple uses, and the shadow has much less fallout.  It’s not so tightly packed that it’s hard to use; it’s just better quality.

And, swatches! I first swatched these without primer, and they were very sheer. Since primer is often a huge help with cheaper, sheerer eyeshadows, I also swatched them over NYX HD primer.

First, Lily: Lily was the best performing of the trios.  All three shades were good, texturally (no powdery shades), and all showed up okay without primer and very well with primer. I would recommend this trio if you’re looking for a super-cheap smoky eye.

LA Colors Lily: No primer // with primer

Here is a very very quick smoky eye I did with Lily – the white in the inner corner, the silver on the inner lid, and the black on the outer lid.  It’s over primer, but not really packed on.

Next, Orchid.  Orchid was the worst performing of the trios – it swatched very poorly without primer. Although it performed okay over primer, it barely showed up on my eyelid (over MAC paint pot in Soft Ochre). I would recommend skipping this one – spend $3 and get something miles better from Wet n Wild.

LA Colors Orchid: No primer // with primer

Here’s my quick look with Orchid. I have the yellow on the inner lid and the brown on the outer lid, not that you can see either!

And finally, Iris.  Iris did okay – the shades were sheer without primer, but performed very well over primer, and showed up well on the eye. Fallout city though! I didn’t clean it up so that you could see what a mess it made (click to enlarge).  This trio had both powdery and non-powdery shades.  You could pick up this one if you’re desperate for a super cheap purple, but if you can spare a couple extra dollars, Wet n Wild does much better quality ones.

LA Colors Iris: No primer // with primer

For this sloppily and quickly done look, I have the pink on the inner third of the lid, the mauve in the center third, and the purple on the outer third. I used Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Beige as a base.

Do you ever try out super cheap makeup? What are your experiences with it?