I realise I might have been writing quite a lot about higher end brands lately. Whilst I don’t consider myself a beauty snob, the higher end products are in many ways prettier and more attractive – so are their prices.
At the same time, I have wondered how do the lower end products fare? I embarked on an experiment with fellow beauty fan Beetrice of Beetrice Reviews to check out some eyeshadows in the lower price end of the spectrum.
First of all, let me define my idea of lower end. I was targetting eyeshadows in the RM25 and below range. This takes us into the realm of pretty dirt cheap, if you ask me! I wanted to see what I could find in this price bracket and how the products fare. We ended up with 3 – Elianto, Skin Food and Bloop. We considered Beautilicious but scrapped it due to bad experiences on both our parts and there were some other brands I spotted in Watsons (mostly) but I was not prepared to try them because I did not know a lot about them and they looked too much like knock offs of other brands. We basically played safe and stuck to more mainstream low end brands.
I’m starting off my review series with Elianto Shimmer Shadow in Forest Green.
When Elianto was first launched I was told it was a Korean brand. There are lots of Korean brands around now and many of them are in the lower end of the price spectrum e.g. Skin Food, The Face Shop, Missha etc. Later, I found out that Elianto is actually a Malaysian brand but have their products manufactured in Korea.
I checked them out when they were first launched and I was very surprised to find that their eyeshadow singles were only RM5. We are talking large pans of power eyeshadows that are about the size of Stila or Bobbi Brown pans. Now, they have other formulations and prices do differ. I decided to try the RM5 shimmer eyeshadow.
I had a choice of pastels with quite chalky and powdery texture or bright neon shades. Forest Green was the best of the lot!
The texture of the this particular colour is surprisingly nice. It is soft to the touch and nicely pigmented. The colour on skin looks pretty much the same as seen in the pan – a dark green with shimmer.
I wore this one with gold and with light green shades with Forest Green smudged close to the lash line. It does look quite lovely on so I’d say its RM5 quite well spent! I did not have any allergic reaction to it and although there was some fading by the end of the day, it was only to be expected.
Elianto does have other types of eyeshadows now. I find the colours of some are much better – less chalky and powdery, more shimmer and pigment – and the colours aren’t as scary neon or pale pastel as the RM5 range. Their prices too are higher but nothing that goes beyond RM20. I think that Elianto might make good stage makeup. Their colours are bright and sometimes garish which will stand out on stage for those who need it.
All in all, I’d say that Elianto eyeshadows are a good buy if:-
- You are on a budget
- You want to experiment with colour
- You want a particular colour e.g. fuschia pink just for 1 occasion
The eyeshadows come in a plastic clamshell case and you can buy the empty palettes from them to fit 4 to 40 colours. In general, the colours are pigmented but it is quite touch and go depending on the line you look at and the colour you want so it is quite inconsistent in that regard. Brighter colours generally go on stronger while the ligher shades tend towards the powdery.
Would I re-purchase? I’d say no. The colours are too “young” for me – they are mostly brightly coloured shades and don’t cater much for those who prefer a more toned down style. They do appeal more to the young – the stores and counters are usually filled with younger customers – mainly due to the low prices and the colours available. It does and will turn off older customers who may just see this as a “play” brand. Many people I talk to just write them off because of the price and image, but I think Elianto has found their niche and look good to stay! Elianto is also available in Dubai and the Phillipines.
Pros: Dirt Cheap, Long lasting, bright
Cons: Colour selection is poor, texture is chalky and powdery for some, colours are too drastic, quality is inconsistent
The other product I have tried from Elianto is the Eye and Lip Makeup Remover.
Update: Check out Beetrice’s Review of Bloop de Paris eyeshadow which is part of this series.
Elianto Shimmer Eyeshadow
Cheap [rating:5/5]
Good [rating:3.5/5]
I do agree with you on the one-colour one occasion thing, because I feel the same. I bought a lot of the Elianto shimmer eye shadows which I ended up not using. The bright colours picked up nicely, that I’d have to say, but the nudes, the browns were pretty lousy. Still, at RM5 a pop, you can’t go wrong too much. I don’t feel guilty ditching these if I’d want to at that price.
I like to buy Elianto’s nail polish to apply on those “just for fun” days. It’s my version of eyeshadow at RM5 a pop! But yeah, I agree with you that the range of colors available (for their eyeshadows and nail polish) are too teenybopper / garish for my tastes.
I tried Elianto before too, but it does not last very long on my eyes. It disappears almost as soon as i applied it.
Thanks for the review, was wondering how a RM5 eyeshadow would fare. Now I know!
Great idea using these for stage/performance purposes:-)
Paris B, You’re right, it’s available in the Philippines, I’ve tried it by swatching almost all their colors and I find them too bright and too powdery. A lot of those who buy these are the younger ones who are on a budget , who just want to experiment. I think their pans are cool though and their nail polishes 🙂 hehehe
Tine: Ah yes, I remember you bought some of these before. I did notice that the more “wearable colours” were less pigmented and hard. Guess the quality is so-so only.
Rinnah: I’ve never experimented with nail polish much but if their prices are like their other products, I guess we’re talking super cheap!
Ali3nated: Really? They lasted on me but maybe it was only this colour.
Monstro: I wondered the same thing, and now I know! It doesn’t fare all that well at all! haha…
Nikki: I think their quality is pretty much touch and go. Not great but it’ll do in a pinch and for kids on a budget, its a godsend! That said, I saw quite a few “older women” buying up batches of colours too. Why?!
I LOVE the forest green one you bought. It’s very similar to the BOurjois trio I got when I was PMS-ing 😛 And, Elianto’s probably a fraction of price of the BOurjois one 😛
By the way, Paris, I’m actually after a very yellow gold eyeshadow. I’m not sure if you’d read my post recently, I paired a very yellow gold with blue eyeliner and a mossy green (both from Bloom). While Too FAced’s Shadow Insurance helped the eyeliner and green eyeshadow to stay put, NOTHING would make the yellow gold stay creaseless. It’s a pretty cheap one I got from The Face Shop in M’sia. Do you have a recommendation that’s close to that? I’m getting REALLY annoyed now ><
Geekchic: Ah I remember that green Bourjois trio. It didn’t catch my fancy though its green lol… I was on a yellow gold hunt once before too so I can tell you what I settled for hehe… I eventually went for Make Up For Ever Star Powder in #920 and Shu Uemura ME Yellow 330 (discontinued) but you can still get a bright yellow from Shu Uemura at the counter. Maybe I’d put up a pic some time soon so you have an idea what I went for.
i have a the same forest green color that u got. i think that color is just gorgeous, and although i never used them after reading your post, i decided to dig them out and test them. what u said was pretty much true , however i find that if u use these eyeshadows with some sort of eyeshadow base, the color lasts longer. and oh another tip, try using them wet, the color payoff is just more gorgeous.
i walk past an Elianto place at least once/twice weekly but i hardly stop to see anything sold there! i told you that i once had a crush on some e/s from that brand but i was so scared of trying them out only because they were EYE mu and being dirt cheap. i worried that i might get some eye problems… (i know i have become a mu snob after all these years of trying out high and low end.)
but your review made me want to play with the mu again. it has some really lovely MAC dupes IMO. and I was told that its liquid eye liner’s very good.
you are such a bad influence! maybe i’d stop by there tomorrow! sigh…………
Thanks, Paris. That would be awesome, if I could get a glimpse of the golds you mentioned.
On the other hand, barely 4 hours after I’d penned the comment, I stepped into Shiseido and as they all say, the rest were history. I got the most sheer, but buildable fabulous gold EVER.
Blogging it, blogging it, blogging it 🙂
hi! do you mind to make review about fasio and secret?
thanks!
NKP: Hello and this one’s a lovely colour isn’t it? I don’t usually use an eyeshadow base because I don’t usually need it. I agree that using it wet will make a difference. I just don’t quite like wet shadows 🙂
jojoba: lol… don’t think you should step into that store! 😛
Geekchic: Will get the post right up! And I read your post. I’m glad you found your perfect shadow!
Maria: I have tried Fasio a few years ago. I was not impressed. Colour was chalky and powdery and too pastel. I haven’t tried Secret. However, I’m out of budget so can’t do anymore testing for a while!
Seriously, after reading on the comments, i went to try using wet on the eyeshadows, the colours appeared nicer, more vibrant. Hmm… I wonder why? I liked the baked eyeshadow (Purple). The colours tend to be more lasting and stronger. If you use eyeliner pencil together, it can make a smoky eye effect. Maybe you should go and try it.