When it comes to makeup, I’m kind of a magpie. I have this compulsion to collect shiny, pretty things and add them to my ever-growing nest of beauty products. My biggest weakness has always been eyeshadow. I love the glittering golds, sparkly pastels, shimmery neutrals, and bold matte hues that are often packed into compacts and palettes. But when I first tried Alleyoop’s cream-to-powder eyeshadow sticks, I had an epiphany. Eyeshadow palettes are kinda wasteful. Here’s what I realized:
I’ve Never Used One Up
Let me ask you this: have you ever actually finished using an entire palette? Because I haven’t. Have I gone through one or two shades? Sure. Maybe a trusty taupe that’s perfect for my 9-5 or a subtle pearl shimmer that pops against my fair skin. But I’ve thrown away a lot of palettes in my day, and not a single one was empty. That’s kinda crazy, right?
While Alleyoop’s 11th Hour Cream Eyeshadows don’t come in the same wide selection of crazy colors I might receive in a palette (most of which I’ll probably never use, anyway), the shades are perfect. They’ve somehow managed to peek into my makeup past to create a range of shades that resemble the ones I’ve actually used up. They’re my hero colors. The cream sticks are easy to apply, and the powdery finish is perfection.
There’s a Lot of Packaging
Not too long ago, I placed an online order for a haul of makeup, including two new eyeshadow palettes. Each one came in its own box, which was then wrapped in plastic and encased in bubble wrap. Just getting the things to my front door in one piece took a lot of packaging, and that’s not even thinking about all the plastic, cardboard, and ink that goes into making the palette itself. When you consider I’m only using up one or two of the shades? That’s a lot of unnecessary material.
With Alleyoop, the packaging is minimal and clever. Multi-functional products are their bread and butter, and Alleyoop even specializes in cream-to-powder formulas that won’t crumble en route to you if they hit a bump in transit. This means fewer products, less bubble wrap, and minimal waste.
I’ve Wasted a Lot of Money
I’m not a stranger to splurging, but I like to get a little bang for my buck. I did some quick math to figure out how much of my eyeshadow money is going straight into the trash can, and I was horrified. I’ll give you a sneak peek. I started with a palette inventory, and the average palette I own contains 9 shades. Average cost? Let’s say $30. That’s $3.33 per shade. If I’m being optimistic, I maybe actually use up 3 shades from each palette. Currently, I have 12 palettes in my makeup collection, which means I’ve spent a total of $240 on colors I’ll never actually use. Oof.
Alleyoop’s 11th Hour Eyeshadows are $24 each. I just got to the bottom of my first one (Gotta Guava, a shimmery subtle pink, has become my go-to everyday eyeshadow shade), and I just reordered. I’ve never reordered a palette.
Application Can Be Challenging
Receiving a palette full of colors is exciting, but choosing three to blend in just the right way for that perfect makeup look isn’t always easy. On more than one occasion, I’ve picked colors that don’t layer well, applied them in a way that looks muddy, or smudged them right at the end when my face is almost done.
With Alleyoop’s cream sticks, I don’t have to strategize prior to application or worry about blending. Each shade is designed to stand alone, and application is a breeze. I just swipe and go.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not running to my vanity to sweep my expensive makeup into the trash can, but I’m going to start doing things differently from now on. While I’m sure I’ll still be tempted by pretty new palettes, I’m going to suppress my magpie tendencies and work on streamlining the number of products in my makeup bag. No more expensive palettes; I’m sticking with Alleyoop.
