Friday, September 21, 2012

Lancôme Color Design Infinite 24H Crease-Free Luminous Eye Shadow

I was shopping online at Lancôme a few weeks ago. I wanted to make sure I could get the five lipsticks they generously send me for my birthday every year. It's the best customer birthday present on the Web! I decided to try more colors of Color Design Infinite 24H Crease-Free Luminous Eye Shadow ($24.50). I love my selections!

A revolution in eye shadow.  Luminous eye color stays true for 24 hours without creasing. Now, a unique creamy-powder texture creates effortlessly luminous, lasting looks. Purity of color meets exceptional long wear, for infinite intensity. Available in 15 shades.

I think it's no mistake that Lancôme's pot eye shadow is packaged exactly like Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense. It comes in a pot with an interior black plastic insert to keep it moist. The insert has a little handle. Additionally, it has the same spongy texture in the pot. They are both L'Oreal companies. Originally, I thought Lancôme's use of Armani's packaging was tacky - somehow diminishing both brands. Now I am reconciled to that issue. If eye shadow palettes from many different brands can come in a rectangular palette with a mirror inside, there's no reason that two pots from L'Oreal cannot have striking similarities. I haven't compared the ingredients, but I'd put money on a huge overlap.

I ordered these four. Continuous Creme is shown at top left, Eternal Gold at top right, Electrifying Sparkle at bottom left, and Timeless Taupe at bottom right. Continuous Creme is a very light beige matte. On me, it leans pink, but online it's described as yellow-beige. That's the way it looks in my photos. The other three are shimmering (or metallic) stunners.

My swatch photos were taken in full sun, and, as usual, I used a sponge-tipped applicator to apply the shadows heavily (not ideal - a cream shadow brush would have been better by being flexible). Each of these shades has something special to offer.

Continuous Creme is not exciting. It's a base shade. You can barely see it at the top of my arm. However, we need base shades, and this a nice one. The color covers the natural redness in my eyelids and provides a non-distracting canvas for other shadows.

The gold shade is fabulous. I think it falls between pure gold and antique gold on the shade spectrum.  It looks great under the crease all by itself - the way I like to wear gold.

It's a shame you probably can't see the green hue in Electrifying Sparkle, described online as a green silver sparkle. Trust me, it's there and makes this shade unique. It's perfect for fall.

The Timeless Taupe at the bottom of my arm, is a lovely taupe with a slight mauve hue. The metallic finish distracts from the complexity of the color. If you are a taupe lover, you should definitely consider this eye shadow - unless you have trouble with red dyes. I can see how Timeless Taupe might irritate someone with red dye allergies.

How are these shadows unique - different from a thousand other shimmering shades? They are extremely long-lasting. The darker the shade, the longer they will survive on your skin. Fortunately, you can remove them with a long-wear eye makeup remover (no Clorox required). Be assured, they will stay put once they set on your eyelids.

You must make sure to keep the little inserts that protect the moisture in the shadows and screw the lid on tightly after use. If you don't, these shadows will dry out. One of the shades I received was already a little crumbly on arrival. It applies well, but I had to pack down the product I disturbed with the alien sponge-tipped applicator.

You can find these beauties at any Lancôme counter or at Lancôme's Web site where I purchased mine. If you need help, I can recommend Jodie Hawk at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie (202-966-9700) or Jocelyn Malinowski at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria (703-761-1600).

Photo at top courtesy of Lancôme; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

21 comments:

lovethescents said...

These look pretty but nothing I don't have already. Yay for me! And crease-free is always a challenge ;-)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Lovethescents,

I usually go for the colors that are in my comfort zone - always variations on a theme. There are more exciting shades. :)

Eileen said...

So, no Clorox needed, huh? No alcohol or pumice, either? ;-) Not that I have anything against long wear, it's just that I do like to remove the stuff at the end of the day. LOL

Seriously, I do like Lancôme and will have to take a look at the shades although right now I find myself leaning more towards satin than shimmer. I'm sure the hot, hot, hot weather we've been having has a lot to do with it. Perhaps when the weather cools down a bit . . .

The Curator said...

Thank you for posting pics and thorough reviews, I was so curious to know how they stacked up to Armani's Eyes to Kill Intense shadows. Hmm, Electrifying Sparkle looks really similar to Chanel Epatant...must compare them the next time I'm at the store.
Thanks again!!

trhoades said...

The Armani shadows seem to have a higher shimmer factor overall. The Lancôme are truly luminous, with the exception of the silver which is like Chanel fantasm, and the sea-foam-ish green which is just too sheer. The Lancôme also have a very slight difference in texture.. They feel a bit more moist/creamy.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Eileen,

Nope. No unusual moves required. It's a good thing, huh? Eye stain? No way!

Charlestongirl said...

I think they are not quite a sparkly as Armani's, Curator.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi trhoades!

Agreed - mostly. I like the sheer ones. Also, I don't find these any more moist than Armani's.

Maureen said...

I love the look of these and the Armani shadows, but am concerned about the sparkle finish on lid creases. I think I need to have a Lancôme SA give me an eye makeover.


Nemo said...

Spoke today with Tanya Smith at Saks Philly re the new LMDB. even though I had already ordered mine thru someone else, I did want to meet her, albeit by telephone. She is wonderful. Can you tell me if the LMDB Eagle's Envy is named after the Phil Eagles sports team?

AZ said...

This is interesting.. I never knew Armani was also owned by L'oreal. It'd be interesting to check the formula for both since the Armani ones are so popular and there's a good price difference between the two. I'd consider trying a few of the Lancome ones because they're cheaper. I've realized once you get addicted to the beauty world things do add up especially since there are always new products that come out. It'd definitely good to save money when you can.

Love your blog as always. :)

Oh, I wonder if you bought anything from Barneys for the beauty event? I thought this year's bag wasn't as good as the last.

Tania G said...

I wonder how similar they are to Loreal's Infallible eyeshadows. I would like to know more about Lancome's birthday gifts. How do I get mine?

Charlestongirl said...

Good idea to try first, Maureen!

Charlestongirl said...

Gosh, Nemo! It might be. Don't they have green uniforms?

Charlestongirl said...

Hi AZ,

I have a memory of comparing the ingredients with Lod Cassler, and they were virtually identical. I haven't looked lately.

I fear that the box that FedEx wouldn't leave today when I wasn't here was my Barney's order. Grrr!

Charlestongirl said...

Tania, just register at the site and make sure to fill in your birth date.

Becca @ The Beauty Sample said...

I usually don't pay attention to cream shades, but Continuous Creme is GORGEOUS! It's very soft and subtle, but it's a shade that everyone needs and it's done WELL!

bisbee said...

I just checked - I've been registered at Lancome's site with my birthdate, and I never got any type of gift...

Anonymous said...

Hi Charlestongirl,
Thanks for this lovely post!
Like u, I'm afraid of using red on the eyes. Do u have any concerns about timeless taupe shade being too red? Is it a shade u would use comfortably?
Thank u!
Eunice

Lisa C said...

Omgosh! So they send 5 free lipsticks for your birthday? I had signed up earlier this year, but when my birthday rolled around, I didn't see any emails from them. So I didn't order anything that month :(

By the way, if you're intererested in any red lipsticks, I just received L'Absolu Rouge in "Absolu Rouge" It's a stunning shade of red! And the quality is superb, I absolutely love all their lipsticks. I have a few in the Rouge in Love line also. Cant say enough good things about them!

Anonymous said...

How does continuous Cree compare to Bobbi browns discontinued Navajo cream shadow? Could this replace it?
Does it have a powder or cream feel as it goes on?