Apparently COVERGIRL’s favorite word is “blast.” I recently tested out its ShadowBlast and ShineBlast, and had a blast from the past (muahahah pun intended). The two products reminded me of my middle school days with some good memories and some bad.

COVERGIRL ShadowBlast

“I feel like I am applying a glue stick to your eye” is not exactly something you want to hear your roommate say as she attempts to do your eyeshadow. But if said roommate is applying COVERGIRL ShadowBlast (SRP $7.49), you just might hear that oh-so comforting phase as you feel like your eyes are being smooshed by a stick of wax.

Don’t get me wrong; I love me some COVERGIRL, but everyone makes mistakes. While the dual-end shadow sticks come in some nice combos (with the exception of the questionable Tempest Blue — the 90s called and my middle school self wants her eyeshadow back), the performance and product quality fails to impress.

1. I had high hopes that the creme sticks would mean smooth application, but that was far from the case. Application was…sticky.The darn shadow stick didn’t seem to want to glide over my lids, it just kept getting stuck — nay “glued” — to my teeny lids.
2. Per the photo instructions on the back of the packaging, my roomie tried to blend the darker shade into my crease after applying a nice line along the lashline. Well, blending didn’t really happen. As soon as we tried to blend, my eyelids lost the color and my roomie had some blue fingertips. Looking like you have hypothermia is never trendy.
3. The sticks are nicely pigmented, but they don’t translate well once applied to your eyelids.
4. I twisted the black end of the Onyx Smoke duo halfway, and the stick fell out. Enough said.

So folks, here it is. My roommate’s whole-hearted attempt at creating a look with the Onyx Smoke and Tempest Blue duos.

Onyx Smoke on the left, Tempest Blue on the right

COVERGIRL ShineBlast

ShineBlast (SRP $7.49) exceeded my expectations after having tried the ShadowBlast. The applicator was wide and the gloss went on smooth. A+ for the applicator. The color was pretty transparent; it actually didn’t add any color to my smackers—just a little shine.

The gloss was a tad too sticky for my liking, but that is really the only criticism I have about ShineBlast. I do have to say that it tastes just like middle school. A little fruity, maybe a slight watermelon flavor. But hey, who doesn’t like licking their lips and reminiscing about the days of lockers, three-ring binders and awkward stages.

Moral of the story…

Photos: Kristin Bassett/BeautyXpose
Disclaimer: Products were furnished complimentary for review.