Buxom Mutt Stay There Eye Shadow

I'm always tempted by cream eye shadows. There's something about the texture, smooth finish and the promise of superb blending that get my money every time. Then there's reality where I find out that 4 out of five times all these good qualities come at the high price of creasing, smudging and melting. Primers help, though, and some brands are starting to get it right (Laura Mercier is a good example), so I'm optimistic.

This summer Buxom by Bare Escentuals released the gimmicky-named Stay There eye shadow. It has a cute canine theme, the eye shadows are named after dog breeds and a tie-in with Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs. All that and some gorgeous colors certainly added to the irresistibility factor. After a thorough look at the shades, I chose the predictable taupe: Mutt. Since these shadows are so shiny and shimmery, a classic neutral is a better fit for me.

The texture of this Buxom cream is wonderful. It's soft, airy and almost whipped. As a germaphobe I prefer to use makeup brushes, but I admit Stay There makes it tempting to dip your fingers in the pot. The cream applies easily, and blends as smoothly as I hoped. It's very pigmented and one can create pretty effects and a glamorous but sophisticated look. I prefer to keep it low on the lid and closer to the lash line so the iridescence doesn't take over the entire eye area and I don't look like a disco queen.

As promised, the mutt stayed in place with no creasing or migrating. However, after only a couple of hours it started fading, losing the pretty finish and a lot of the pigment. Within three hours it faded to only a hint of color on my eyelids. I got the same results no matter which primer I used, so that's a real disappointment.

Bottom Line: Pretty, but plan on touch ups every couple of hours .

Buxom Stay There Eye Shadow ($17) is a Sephora exclusive.

All photos are mine.