REVIEW: Bourjois Little Round Pot Intense Eyeshadow 04, 05, & 08

Hello My Funky Readers,

Few weeks ago I won  a ticket to HPM Social event in London, and while there I had a chance to swatch some goodies from Bourjois. What's more, everyone who wanted could also put their name down for trying some of the products. I've requested to try three of their Bourjois Little Round Pot Intense Eyeshadows after having a swatching marathon by their stand.

Until now, I have never actually tried any of Bourjois Little Round Pot eyeshadows, mostly because I dislike buying individual eyeshadows and prefer the palettes. But I still remember, when I first walked in to Boots over two years ago, and saw them, and stayed glued to the stand swatching and swatching. I even bought one of them to send to a friend in the USA, but never bought one for myself. This year Bourjois updated the formula and the packaging, but they still had escaped my notice until couple of weeks ago at the event, and few days ago when they arrived at my doorstep.

What they say: 
A UNIQUE MAKE-UP RESULT

Made from 87% mineral pigments, precisely measured and selected, INTENSE is highly concentrated for 2 x more coverage than a classic eyeshadow in one single application.

BOURJOIS’ HISTORICAL BAKED TECHNOLOGY

Our iconic eyeshadows have been women’s beauty favourite for almost 150 years! The formula is manufactured using Bourjois’ unique baking process for radiant colour, silky textures and perfect blending. And, it lasts for up to 16 hours*!

And it’s good for my eyes!

INTENSE is made up from mineral pigments.It is hypoallergenic, paraben- and fragrance-free and suitable for contact lens wearers.

Available in a wide range of 10 exclusive shades and suitable for all occasions and styles:-

The essential shades, to illuminate and sculpt the eyes (01, 02, 03, 09, 10)

The dramatic shades to intensify the eyes (04, 05, 06, 07, 08)

* Scientifically tested on 100 panellists

What I say: 

Can you see why I was drawn to these particular shades? They are crazy pigmented, and all the swatches are done without primer. I've made the photos fairly large, so click on the individual photo if you want to see the details. 

These little eyeshadows sure do pack some intense colors! I would say they are almost matte in finish, with some occasional tiny shimmer particles showing through. It is especially visible in the brown swatches, but all of them have it. Purple one is the one with the least shimmer. However, once applied on the lid, the shimmer is almost gone, and you're left with pretty matte, but INTENSE color. These eyeshadows are not for the fainthearted, but if you're anything like me, and like bright BOLD shades, they will be perfect for you. 

The shades are very intense, and the color payoff is pretty good. However, these eyeshadows are pretty dry, to the point that it might be somewhat difficult to apply them. The first day I used them, I was afraid that they might stain so I applied UDPP in Eden (so I could see the primer to make sure it was there). Big mistake! It did not help with the applying, but instead made it more difficult because the color just wouldn't move at all. I had to fight with it, and I don't even like to blend the edges! 

The next day I've tried the normal UDPP, and it seemed to made it better since regular primer potion is more "sliding" for the lack of a better word. I also think that some brushes work much better for these eyeshadows than others, and it also could be a reason why I had such a hard time on the first day. I mostly have either Sigma or EcoTools brushes, and the first day I've used Sigma. It was almost like the brushes would not pick up the pigment at all! On the second day, I've used EcoTools and they had no trouble grabbing the pigment. So who knows, but I would advise to try using different brushes to see which ones work best.

Swatched dry

Swatched wet

These shades really do shine when applied wet. Gone the matte finish, and instead we are left with the beautiful frosty and delicately shimmery shades. Although, the purple one is still the most temperamental lady of the bunch. As you can see in the swatches, even when applied wet, it barely holds any shimmer. I also needed at least 4 layers to get it to be as intense as the other two, it kept applying very uneven.The purple is definitely much easier to apply dry.  I'm pretty disappointed with it, because I was the most excited about this purple, but if you like matte finishes I think you will like this shade a lot. Thankfully, green and brown do live up to my expectations, both as wet and as dry. 

On the bright side, Bourjois Intense Round Pots do not stain the eyes, if used with the eyeshadow primer. I would not recommend wearing them without a primer, especially when wet. My hand still has stains from the green and purple one, and I've washed my hands numerous times since this morning! I am not sure about how they will work without a primer, but I never ever wear eyeshadows without a primer, so I didn't try.

Applied dry over UDPP original

One thing I love about these eyeshadoes, is how they bring out the green in my eyes. I wore all of these looks for at least 10 hours, and didn't see any fallout or creasing (applied over UDPP). Once you apply these, they WILL stay put, with no fallout.

Applied dry over UDPP Eden

Applied wet over UDPP original

I went all color happy on the last look, and used all three of the eyeshadoew! Who cares if they do might not match? This fall colorblocking is all the rage, an I've seen some crazy color combinations. I'm right on trend then :)


Overall, I'm pretty happy with these eyeshadows, and for £6.99 (especially when they are on offer, which is pretty often) from either Boots or Superdrug, it is a pretty good deal. I'm not too fazed by their UNblendability since I like the "blocking" effect in my eyeshadow looks, but for some this could be a deal breaker. I would mind checking out some other shades from the collection, I remember there was this one particular greyish shade that I also liked. 

Have you picked up any of the Bourjois Little Round Pots? What are your thoughts? I would love to know! :)

~ Lyuba

P.S. Please don't forget to enter my giveaway! Just click on the picture on the sidebar.

*PR samples. All opinions are my own.*