Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow for Green Eyes - Is It Worth Buying?

Physicians Formula markets Shimmer Strips in shades specifically to compliment individual eye colors. It offers multiple palettes for blue, brown, hazel, and green eyes.

Although the Green Eye Candy and Smoky Green Eyes Shimmer Strips are both products that have been out for a while, they are still available through Amazon and other online sellers. So, if you have been thinking about picking up either or both of these strips, before you make the purchase, read on to see if they are worth buying.

The pigmentation of these eyeshadows is, unfortunately, limited, particularly in the Green Eye Candy pallete, which goes on very sheer when applied directly onto unprimed skin. Applying with a wet brush does improve the color payoff, and the eyeshadow can be built up on the lid. However, it is essential to use primer with the shadows in both of these palettes.

All swatches in the photos (right) were applied with a wet brush over primer.

These Physicians Formula eyeshadows are standard powder shadows and are a bit on the chalky side in consistency. They blend adequately. The shades in both palettes are all shimmery, as the name "Shimmer Strip" would indicate.

Upon initial application, Green Eye Candy lacked pigmentation, but it was easily built up by patting the product on. Colors in this palette blended easily.

Most of the colors in the Smoky Green Eyes strip did have more pigmentation, perhaps because they tended to be darker shades, but they became slightly muddy during the process of blending.

The shadows in both Shimmer Strips should be applied over primer so colors do not appear dull and lifeless. Additionally, wetting the makeup brush can improve the color pay-off for both strips.

Although Physicians Formula markets its Shimmer Strips as eyeshadow and liner, I would not attempt to use this product as an eyeliner. It could probably adequately be used in the waterline or as a highlighter under the eye or in its corner, but I don't personally think it has crisp enough color for viable use as a liner.

Shimmer Strips definitely have some things going for them. For starters, very few compact palettes offer you such a variety of colors. Each strip has 9 colors - all in one small, convenient palette that is easy to carry and perfect for travel.

Next is the "eye enhancing" claim, which is a pretty intriguing idea. After all, what woman wouldn't want to enhance her natural eye color? So, does it work? Well, it's somewhat subjective, but for the most part, yes. I would say that, when creating looks with the shades from either of these palettes, I did make my eyes look slightly more green. The thing is, the same effect could also be obtained with other green and purple eyeshadows that were not specifically marketed as "eye enhancing" shadows. Those colors just always make green eyes pop.

Over primer, these eyeshadows lasted 10 hours with minimal fading.

Considering the wide range of eyeshadows out there of comparable or superior quality in the drugstore these days, there's not a lot of reason to seek out Physician Formula Shimmer Strips.

Shimmery shades are popular, but other brands (such as L'Oreal' Infallible line) now do them better. Don't buy these just because they are shimmery.

That leaves only 3 legitimate motivations for purchasing these strips:

1.to obtain lots of eyeshadow colors quickly (to expand your makeup collection in a hurry)

2. to enhance your eye color (but other purple and green eyeshadows can do the same thing)

3.because you find a super terrific sale price

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner currently retails on its site for $11.95 and can typically be found in drugstores for a similar price. However, because these specific palettes have been out for a while now, you can typically find them at a savings. On Amazon, the Green Eye Candy Shimmer Strip at the time this article was written was available for around $8.00, and the Smoky Green Eyes Shimmer Strip was available for $15.00 for a 2 pack (so $7.50 a piece).

You may be tempted because of the convenient packaging, a bargain price, the array of colors, or the promise of enhancing your natural eye color. My advice: don't do it.

These strips make you work for color pay-off. Don't get me wrong; they aren't terrible. It's just that there are so many good eyeshadows available in drugstores right now that I would skip these and go for one of the many far more exciting choices out there.