Apocalypse-Proof Mauve: Mally Evercolor Shadow Stick in Dusk

My love of sticks and crayons, it is ever so strong. I've managed to rein in the 'MUST HAVE THEM ALL' attitude in the past couple of months, but not before securing another cream eyeshadow crayon for my stash: the Mally Beauty Evercolor Shadow Stick in Dusk ($25 for 0.06 oz/ 1.6g).

I'd never actually tried anything from Mally Beauty before buying this shadow crayon, which is one of the most beloved items from the brand. After my experience with the Evercolor Stick I'd be curious to try more things from Mally, although the higher price point and lack of counters anywhere near me dampens my spirit of brand adventure somewhat. But - back to Dusk.

The Evercolor Shadow Sticks have the standard twist-up eyeshadow crayon packaging; although I'm not so happy with the pretty but impractical white color of the stick (magnifies all the smudgy prints) or the fact that the shade name is printed on the side of the packaging without a colored tip indicating the actual shade. I only own this one Mally Shadow Stick, so it's not a huge deal, but I imagine if you have a few, finding the shade you're looking for in a drawer full of pencils is a bit of a pain in the backside.

Sorry for the phallic close-up.

And that's about it when it comes to my nit-picking about the product. There's nothing else to complain about - the Evercolor Shadow Stick in Dusk is simply a damn fine cream shadow crayon. It's smooth, soft, pigmented and blendable, and the shade Dusk is a beautiful medium mauve with complex shimmer (I spot silver, pink, orange and teal flecks) and an almost glossy wet finish on the eyes.

Compared to my other plums and warm taupes in the cream format, Mally's Dusk is the closest to Avon Extralasting Eyeshadow Pencil in Amethyst, but slightly lighter, rosier and more shimmery. Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in New Moon leans more burgundy, has less pigmentation but larger particles of shimmer/micro glitter. Both the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze and Benefit Creaseles Cream Shadow in No Pressure are more golden brown/taupe, and more of a pearl finish.

L-R: Mally Shadow Stick in Dusk, Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in New Moon, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, Benefit Creaseless Cream in No Pressure, Avon Extralasting Pencil in Amethyst

Now here's what happened when I tried to remove these swatches with Avene Micellar Water, which I always use for blog-related swatching sessions. Chanel was gone in seconds, Maybelline Color Tattoo and Benefit Creaseless Cream resisted gentle swiping but started to give way to manic scrubbing, while Mally's Evercolor Shadow Stick and Avon Extralasting Pencil remained completely intact. How on Earth...?! I hasten to add that the Mally Shadow Stick lasts just as well on my actual (oily) lids. In the face shots, the photo on the left was taken about 5 hours into the wear, after taking two speedy and sweaty walks in Central Park, 2 miles each. You can see some slight unevenness in the photo, but to my naked eye, there was no creasing whatsoever. I tested it again a couple days later, this time carrying a mountain bike up and down subway stairs, and riding the hotter-than-hell subway with said bike (don't ask). Again, no creasing or budging without additional priming, until I took my make-up off with a cleansing oil at night.

In the photo on the left, I'm wearing Mally's Dusk all over the lid, with Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicate Hummingbird in the outer corner, blended up and out, and Too Faced Naked Beach in the inner corner to highlight. In the photo on the right, I have Dusk all over the lid and blended out into the crease, with Burberry Midnight Brown along the upper lashline, blended out in a wing shape at the outer corner. I definitely prefer the plummier look on the left as I felt that golden tones in Midnight Brown clashed a bit with the rosiness of Dusk, but overall, it's a very versatile shade, either on its own or for layering with powder shadows.

Have you tried anything from Mally Beauty? What are your favorites from this brand? And by the way - ready yourself for a mammoth of a post comparing all the cream shadow sticks in my posession, which I promised a while back (last year, more like). It's coming!