Hi friends!
If you love a good side-by-side comparison post then you’ll definitely love what I have in store for you today. We’re doing a liquid eyeshadow showdown between two very popular indie brands; on one side we have the brand-new ILIA Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint, and on the opposing side we have the now cult-favorite Kosas 10 Second Eyeshadow. How do these products compare in terms of PACKAGING, TEXTURE, APPLICATION, PIGMENTATION, WEAR, COLOR RANGE and PRICE? I’m going to break it all down for you in this post.
I did an entire review on the Kosas 10 Second Eyeshadow last year that you should totally check out if you want a dedicated deep-dive. Since then the popularity of this product has skyrocketed in the beauty community, even winning an Allure Best in Beauty 2020 Award. I’m majorly into this liquid shadow, so much so that I included it in my Top Ten Beauty Products of 2019. Every time I use it I’m reminded just how well-performing and innovative its formula is. So when my beloved ILIA debuted their Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint range this Fall, I immediately knew that I wanted to compare the two together.
Let’s dive in!
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ILIA LIQUID POWDER CHROMATIC EYE TINT
What it is: A clean and highly-pigmented liquid eyeshadow that transforms into a weightless, metallic powder.
How it works: Glides like a cream, dries like a powder. This liquid eyeshadow swipes on effortlessly and instantly locks in place without creasing. Sweep the cushiony wand along your eyelid for a bold metallic payoff, or gently blend it out for a more diffused wash.
Crafted with skin-smoothing Horse Chestnut Flower and antioxidant-rich Honokiol (Magnolia Bark Extract) for a 99% natural, water-based formula that doesn’t crease or budge.
KOSAS 10 SECOND EYESHADOW
A clean liquid eyeshadow that goes on like watercolor — soothes skin, won’t crease, dries in seconds.
High performance makeup powered by real skincare ingredients. Galactoarabinan smoothes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, Jojoba Oil soothes skin, and Orange Flower Water helps brighten + tone.
The lightweight liquid formula allows you to play with soft washes of color, or layer for a bolder look. Loose, fun, can’t mess it up.
HOW THEY COMPARE ON PACKAGING
There’s really not much between them in this respect. Both products come in frosted, lightweight plastic tubes with bendy doe-foot applicators. Very common and typical when it comes to liquid eyeshadow. The ILIA tube is just a bit shorter, which makes the wand a bit shorter, but I don’t find that has any influence – good or bad – over the application process.
WANT MORE ILIA?
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Comparing doe-foot applicators; (left) Kosas 10 Second Eyeshadow, and (right) ILIA Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint.
HOW THEY COMPARE ON TEXTURE
This is where the differences start to come in. The Kosas has a true liquid texture that you have to shake really well before you apply, otherwise the color pigment and the base will separate in the tube. For that reason, it’s extremely thin and lightweight. The ILIA has more of a cream texture; it’s more viscous and adheres to the doe-foot applicator like a traditional cream would, so you get a lot more product when you first open it; way too much, in fact.
HOW THEY COMPARE ON APPLICATION
I find the Kosas 10 Second Eyeshadow so much easier and quicker to apply than the ILIA Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint. Its thin liquidy texture just glides across the eye, and with the help of a dense fluffy brush, it blends out to perfection in no time at all. You do have to work quickly (i.e. do one eye at a time), but not as quickly as with the ILIA. For reference, I apply a base underneath – my MAC Paint Pot in the discontinued shade Camel Coat – which I don’t find interferes with the pigmentation or in the blending process.
The ILIA liquid-to-powder formula is very inconsistent with it comes to application. Sometimes it applies smoothly and beautifully; other times it clings in patches almost immediately on contact, and will not budge for anything. The dry-down occurs very, very quickly so it’s a bit do-or-die once you get the color on your lid! I absolutely have to apply a base underneath as well; I once tried to apply it to a completely bare lid, but it completely seized up on me. After some trialing, I’ve found the best way is to get it on with a finger, and then just blend the edges very quickly with a dense, fluffy brush. Applying it completely with a brush just doesn’t seem to work for me.
(Top) ILIA Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint in Dim; (bottom) Kosas 10 Second Eyeshadow in Copper Halo
HOW THEY COMPARE ON PIGMENTATION
A+ for both products here. There’s no build-up period necessary; from the moment of contact with the lid, the pigmentation is very strong.
HOW THEY COMPARE ON WEAR
Again, they both perform extremely well in this category. They don’t budge, fade or flake away all day long; I’m talking 10+ hours of full-pigment wear! I do think anyone could wear these and get decent longevity, oily or dry. Just make sure you apply a primer first, especially if you have oily eyelids.
WANT MORE KOSAS?
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HOW THEY COMPARE ON COLOR RANGE
Both ranges come in a total of 8 shades. If you really love your everyday, slightly-muted neutrals then you’ll definitely prefer the ILIA here. If you want bold pop’s of color, the Kosas will scratch that itch for you.
I have the shade Dim from the ILIA range, which is a dusty grey-lavender with a pink and purple pearl. It’s so lovely, I was immediately attracted to it on the website.
I have three colors in total from the Kosas range, but pictured throughout this post is the shade Copper Halo. A bright orangey-copper, it has silver flecks of shimmer running through it.
HOW THEY COMPARE ON PRICE
It’s a dead-heat in this category. Both the ILIA and the Kosas retail for $28.00. However there is quite a difference in the amount of product you get; in fact, the Kosas contains almost TWICE the amount of product than the ILIA. The 10 Second Eyeshadow has 0.20 fl. oz. of product, while the Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint has just 0.12 fl. oz. I can only assume this is because A) the Kosas tube is physically bigger, and B) its liquid texture allows more room for product.
WHICH SHOULD YOU BUY?
Personally I’d go with the Kosas 10 Second Eyeshadow if you’re deciding between the two. The texture is super unique, the colors are brilliant and the application process is so much easier. If you’re a real eyeshadow lover, I think you should definitely have one of these in your collection!
I don’t think the ILIA is a bad product, but it takes a certain amount of finessing to get it to work properly. So if you have patience and don’t mind taking the extra time to blend it, you’ll probably like it. But if you have a drugstore liquid eyeshadow that works wonders for you, then skip this altogether.
What is your favorite liquid eyeshadow? Have you tried either the Kosas or the ILIA? I’d love to know!
xo, and be well, Erica
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