Cover Girl • Eye Enhancers - Brown Smolder #740 • Eye Shadow

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*TOP REVIEWER* girlndocs on 4/5/2013 12:06:00 AM more reviews by girlndocs

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

I don't know if Cover Girl just changed the formula for this shadow or what but I was pretty much completely disappointed in it. When I saw it compared to MAC Espresso (several places, not just here) I was excited to grab it during a BOGO1/2 sale because I was looking for a rich brown and I'd been thinking about some of the brown Sephora Collection shadows at about 7x the price.


What a letdown. My experience was that this shadow is not rich, buttery or highly pigmented. It would maybe have been okay if I hadn't already been spoiled by drugstore shadows like Color Icon and Essence, but as it is I found it powdery, slightly gritty, and difficult to place and blend with a lot of fallout. (My consolation is that at least I didn't pay MAC prices for this. I would have been pissed off.)


I had been looking for a better quality replacement for the brown in WnW's LE nude palette, but at least until I can get to Sephora I'll stick to the WnW brown.

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*TOP REVIEWER* glamstep on 12/24/2012 10:50:00 PM more reviews by glamstep

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Black    

DUPE ALERT: MAC Espresso repackaged!

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purpleredswirls on 11/14/2012 11:14:00 PM more reviews by purpleredswirls

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

While the product in the pan appears to have shimmer particles in it, the swatch and colour on the eye lid is matte. It is a dark/dark medium brown colour. The pigmentation is decent, better than other Cover Girl singles I have.

In my review for Mink I mentioned this colour as well. I love to wear Brown Smolder all over the lid with Mink highlighting the center of my eye lid.

It is hard to find matte colours in the drug store and especially those with a decent pigmentation that is rich looking and not chalky.

Dark Brown and Matte. A lot of product for a cheap price. If those are the things you are looking for, go ahead and get it.

I will give this 5/5 despite the horrible Cover Girl packaging. Yes the packaging servers it's purpose and yes the sponge tip applicator is the only kind I will ever use but it is just unattractive and bulky.

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*TOP REVIEWER* haleyhay on 10/2/2012 1:11:00 AM more reviews by haleyhay

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Very Dry, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is a great dark brown eyeshadow. In the pan it appears to have to sparkles in it, but it does not show up on the lid. This works fantastic as a crease color, it lasts all day without creasing. It is very pigmented and easy to blend. I will definitely buy this color when I run out.

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FloweryCheese on 8/21/2012 3:30:00 AM more reviews by FloweryCheese

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I'm an NC44 with dark brown/black hair and dark brown eyes. I use this as a brow powder and it lasts all day. Highly pigmented and easy to work with.

It looks like it has some shimmer in the pan, but I didn't notice any in my brows in fluorescent lighting. It's possible that in full sunlight, you can see shimmer (so test it out if you're worried about that).

Great little gem for around $3. My friend recommended MAC Cork for filling in brows, but who needs to spend MAC prices when CG will do the trick!

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*TOP REVIEWER* FancyShmancyBlonde on 7/5/2012 1:35:00 PM more reviews by FancyShmancyBlonde

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Brown Smolder is a beautiful true brown ~ MATTE ~ deep ~ rich ~ dark ~ very pigmented shade that brings out my green eyes. It goes on smoothly and blends out nicely. I apply it on top of my usual foundation and have never experienced any fading, creasing or changing of color as the day goes on. I use this shade in my crease but I can see where one could use it as a brow powder as well.

I recommend this one for sure!

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suchaclassylady on 4/21/2012 3:13:00 PM more reviews by suchaclassylady

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Dry, Dark, Cool   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I can barely see the pigment on NC-45 skin, even when using a good primer. Maybe I'll try this on my eyebrows instead. Goes to show, you get what you pay for.

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*TOP REVIEWER* EvilyKyoko on 1/16/2012 5:36:00 PM more reviews by EvilyKyoko

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Gorgeous deep matte brown. I use this on my eyes an it's also great for filling in brows. Not the smoothest eyeshadow, but it is nicely pigmented. Will repurchase.

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*TOP REVIEWER* MissLerina on 9/5/2011 8:37:00 PM more reviews by MissLerina

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Color: dark brown

Pros: pigmented, lasts, great for brows

Cons: none

Comments: I was skeptical about purchasing this as a brow filler because I could see tiny sparkles in it, but once applied it's pretty matte. It's a nice, rich dark brown with no red or gold undertones. I also use this to create the perfect smokey eye.

Will repurchase.

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najuheeya on 7/14/2011 11:44:00 PM more reviews by najuheeya

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

great shadow to have in your collection! if you don't have it, you should go get one, at least for the price!! one of my biggest complaint about covergirl eyeshadow is that often they are very powdery..but this shadow is an exception!! it is also very versatile- i often use it to fill in my eye brows...pigmentation is also decent- if you want really bold brown, make sure you use eye shadow base. overall, great color, pigmentation, price- can't complain!

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unravelingx on 7/14/2011 11:30:00 PM more reviews by unravelingx

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy   Eyes: Blue    

Such a pretty matte brown. I was searching for a color that matches my brows, and unfortunately, this isn't it. I need something a bit lighter. However, this is gorgeous in the crease with golds/champagnes on the lid. Won't repurchase simply because CG tests on animals.

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jmar8176 on 6/11/2011 8:30:00 PM more reviews by jmar8176

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

First of I love browns. However I don't like browns that are too red. For me this shade of brown is such a multipurpose color. You can use it as eyeliner or eyeshadow. I like to use it for my brows, it's the perfect brown for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* NYCBeauty99 on 5/24/2011 9:45:00 PM more reviews by NYCBeauty99

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I can't believe how awesome this shadow is. It's not super dark, but it's exactly the shade I was looking for. It blends nicely and I paid under $2 for it because it was on sale.

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jacquepei on 3/19/2011 4:48:00 PM more reviews by jacquepei

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this because i read many reviews on MUA that it's a matte dark brown shade. And thats exactly what I needed. BUT when I got it, and yes perhaps I was stupid for not looking into the packaging, that it has a bit of shimmer in it. Nothing I can't work around, but it was a bit misleading.

I find the shimmer to be quite "eye brightening" and leaves my eye makeup look less dull (than if I were to just use a matte brown shade). The shimmer is barely noticeable and I highly recommend this if you are looking for a less boring matte brown shade with a tiny bit of dimension and depth. Great product, definitely recommend.

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*TOP REVIEWER* amaizeingndn on 3/10/2011 11:35:00 PM more reviews by amaizeingndn

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Olive   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I don't know if Cover Girl has changed their formula or what- their shadows used to be such crap, but the last few I've tried I've really liked. this color is a really deep matte brown. I use it as eyeliner, and I love it for that purpose. I usually use it over Revlon Colorstay liner in Brown, and I find it just deepens the color and keeps it in place for 12+ hours. this is also a really great all over the lid color for a brown smokey eye.

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kathyscrapper on 3/2/2011 1:27:00 AM more reviews by kathyscrapper

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I actually don't use this product as an eye shadow. Even though it is a nice neutral brown color its still too dark for my age, but it makes a great eyeliner. I always used cake eyeliner because pencils just seemed to slide off my greasy eyes. But it is hard to find cake eyeliner anymore and so I am always on a quest to find suitable brown shadows instead. This cheap Cover Girl color works great. I use a #2 artist paint brush dipped in water and work it across the shadow until I get the right consistency and then line several times on both my upper and lower lashes. On my lower lashes it helps to smudge a bit with my finger or the tip of the brush handle. It lasts much longer than pencil and doesn't smudge all over. I have also used Revlon 12 hr, Physicians Formula baked wet/dry and Avon shadows for liner but this works the best.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tango2470 on 2/21/2011 12:37:00 AM more reviews by tango2470

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

You guys have got to realize this.

There are some AWESOME CG eyeshadows, mostly neutrals such as this one, and shimmering sands
(currently at an avg. rating of 5)

There are also some TERRIBLE CG eyeshadows such as blazing blues (currently at an average rating of 1) most of the bright shadows, such as this and firecracker suck.

Since most stores dont have testers for these shadows, you should always look at reviews of CG and other drugstore (and some high end) buys because they can be very unpredictable.

This is one that I highly reccomend in everyones makeup wardrobe, it is absolutely gorgeous!!!

Just play safe, and be wise w/ your money thats my lecture for today lol!

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mischa on 2/17/2011 2:33:00 AM more reviews by mischa

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Wow, this really is the perfect neutral brown! I'm impressed, considering I'm used to spending a lot more on department store brands. I bought this a while ago based on reviews and whatnot, but didn't bother trying it until tonight when I decided to practice a smoky brown eye look. I was worried that it was going to be a too dark for me but it was great as a crease color. It was matte without being chalky. Nicely done, CG!

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*TOP REVIEWER* lucdiaz on 11/23/2010 4:22:00 PM more reviews by lucdiaz

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Black    

Fnatastic deep matte brown that is true as others mentioned, it does not pull red. Pigmentation is fantastic as is staying power. Who knew the drugstore could hold such a classic little gem. Heck yeah I'll buy again, but it won't be soon because the pan size is very generous. Lastly, I actually like the sponge tip applicator on this one, it's double sided and one side has a nice little point. Awesome product.

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sunflower1221 on 11/1/2010 2:20:00 PM more reviews by sunflower1221

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is a beautiful almost-matte brown. I wear it as a wash underneath Tapestry Taupe and it provides the depth of color that TT is missing.

I was afraid this would be too dark for my skintone but it's perfect if applied with a brush (the sponge applicator deposits more product for a heavier/smokier look). This brown also appears neutral on me, it doesn't show any reddish, coppery, or ashy tones.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No