The days where a steeper price point equals quality and vice versa are long gone. Some brands are so inexpensive, it’s hard to believe they’re so good. One of them is Wet n’ Wild, an American drugstore classic that is now capturing hearts around Europe. Even cheaper than our own Essence, Wet n’ Wild manages to create a wide range of makeup staples for less than $5!
The shabby packaging might match the price point, however the product inside is something else. As far as pigmentation of the eyeshadows goes, these are the most pigmented products at that price point I have ever come across, so I can see why so many people love their palettes. The fact that the products are often pretty close dupes to MAC products might be another reason why this brand is so popular. I purchased a couple of their most popular items. Read along to find out what I think of them!
Lipsticks are probably my biggest weakness when it comes to makeup, which is why I ended up with a bunch of of the Wet n’ Wild MegaLast Lip Color lipsticks. The ones that caught my eye were 901B Think Pink (I even accidentally bought this one twice), 902C Bare It All, 903C Just Peachy, 904B Rose-Bud & 968 Pinkerbell. These definitely got popular because of the resemblance with MAC lipsticks. Supposedly, Think Pink is a dupe for MAC Angel, Bare It All for Velvet Teddy, Just Peachy for Kinda Sexy and Pinkerbell for Viva Glam Nicki.
These lipsticks come with a semi-matte finish and offer a fully opaque colour in one swipe that also lasts a couple of hours. The only thing I don’t like about these is the packaging. The lipstick bullet isn’t really protected by the case, which makes it easy for the lipstick to get scratched by the cap.
I also purchased the Wet n’ Wild Mega Lip Color SPF 15 in 373S Pink Champagne because of Tati. The case of this one is ribbed and the formula is more sheer with a metallic sheen. I don’t wear this one on its own, but rather as a lipstick topper to give a matte lipstick some more dimension by adding some in the middle. My favourite ones are definitely Bare It All, Just Peachy and Rosebud. Think Pink is quite bright and Pinkerbell just doesn’t suit me at all because I’m too fair. I would recommend this one for medium to deep skin tones.
I stupidly forgot to take a picture of it, but I also got the Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink. It’s one of WnW’s most popular products and I totally understand. Often compared with the NARS Orgasm blush, this pink with gold shimmer blush is absolutely gorgeous. It’s pigmented and blends nicely into the skin to give your cheeks life without looking like a glittery clown. It comes with a brush, but I just use it with my trusty Real Techniques blush brush. Definitely recommend and I’ll be looking into more shades when I get the chance.
Next up are two of their most popular eyeshadow palettes: the Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Trio Eyeshadow Palette in Walking On Eggshells and Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone. The first is an eyeshadow trio with light, shimmery neutral shades which is ideal for lighter skin tones like mine. Comfort Zone is a selection of earthy shades, red tones, greens and teals. As mentioned in the intro, the shadows have great colour payoff and blend really well. The only thing I’m missing in both palettes are transition shades. Good news for us is that Wet n’ Wild actually just relaunched both of these items with transition shades!
As far as the neutral shades go, the ones in Walking On Eggshells palette definitely suit me better. They did a great job in making my blue eyes pop while the neutrals on the left side of the Comfort Zone palette look a bit muddy (see looks below). Much to my surprise my favourite colours of this palette are on the right side. The brow bone shade I like to wear on the lid and the definer are unique to my collection and the reason why I will be holding onto this palette. The Definer is supposedly a dupe of MAC’s Blue Brown pigment, which makes it extra interesting.
Swatches: left – Walking On Eggshells, middle – Comfort Zone left side, right – Comfort Zone right side
Wearing Walking On Eggshells and Just Peachy:
Wearing Comfort Zone (left side) and Bare It All:
Overall, I’m pretty happy with my first encounter with Wet ‘n Wild. I’m not a fan of the packaging, but the quality you get for the price is pretty amazing. I wouldn’t necessarily pick these products over my higher end favourites because I value the experience of a nicely packaged product, even when its inexpensive (like Colourpop). However, I do think it’s great there are affordable options out there that actually perform like these products do because not everyone has $50 to spend on an eyeshadow palette. After all, money spended on an affordable yet crappy product is still wasted money.
I’ve seen a pop-up stand of this brand in my local drugstore but I would love to see a permanent display so I can try out more of their products in the future, starting with the blushes.
Wet n’ Wild Mega Lip Color SPF 15 – $ 2.5
Wet n’ Wild MegaLast Lip Color – $ 2.5
Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Blush – $ 3
Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Trio Eyeshadow Palette – $ 3
Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette – $ 5
Wet n’ Wild is available at Primor (ES), Boozyshop, Bol.com,..
Disclaimer: Products were purchased.