BuyMeBeauty Exclusives: Almay Intense i-Color Eyeshadow

Whenever you go to your local drugstore and can't find that lipstick or eyeliner you've been buying for years, one of two things could've happened: the item sold out –which means the store will eventually order more– or the item got discontinued. When an item gets discontinued the chances of finding it again are slim, online being the only place. BuyMeBeauty does the hard work for you and it's constantly looking for those discontinued cosmetics you so much loved.Companies change packaging and colors all the time. Discontinuing collections and creating new ones, all part of keeping up with the competition. Almay is one of those companies. 

Almay was founded in 1931 by Alfred and Fanny May Woititz. Fanny May had a very sensitive skin and many makeup products provoked an allergic reaction on her. Alfred, her husband, was a chemist that decided to experiment with her makeup to find out what was causing this. Thus ALMAY was born, a new brand of hypoallergenic–unlikely to cause a reaction– cosmetic products. In mid-1980s Almay was bought by Revlon whom took the brand to many levels. Today, Almay is still the #1 go-to hypoallergenic cosmetic brand.

One of Almay's signature collections is its Intense i-Color collection. This makeup line includes eyeliners, lipsticks, lip glosses and the subject of this editorial; eye shadows. Let us show you the drastic changes this line of eye shadows has gone through in recent years and where it stands at the moment.

Timeline

In the above timeline you can clearly see the drastic changes made to the package through-out the years. Before the 2009 package included the intricate raised design, the trio had a simple and plain surface. It was during mid 2008 Almay started adding the "a" letter engraved into the eyeshadow pan. BuyMeBeauty has the non "a" version of these pans which came after, the Intense i-Color Eye Shadow - Play Up Trio & Bring Out Trio.The main difference between the two, besides the design, was also the color of the packaging. One was black the other one white. Model Elaine Irwin promoted this line since early 2000s.

In 2010, Almay decided to increase the size of the highlight color focusing more in the shimmery eyelids trend. The Light Interplay Technology batch didn't last long as the trend soon died out. Consumers demanded more DIY-style makeup so the Intense i-Color Kits came about. Just like its predecessors, it offered trios for every eye color but with three finishes: Smoky, Shimmer, and Satin. The order of the shades changed to a simpler 3-step process. Starting from the bottom being shade #1: the lid color, middle shade being #2: the crease color, and finishing with the top #3 shade: the brow bone highlight. The shape changed to simulate an actual eye and offered more of the lid color. Actress Jennifer Hudson was a huge spokesperson for this particular line which lasted quite sometime. Fun fact, another line called Bold Nudes was also released around that time with the same package design.

During fall of 2015, Almay introduced its brand new redesigned eye shadow trios. The new packaging took the eye concept to a new level and turned the whole thing eye-shaped, including a very peculiar curved applicator. Keeping the previous design 3-step arrangement, the new Intense i-Color Eye Shadow Trios comes in three lines: Evening Smoky, Everyday Neutrals, and Party Brights. Almay's current spokesperson is singer Carrie Underwood.

Almay, now under Revlon, has continued to keep up with bigger cosmetic companies. They continually try to create a branded product that will look unique to the consumer eye, therefore making a strong visual imprint in their minds. However, its latest design is the one I dislike the most. I find that the previous trio kits introduced a slicker design and it was more practical. On the other hand, I prefer the newer color palettes as they seem to be a marriage between all color combinations they had previously released and new current trends and color technologies.

Many of our customers have told us about the beautiful colors the 2009 line offered and the long lasting shimmer of the 2010 Light Interplay line while praising the ease of use of the 2011 kits. The newest 2015 package seems to be targeting different age groups but many customers have already complained about the strange curved applicator.

Whether Almay will change this new line anytime soon is hard to tell, but we'll definitely be there to find those discontinued eye shadows to keep offering you the best deals!

Color comparison