Review/EOTD: Lancome Color Design eyeshadow quad

Happy Monday!  I'm finally "home" at my parent's house for Christmas break, and during a bout of boredom this evening I came across an old Lancome eyeshadow quad of mine.  I can't believe I don't use this more often- it definitely deserves better!  So, I decided to review it for you guys.  Apologies in advance- I'm not sure the exact name of it (It's a few years old).  The back of it only shows the colors/finishes, which I'll include for reference.

Lancome Color Design eyeshadow quad

What it is: A high-end eyeshadow quad from Lancome featuring golden browns.  I don't have many department store makeup products, so this is a rarity for me!  It was actually my mom's first, but she never used it so she gave it to me (She doesn't wear eyeshadow very much).

It includes the shades:

Latte- matte cream

Burnt Sand- shimmery gold

Guest List- metallic dark brown

Topaz Temptation- shimmery golden chocolate brown

Price: $42.00 (This is how much the current quads are going for, according to lancome.com) 

(Left to right: Latte, Burnt Sand, Guest List, Topaz Temptation)

Formula: The three shades, Burnt Sand, Guest List and Topaz Temptation have awesome pigmentation.  I only need to swipe my finger across them once to get the above swatch.  Unfortunately, the lighter Latte has terrible payoff.  I need to practically scrape the pan to get anything on my brush, and it requires several applications to show up on my skin (This could be partially due to the age of my palette, but I'm not sure since the other three are fine).  Other than Latte, the three shadows are really easy to blend and apply.  I love the wearability of the shades as well- they all compliment each other and the difference in finishes is really nice (matte, shimmer, metallic).

Wear/quality:  I don't usually have many problems with eyeshadows creasing on me (My lids tend to be normal-dry), and these are no exception.  I always use a primer underneath my eyeshadows so I can't say how they are without one, but I get all-day wear using a primer.  

I did a look with the palette as well so you can see how the colors go together-  I just love how they're neutrals, but the shimmers keep the look from being boring!

(I wore Latte as my highlight shade, Burnt Sand all over my lid and inner lower lash line, Topaz Temptation in my outer corner and outer lower lash line, and Guest List as a liner.)

The one thing I dislike about this quad, aside from Latte being so light, is the value.  The total amount in the quad is only 0.05z, which is the same size of one full-sized MAC eyeshadow.  I'm close to hitting pan on Topaz Temptation and I haven't even used it that much.  

The lovely Angelic Betrayal just commented and told me that it looks like my quad is probably a gift with purchase, so smaller than the full-sized one.  Thank you so much for letting me know!  This would explain why I've come so close to hitting pan on one of the shades.

Pros:

- Beautiful neutral colors

- Good pigmentation in 3/4 shades

- Blends easily and wears all day

Cons:

- Expensive

- Lightest shade has poor color payoff

Overall, I'd definitely recommend you try-before-you-buy.  I've never used any of Lancome's other eyeshadow quads, so I'm not sure if the quality varies between shades (I'm guessing it does).  At $42 it's not exactly something I'd pay for when one shadow isn't pigmented, although the other three are gorgeous.  If the shades are all beautiful and something I'd get a lot of use out of, I think I'd consider it.  

Do you guys own any eyeshadows from Lancome?  What are your thoughts?