ColourPop Balloon Pop Super Shock Shadow Review & Swatches

Balloon Pop

ColourPop Balloon Pop Super Shock Shadow ($6.00 for 0.07 oz.) seemed to have more of a transparent or sheerer base and was chocked-full of champagne and beige sparkle and slightly finer pink and peach pearl, which gave it an intense, sparkling finish that was rather shiny. It appeared a lot lighter applied than it did in the pot as well.

The texture was smooth, emollient, and cream-like to the touch with a moderately dense, sponge-like feel. It had a thin, more powder-like feel when applied to skin, which had good adhesion and blended out well. For those who like one-and-done, sparkly top coat kind of shades, I could see that working for that purpose. It was a little chunky as a standalone shade, though, so it did apply better with a fingertip or packed on with a flat, synthetic brush. It stayed on well for nine hours with light fallout over time.

Note: As I’m writing this review ahead of the launch, I will check back to see if this was intended to be sheerer, but the rating is based on the Super Shock Shadow formula, in general.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

PIXI Beauty Metal Mauve (PiP, $20.00) is more shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
Milani Sands of Time (PiP, $5.99) is lighter (90% similar).
Natasha Denona Lumino (212M) (PiP, $29.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
L'Oreal Iced Latte (P, $7.99) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Chanel Lumiere et Opulence #2 (LE, ) is cooler (90% similar).
Huda Beauty Rose #5 (LE, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
LORAC Opal (PiP, ) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
Dose of Colors New in Town (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
Tom Ford Beauty Red Harness #1 (LE, ) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
Too Faced Devotion (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).

View Swatches

Formula Overview

$6.00/0.07 oz. - $85.71 Per Ounce

ColourPop Super Shock Shadow is a cream-based formula that comes in a multitude of shades and finishes. The more metallic shades have the most slip to them (they have a “wetter” feel), while the more matte ones have a firmer, more clay-like consistency. Almost every shade I’ve tried from ColourPop has been exceptionally long-wearing (10+ hours of wear, usually there until I remove, even 14 hours later). The pigmentation can vary from shade to shade, but the average shade is quite pigmented.

From feedback I’ve seen from readers, many love them but some don’t like them at all. They aren’t a traditional cream eyeshadow, as they are denser (more sponge-like), and they apply best with flat, firm, synthetic brushes (I like the MAC 242 and 249) for me. The brand recommends using fingers for the most pigmented application, but I’ve only felt that fingers were necessary on a few shades (usually the super glittery ones).

The more matte shades can be on the drier side and vary from medium to opaque in coverage, though they're often buildable. They can be a little hard to diffuse the edges of, though some are lovely to work with.

The more glittery shades have been the weakest to me, as they can be sheerer or harder to apply. Sometimes, they are more pigmented and work like the other finishes in the formula, but often, they are sheerer and only function well patted on top of more pigmented eyeshadows to add glitter. They do, however, tend to have little fallout over time with the occasional shade having a more moderate amount of fallout (but still less fallout than most powder eyeshadows with glitter).

Browse all of our ColourPop Super Shock Shadow swatches.