Flirt Cosmetics Eye Shadow Mousse

The recent advent of rich, whipped cosmetics means that everything from blush to eye color is now creamer than ever, and Flirt Cosmetics Eye Shadow Mousse is easily one of the most lush offerings out there.

Shadow mousse can be dark and dramatic.

Long-lasting, colorful and incredibly soft, mousse-based cosmetics are especially appealing for their smooth texture and ease of application. The craze might be attributed to Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse Foundation, which was introduced to great fanfare and excitement several years ago. Its success cleared the path for copycat foundations and even for color cosmetics, such as blushes, bronzers, highlighters and eye shadows.

Perhaps no other company offers quite as impressive a collection of mousse-based color cosmetics as Flirt!. The company, which sells exclusively through Kohls department stores and on its Web site, carries an extensive line of eye shadow and blush mousses. These products are packaged in convenient little .08-ounce pots. Each product is available in several colors, and Flirt! offers a generous selection of colors in each lineup. Additionally, seasonal, limited edition shades are available throughout the year.

Fans of Flirt! are likely already familiar with the company's richly pigmented, lightly gleaming eye shadow mousses, called I'm Whipped. I'd once purchased a pot of this product years ago but had long since misplaced it, so I recently picked up two shades to help recollect my experience:

• Cross My Heart: a unique, shimmery bronze with a heavy dose of pink shot through it
• High Maintenance: a deep, shimmery brown deepened by a vibrant plum

The beauty of mousse cosmetics is that they are exceptionally easy to apply. For this reason, they're especially ideal for anyone inexperienced with makeup or pressed for time. They don't necessarily require the use of makeup brushes, which instantly makes the application process a bit quicker. Simply dip a finger into the pot and apply.

My personal experience with the shadow mousse suggests that it is probably better to apply it with a brush. I used a sturdy MAC shadow brush to dip into the mousse, picked up a light amount of color and ran it over my eyelids. This, I found, allowed for more precise color delivery and also offered better control of the color's placement. Finger application is quick and convenient, but using a brush is a more definitive way of doing the job. If you have time, it's worth it to use a brush.

Besides the lovely texture, possibly the most impressive thing about Flirt Cosmetics Eye Shadow Mousse is its longevity. The pigment is surprisingly rich and long lasting, which is quite a feat for a creamy product that one would expect to slide right off as the day wears on. I used Flirt both as a shadow base (to help powder shadows adhere better) and as a main color. Either way, the color really stood the test of time.

Cross My Heart is the perfect choice for anyone who loves pink! It's a unique take on the look that works well year round, thanks to its ability to wear as either a base or main color. It accents a metallic eye palette beautifully; try it with burnished gold for an elegant look. It's also great on its own, as I found when I hurriedly applied it before heading out for a busy day. It complements any skin tone and has a surprisingly natural appearance in the light.

High Maintenance is dramatic and exceptionally striking. It's great for anyone who loves brown but is sick of the usual mulch- and bark-inspired versions. This shade is touched by a generous hint of plum, making it the perfect shade for fall. I'm already planning how to work it into some of my favorite eye looks of the season, which usually include generous helpings of black, gold and gray. This color is quite deep, so use a light hand if you're wearing it during the day. At night, go all out and use it to complement a smoky eye – it was made for this!

Needless to say, I'm impressed. The product has earned itself a front row seat in my vast color collection, and I've found myself using it nearly daily, either on its own or to complement any colors. It's enduring, available in a versatile choice of colors and, at $12, is quite reasonably priced.

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