E.L.F. Smudge Pot in Cruisin' Chic: Possible Dupe?

Hey everybody! I'm super excited for this post. I've been wanting to write it for a while. In the last post, I talked about my E.L.F. haulage, and today I'm going to focus on one of the particular items that I bought in that haul--the Smudge Pot in "Cruisin' Chic." All on its own, it is AWESOME. The texture is smooth and light, it's easy to blend, it lasts really well, and the color is gorgeous. At $2, there is literally no down side.

E.L.F. Smudge Pot in Cruisin' Chic

Just look at that color! A taupey bronze with a golden sheen. So, so pretty. It's a great neutral for everyone! And I love the packaging, too. It looks so clean, and it's not as heavy and bulky as other cream shadows.

From left to right: Nude Compliment and Metallic

When I first swatched "Cruisin' Chic," besides admiring its beauty, I also thought it looked similar to some other cream shadows I owned. I dug through my collection and found these guys: the Limited Edition Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Nude Compliment" and Ulta Cream Eye Shadow in "Metallic." I really wanted to find a dupe for the Color Tattoo, since I really like the color and it was limited edition. Finding a dupe for "Metallic" would be a nice bonus, too, because the texture is a little thick and can look scaly on the lids--not a good look!

As you can see in the picture above, they look pretty similar in the pot, but how will their swatches compare?

Swatches from left to right: Nude Compliment, Cruisin' Chic,
and Metallic

I included two different shots to show how dimensional the shades are. In a bright, direct light, the golden sheen of "Cruisin' Chic" is really brought out. "Nude Compliment" isn't nearly as shiny, but there is a slight warmth there, and "Metallic" lives up to its name by being very shiny and leaning more toward the cooler end of the spectrum. Toward the bottom of the lower shot, you can see that when the swatches are all in shadow, they look the most similar.

As a final verdict, I don't think that "Cruisin' Chic" is an exact dupe for either "Nude Compliment" or "Metallic," but it's close enough for me. In my experiments with the shade, it can look a little darker when built up, as well. "Metallic" actually looks like it would be a better dupe for "Nude Compliment," but I can't get over the texture. All in all, "Cruisin' Chic" is a winner in my book.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week is going well!
~Stacie