Eyeshadow Pencil SmackDown: MAC "Painterly" Paint Pot's $4 Dupe?

(Before Rubbing & Water Test) Left: "Continuous Almond", Right: "Painterly"

(After Rubbing & Water Test) Left: "Continuous Almond", Right: "Painterly"

MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly" vs. Jordana 12HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in "04 Continuous Almond"

MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly" ($20 from MAC): I've never done a dedicated review of "Painterly" because the web is full of them and I didn't think that there was anything left to be said about it. It's a great makeup staple and I love it. However, I hate that by the end of the day there's a faint amount of creasing. At the price point, I think it's fair to expect better. I also thought that shadow didn't cling to it as well as with other bases... so in summary, it's good but there's definitely room for improvement.

Jordana 12HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in "04 Continuous Almond"($3.99 on Jordana/Walgreens): This is far more yellow-toned and is a closer dupe for the Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre" which I don't own. I think that "Painterly" is a much closer match to my skin color but ultimately it doesn't matter much when you're only using it as a shadow base. The texture of the MAC and the Jordana is identical as far as I can tell. "Continuous Almond" takes a little longer to set (around a minute). While you wait for it to set I recommend keeping your eyes closed as it can cause your lid and stick together. "Continuous Almond" was a little more resistant to rubbing and water but didn't wear off as evenly. Both are matte and I'm tempted to say that "Continuious Almond" is actually a little more pigmented. Both "Continuous Almond" and "Painterly" allowed shadows to be more vibrant and true-to-color and wear longer. 
Ultimately, the test came down to how these two wore. "Painterly" does a better job of getting eyeshadows to stick but it does crease on me after only a few hours. "Continuous Almond" resisted creasing for about 6 hours but the shadow faded after only a few hours. 

(If Used Alone) Winner: 

Jordana 12HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in "02 Continuous Almond" 

(As a Base) Winner:

MAC Paint Pot in "Painterly"