Review | Jordana 12 HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil

I feel bad for admitting this but Jordana was always one of those makeup brands that I would just never pay attention to. Maybe it was because their display at the drugstore is so much smaller compared to the other brands, or maybe it was their very simple packaging. Whatever the reason may had been, I just ignored the brand completely for years. Most recently I've heard a lot of buzz about Jordana in the YouTube and blogging world so I decided to pick up a few products to test them out. One of the products I was recommended to try was the 12HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil which is quite similar to a another drugstore product that I reviewed a couple months ago. In just a couple of weeks Jordana has gone from being a brand that I would walk past, to a brand that I can't walk away without something. Their products have really impressed me so far.


Unlike the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Sticks, the Jordana Eyeshadow Pencils are completely matte. Yes, you heard correctly- MATTE! I find that drugstore brands are very keen to shimmer finishes so it's always great to see a brand embrace a matte finish. One typically associates matte with being dry and chalky, but these pencils are anything but that. The formula is incredibly pigmented and smooth. The pencil easily glides on to your eyelid without tugging on your delicate skin.

I bought the pencil in the shade Continuous Almond which is a light cream color, perfect for any eye look. I've used it both as a base and below my eyebrow on its own, and it has performed very well both ways. It is the perfect sticky base for eyeshadows. It makes eyeshadows just cling on and it doesn't crease much throughout the day. As I mentioned before, the formula is very creamy so the eyeshadow pencil incredibly easy to blend out. The shadow pencil completely sets into place in around 5 minutes (same as the Rimmel Scandaleyes) so you definitely have some time to play around with the shadow pencil before it sets. Once it's completely dry it won't budge whatsoever, even when rubbing the area harshly with your finger (which I would highly discourage to do around your eye area).

On the right you have the color as it looks when you swipe it on your hand or lid, and on the left you have the shadow blended out.

As far as the longevity, I find that this does last very well throughout the day. I've worn it for more than 8 hours and my eyeshadow pretty much looked the same from when I applied it till I took off my makeup. I do find that the Jordana 12HR Eyeshadow Pencil creases a lot less than the Rimmel Scandaleyes because I think the formula sets into place better. The Jordana pencil is also more water resistant than the Rimmel Scandaleyes. I conducted a little test where I ran some water on the swatches and then patted the area dry with a tissue. The Jordana pencil did not budge while the Rimmel Scandaleyes did come off a bit on the tissue.

Overall the Jordana eyeshadow pencil is fantastic! I was so impressed with this product and would highly recommend it to anyone. I wouldn't say that the Rimmel one is bad or a ripoff though. I still think it is a great product and it is only 50 cents more expensive than the Jordana pencil so it's not like the price difference is huge. They're similar products with two different finishes so if you prefer a shimmer finish then I would go with Rimmel. My complaint with the Jordana pencils (just like the Rimmel ones) is the color range. I really wish there could be more neutral shades because something like the emerald or turquoise shades are just not very appealing for everyday use. Other than that one complaint, I am very pleased with the product and will definitely buy another shade in the near future.

Have you tried out the Jordana 12HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencils? If so which color do you own? Let me know in the comments below!