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Laura Mercier vs Julep: Which Eyeshadow Stick Is Better?

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Reviewed by Hannah Emerson  |  Last Updated February 2023

I love doing my makeup... but I hate waking up early to get it done. Let's be real, I don't have the time (or energy!) to spend on a full face of makeup every morning. I’ve found that eyeshadow sticks are great for quick application without sacrificing color payoff. I can do my eye makeup while my morning coffee is brewing. Then, I throw the eyeshadow sticks in my bag for touch-ups throughout the day.

There are a lot of eyeshadow sticks out there, and one that caught our eye is Julep. Julep offers clean makeup products at an affordable price. We decided to do our research on how a clean beauty brand like Julep holds up to a classic makeup brand, Laura Mercier. After a lot of research, real-wear application, and testing, check out why we chose Julep over Laura Mercier as the best eyeshadow stick around.

OUR TOP PICK

Big eyeshadow palettes are so 2012. I would use the same 3 shades until they ran out while the rest of the shades stayed untouched. Plus, they take up space and aren’t very portable. Brands have started offering eyeshadow sticks in colors that you'll actually use that are perfect for traveling or getting glam on the go.

Laura Mercier's Caviar Sticks come in 34 shades and finishes. Julep's Eyeshadow 101 Stick comes in 31 different shades that each have a built-in brush and dry down to a waterproof powder. Both are great portable options but are they really equal? Let’s take a deeper look.

I applied the Laura Mercier stick in “Moonlight” on one eye and the Julep shade “Sand Shimmer” on the other eye in the morning before a Zoom meeting. Both eyeshadow sticks are extremely pigmented and creamy, making application a breeze. Julep’s Eyeshadow 101 was easier to blend and smudge, especially with the included brush on the end. I ended up using my fingers to blend the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick and then a brush with a neutral powder to blend out any harsh lines. It looked good, but it did take longer to apply and I had to scrub my finger with micellar water to get the glitter off my fingers.

I was pleasantly surprised with both eyeshadow sticks - the creamy formulas both worked really well on top of my natural lids. Even with no primer, I had no creasing for either color throughout the day. At bedtime, I did my normal makeup removal routine. After a cleansing balm, I had much more glitter left on my lids from the Laura Mercier color, which again, meant dousing my lids in micellar water to remove it. Overall, I was super impressed with both products, but since they both stayed creaseless throughout the day, I prefer Julep since it was easier to fully remove all the glitter.

Winner: Julep

Julep

Julep is very transparent about the ingredients in their products and they're super easy to find on the product page. Their formula is free of toxins, parabens, and SLS, so it works for even the most sensitive skin. The Eyeshadow 101 Stick specifically features Vitamin C to improve skin tone and smooth texture, antioxidant-rich Vitamin E to defend against free radical damage, and Candelilla Wax to increase blendability.

Laura Mercier

The ingredients in Laura Mercier's Caviar Sticks were much harder to find; they’re only listed on the page for the mini Caviar Sticks. According to this page, these eyeshadow sticks contain polyethylene, synthetic beeswax, and paraffin, all of which can be super irritating for your skin.

Winner: Julep

Laura Mercier's Caviar Stick Eye Colors come in at $32 a pop. With Julep's Buy More Save More, you can get 2 colors for $15 each, and still pay less than the price of one Laura Mercier Stick. Plus, orders over $40 ship for free at Julep, whereas Laura Mercier's free shipping is only on orders of $65+.

Winner: Julep

OUR TOP PICK