Viseart Dark Mattes vs. ABH Subculture

[sunny1903]

I purchased ABH Subculture when it first came out. Since then, I've bought more ABH palettes. I've come to the conclusion that ABH shadow quality isn't actually to my preference, and I've noticed that my eyes always tear up when I use their brand. I was wondering if the Viseart Dark Mattes are similar in color to Subculture. I was also wondering what Viseart mattes are like, are they buildable and able to perform well on a stickier eye base? For reference, my eye area is prone to eczema, so I have to use eye creams. I then apply shadow primer on top. I don't like setting my eye lids since it can emphasize texture. Matte formulas I like are Huda, Pat McGrath, and UD. I like that they're buildable (sheer to full opacity) and easy to blend. Thank you!

[WinglessOne]

I have both palettes. Some Subculture matte shades are more pigmented—thus harder to apply as a sheer layer—than Dark Mattes shades. But I find that Dark Mattes shades blend much more easily than Subculture shades. 

Top: Viseart Dark Mattes. Bottom: ABH Subculture.

I did some comparison swatches for you. I wish these were natural daylight photos instead of interior bathroom lit photos, so you’d see the colors much more accurately on my skin tone. But you’ll get the gist. These are all the Subculture mattes, but not all the Dark Matter mattes. You’ll see there aren’t dupes for some shades. 

Those aren’t all the Dark Matte shadows, but I ran out of arm room. 😄

Spoiler

The shadow that really hurt my feelings in Subculture is Axis (in my photo, 2nd from bottom right), the dark teal I wanted so badly to love. It’s very pigmented but ridiculously hard to blend out. 

In Dark Mattes, the navy blue (2nd from bottom left in my photo) is patchy as a sheer layer. It’s also the shadow that was broken around the edges when the palette was shipped to me; you can see that in my first photo. 😞 

I have a few other Viseart palettes, including Editorial Brights which is one of my favorites. (That palette is where you’ll find a nice bold yellow matte.) I prefer Viseart shadows over ABH: Visearts are generally creamier, more buttery, and easier for me to work with. 

[WinglessOne]

@sunny1903  @Luvstravel  Glad I could help! 🙂

[Luvstravel]

@WinglessOne, thanks for the comparison swatches. I'm just now reading through this thread 🙂

[sunny1903]

Thank you very much for your thorough post and pictures. You sold me and I ended up purchasing two Viseart palettes, including Dark Mattes, and I am in love. It really is a lot easier to work with than ABH and I love how it is a buildable formula. I can see why a lot of people praise their mattes now.