Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow – review

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow

Go big or go home - that's my motto.  I threw myself in, head first and tested Maybelline's Color Tattoo Eyeshadows last Saturday night. Let's just say I wasn't disappointed.

As promised, I used primer on my primer right eye and skipped it on the left.  After the primer went on, I lightly dusted Urban Decay's Sin from my lash line and stopped at my brow bone.  Then I used Maybelline's Bad to the Bronze and applied it on my eyelid and crease while making sure I blended upwards in order to create a brownish smoke/halo.  With Bold Gold I concentrated on the inner half of my eyelid and Edgy Emerald went on the outer quarter; I wanted to make sure you could still see a bit of Bad to the Bronze.  As for Painted Purple, I lined my lower lash line; starting a quarter of the way in and then winged out in order to meet up with the black liner along my upper lash line. Finally, I added a coat of Benefit's They're Real to my lashes.

Unwittingly, I ended up creating a subtle peacock feather look.

In terms of overall performance, Maybelline's Color Tattoo Eyeshadows certainly stepped up to the challenge.  They are easy to apply - believe it or not I used my fingers to apply them.  Also, they blend together easily, but make sure you act fast or you'll run the risk of setting the colours.  In other words, these babies dry fast!  In the future I think I'd skip applying a powder eyeshadow as a base, because I think its presence was unnecessary.  If you want to highlight your brow area, go in after applying the cream shadows.  Primer was a non-issue, as these colours stayed in place all evening - I say skip the primer.

Here's one final look...

One final note, I wore this look for approximately 8.5 hours; together we weathered a cold and rainy Saturday in Melbourne.  Creasing was non-existent and the colours looked as vibrant as they were when first applied.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow:

• $11.95 AUS per jar; $47.80 for all four

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags – unequivocally they've reached HG status.  They are affordable and live up to the hype.

Likelihood to purchase again:

• This should sum things up..

Tenacious Teal and Too Cool

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow - swatches and photos

Oooohwhee!  They've finally landed. Six months ago they dropped in the States and they've been taunting us ever since.  The reviews were too good to be true - most of us have been patiently waiting to try them out in order to see what all the fuss was about.  Since January, I've been combing the interwebs with the hope I'd stumble across a reliable source who may've hinted about when Australia could expect to see them.  July was mentioned in one forum; with that, I set my mental calendar to remind me to stalk my local Priceline in late June.  And it paid off!

Maybelline Color Tattoo

The Priceline near Bourke Street Mall is already sold out of Too Cool, a frosty white shade, but I didn't mind.  Tough as Taupe was ruled out as a contender, because it looks like putty; who wants to paint that sort of colour on their eyes? In the end, I decided to walk away with Painted Purple, Bad to the Bronze, Edgy Emerald and Bold Gold.  Each jar retails for $11.95 AUS, approximately $5.00 more expensive than what they retail for in the U.S.  Priceline typically sells new releases on promotion, but I think these babies are a tad too popular to warrant a sale right now.

Edgy Emerald

Edgy Emerald

Bold Gold

Bold Gold

Painted Purple

Painted Purple

Bad to the Bronze

Bad to the Bronze

Swatches

As soon as I finish writing I am going to paint my eyes with all four shades.  From swatching alone, here are a few observations I made:

• Painted Purple applied patchy and required several applications in order to build the sort of vibrant colour held in its little glass jar.
• Edgy Emerald, Bad to the Bronze and Bold Gold required a small amount of product; less waste and a better bang for your buck.
• All four are buttery soft and have a creamy texture.
• Maybelline's Color Tattoos are the same size as Chanel's Illusion d'Ombre and they sell for a lot less.  $12 AUS vs. $48 AUS.

Chanel and Maybelline

In order to really test their longevity, I'm going use primer on my right eye and skip the primer on my left eye.  I'll be sure to report back on how well they performed, address my final thoughts and provide photos of the overall look.

Stay tuned...

Maybelline Silken Taupe

Do you LOVE Burberry's Pale Barley, but hate the price tag?  Then look no further than Maybelline's Silken Taupe.  I'm a sucker for neutrals; they are easy to apply, forgiving, can be worn alone or used to enhance an overall eye look. Maybelline's version retails between $3.00-$7.00 AUS, whereas Burberry shadows sell for $45.00 AUS.  If you're looking for a steal, get ye to your local Priceline.  

Maybelline's Silken Taupe

The Pan

The lineup

Can you tell how much I love that champagne shimmer? Honestly, I was surprised to see how they looked next to each other after swatching; beige can be complex, if you want it to be.

Swatches

• MAC's Shroom - light cream satin shadow with a subtle shimmer
• Gorgeous's Sand Shimmer - beige loose powder with peachy undertones
• Burberry's Pale Barley - brownish taupe shadow peppered with gold
• Maybelline's Silken Taupe - see above :)
• MAC's Palladium - Silvery beige cream shadow with a hint of gold

So, where do you draw the line?  Does it come down to quality, price, brand, performance or all of the above?  With Burberry, I know I paid for quality and the name; their shadows are finely milled, soft to the touch and last well with primer.  Maybelline is soft and silky, but I had to work hard for the colour payoff seen above.

What would you do if you had to choose?

College Nicole would say "Maybelline!"

Adult Nicole ponders "why not buy both?!"