Random Vanity: Maybelline Eye Studio Quad in #50 Taupe Temptress

Quick reviews of random picks from the vanity...

#50 Taupe Temptress
$7.99 (at Target)

I've always heard great things about these quads from Maybelline but for some reason I never picked one up until now. I picked up this quad in Taupe Temptress from Target for $7.99. I'm sucker for anything taupe or eggplant so I had high hopes for this palette.

 

in order as above

 

From Left:
Sparkly white shade (very flaky texture)
Sparkly rose shade (not very pigmented)
Sparkly taupe shade
Sparkly eggplant shade (appeared like more of a weird brown/grey shade on the eye)

Pros...

• nice shade selection (I love a good taupe/eggplant eye combo)
• pretty, sparkly finish (in the pan)

Cons...

•  mediocre pigmentation
• flaky texture
• large amount of fall out
• shimmery/sparkly finish did not translate onto the eye (the sparkle just fell out onto my cheeks leaving me with a basic satin finish eye look)
• finished eye look appeared muddy (the shadows just blended together, leaving me with no definition and a boring, bland, grey-ish eye look)

Overall Review...
Not impressed. This quad left me with a "nothing special" eye look and sparkly cheeks. People generally seem to love this line from Maybelline but I obviously picked a dud. I will probably try another quad from this line in the future but not for a while...not until I get over the disappointment of Taupe Temptress.

Would I Repurchase?
No.

Random Vanity: Revlon Cream Eye Shadow Palette in Midnight Express

Quick reviews of random picks from the vanity...

Midnight Express

 

 

swatches in order from left to right:

shimmery green shade, metallic silver shade, rich matte black shade
bright metallic copper shade, shimmery white shade with sparkle, deep plum with silver sparkle

 

The Review...

I must say, I was pretty surprised at the pigmentation of these swatches. Most of these shades applied evenly and smoothly to my skin, with the exception of the shimmery white shade which was patchy and not pigmented at all. I mean, look at that matte black shade...so rich and saturated! I love the shade variety of this palette as well. I can create a bright, spring look with the green shade, a beachy bronze look with the copper shade, and even a dark, dramatic night time look with the silver and black shades. A really versatile palette!

 

Though I can achieve a lot of different looks with these shadows, don't think you're just going to sweep these creams on your eye, run out the door, and have a rich eye look that lasts all day...that just isn't going to happen here. You will be a hot, smeared mess by the time you get to your car. To prevent this, I primarily use these creams as eye shadow bases rather than stand alone eye shadows. I first apply an eye shadow primer, apply these creams in a thin layer, and then top them with a powder eye shadow. This is the best way I've found to keep my look vibrant and crease free all day. They require a little extra work, but I think the finished eye look is worth it.

 

Would I repurchase...

Yes. I hope Revlon releases more of these cream palettes in the future.

Random Vanity: NYX Eyeshadow Trio in Lake Moss

Quick reviews of random picks from the vanity...

Lake Moss

Shimmery cranberry shade, shimmery navy shade, shimmery black/silver shade

In order as above

This trio from NYX has been a staple in my collection for some time. Though I rarely wear these three shades together, I keep them on hand to add color and dimension to my more neutral eye looks. These shadows are deep and pigmented enough to add to my crease and outer corner but add a little more interest to the look than the typical brown or black crease shades. They're also nice to run along my lower lash line for a subtle pop of color and smokey definition. In the pan, these shadows appear to have a quite a bit of shimmer but when applied on the eye, they come off with more of a satin finish. Whether used on the lid or in the crease, these shadows are smooth, pigmented, and add a twist of color to any eye look.

Would I repurchase...
Definitely

Random Vanity: Milani Powder Eyeshadows

Quick reviews of random picks from the vanity...

 

I have had these shadows for quite some time and I must say, I don't think I could go a day without them.
They are smooth, rich, and oh the pigmentation...by far, the best I have seen in the drugstore. I use these neutral shades everyday and even keep them in the top drawer of my vanity along with my concealer and mascara...they're that important to my makeup routine.

Shades...in order from left to right
*All shades have a matte finish...awesome!
White lie-white, duh. 
Pitch Black-black, pigmentation puts MAC's Carbon to shame...SHAME!!
Brown Stone-brown, deep and rich payoff.
French Vanilla- creamy nude, perfect subtle brow bone highlight

White Lie, Pitch Black

 

Brown Stone, French Vanilla

 

White Lie, Pitch Black, Brown Stone, French Vanilla

They do have a few more shades in this line, like a bright purple and blue, but I just wouldn't get the use out of those shades that I do out of the neutral shades.

As I have mentioned before, I top all my cream products (eyeliners especially) with powder products to improve staying power. These are the shadows I reach for without fail when topping and smudging out my black and brown pencil liners. Even if I use a pencil eyeliner and the pigmentation is a little lacking, I top them with Pitch Black or Brown Stone and the pigmentation is instantly improved.They are also my go-to matte crease shades for adding dimension and depth to any of my eye looks. French Vanilla is the perfect transition color for blending out other shadows through the crease and I use White Lie daily as an inner corner highlight.

Definite must-have in my collection.

Would I repurchase...
YES

Random Vanity: NYX Collection Noir Powder Liners

Quick reviews of random picks from the vanity...

 

This is a product I picked up some time ago from HEB (for those of you who don't live down south, HEB is a grocery store chain with a randomly awesome beauty department). I've been trying to break out of my "winged liquid liner" comfort zone I've been living in for some years now. I thought this might be a way on softening up my liner look but still giving my eyes definition.

These liners look like typical liquid liner pots from the outside, but instead of liquid, the pots contain a fine powder. Instead of a small brush applicator, these liners include a thin doe foot-ish/sponge applicator that is used to apply the powder to the lash line. This is supposed to create a smokey, smudged out eye look.

 



My thoughts...I thought the powder was very smooth and easy to "smoke out" but the amount of fall out from these liners is no joke. You HAVE to tap, practically beat, the wand off after you pull it out of the pot or you will look like you were in a bar fight...and lost. It would definitely be best to do your foundation and concealer drill after your eye makeup...which is something I hate. Even after my eye makeup was applied and my foundation and concealer was on, I still noticed a bit of powder on my cheeks. This leads me to believe if you did not use a primer or some sort of sticky base before applying these powders, not only would you have initial fall out, but also fall out through the day.

Now since I am usually a liquid wing girl, I did not think these liners gave me quite the definition I was looking for on their own. I enjoyed applying a pencil liner to my upper lash line, smudging it out with a Q tip then topping that with these powder liners. I finished the look by using what was left on the applicator to smudge into my lower lashes. This gave me a more saturated but still smokey and soft effect. The pigmentation of the black was a little lacking for me. It was more of a charcoal shade, which is pretty, just not black. I preferred the warm tone of the brown liner much more.

 I liked the look these liners gave me but they definitely did not give me the "swipe and go" experience that I expected. They took a lot of work to first build up to the intensity that I wanted, and then clean up the big mess that was left on my cheeks...which is something I'm rarely in the mood for.