Maybelline Warm Me Up (#235) Lipstick ($7.49) is a beautiful shade of slightly milky-medium pink with a yellow undertone. It has just a smidgen of shimmer and a very creamy look. It’s smooth, easy to apply, and wears well for a solid three to four hours. I love that it’s a full color coverage shade, too–it gives me a quick and easy, everyday pink that I can wear alone or with smoked out eyes. Maybelline’s ColorSensational Lipstick line is really impressive–the shades I’ve tried so far have been wearable, creamy, and pack good color pigmentation to boot. If you’ve been hoping for a more affordable yellow-based pink, this might be it!
Is this the perfect pink lipstick for you? Would you wear it?
The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.
“Classic China Doll” was the beauty look at Vivienne Tam with a deep, luscious red lip complemented by a flawless, porcelain complexion.
Makeup How-to
Maybelline New York Global Makeup Artist, Charlotte Willer, went classic femme fatale by pairing deep cherry-bitten lips with bare cheeks. Eyes were accented in the corners with a shimmering light beige eyeshadow to evoke sexy screen siren. Natural brows created a pretty, “not-too-perfect” look. Charlotte first lined the lips precisely and then filled in the entire lip area in feathered strokes for a long-lasting, perfectly rich red result using Red Color Sensational Lip Liner.
Charlotte used the lightest shade of Copper Chic Eye Studio Eyeshadow Quad in the corner of the eye as a shimmery, feminine accent and focal point. For the face, a luminous finish and natural coverage from Mineral Powder Natural Perfecting Foundation paired perfectly with intense lips. Brows were defined with Define-a-Brow Eyebrow Pencil to create a natural looking brow.
Affordable Eyeshadow? Really? Maybelline Eye Studio may make it possible!
Maybelline Eye Studio Green with Envy Eyeshadow Quad ($7.49 to $9.99) is new from Maybelline for spring. Though the packaging is nothing to write home about (typical mass packaging–feels cheap, not the sturdiest palette I’ve ever handled–the lids often pop off, but they can be popped back on), the eyeshadows are some of the better ones I’ve tried when it comes to drugstore beauty brands. The eyeshadow quad consists of four shades…
A shimmery, white-gold champagne highlighter that’s opaque enough to show up but sheer enough not to be overly frosty. I like this as a highlighter or all-over-the-lid kind of wash of color.
A shimmery, yellow-based green with a golden sheen. It’s like a slightly muted, less golden-shimmered MAC Lucky Green. It has decent color pay off, but it’s not quite as pigmented as higher-end eyeshadows (like MAC or Urban Decay), but for a drugstore brand, I’m still impressed.
A shimmery, muted peach-brown with golden shimmer and sheen. I can’t think of a dupe for this (at least, not off the top of my head), but it kind of feels like one of those hard-to-wear neutral shades, at least for me. I think those with cooler complexions may find it easier to wear than warm-toned complexions.
A charcoal gray with gold and green shimmer. I felt like this had the worst texture and color pay off of the four, though it was still okay (just not fabulous). It felt a little chalky or powdery, so it’s best applied in layers and patted on rather than blended too much. It is, however, a unique shade (which just isn’t something you see often from mass). I think if you layered this over a dark base, you wouldn’t have to worry so much about pigmentation and could get the cool multi-tonal shimmer to show.
I think the color pay off of the Give Me Gold Eyeshadow Quad was better than this one, but I’d still say it was good for something found in mass retailers and for the price. It has the same silky texture, but it can sometimes feel powdery (use less than you think, then build up). I have a few more of these to try out over the next few weeks, so I’ll continue to review the other variations as I test them. I have a few of the more “colorful” ones to judge just how pigmented Maybelline can do truer, more vibrant hues.
Which ones have you tried? Impressed or disappointed?
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
Product: 26/30
Value: 9/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 3/5
Recommendation: If you like soft shadows and want something affordable, Maybelline Eye Studio Quads might be up your alley!
Affordable Gel Eyeliner from Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner ($9.99) is a gel eyeliner that comes in a glass pot with a screw-on lid. Lasting Drama is currently available in four shades: Black, Brown, Grey, and Plum. I’ve only tried out the Black and Plum myself. Each glass pot of gel eyeliner also comes with a small, flat bristled brush with a dome shape for lining. I personally didn’t find the brush the right kind to line with (I prefer angled or very, very thin and pointed), but it’s a nice little bonus.
I’m pleased to report that after testing the wear of this liner that it is indeed lasting! (I wore it in this look.) Blackest Black didn’t smudge, budge, or fade on me throughout eight hours of wear–though Maybelline does advertise “24-hour wear” (I’ll leave that test to someone else…). I found it was plenty black for me–and I love me some rich black pigment–so I was quite surprised at how well it translated onto the lid. I used MAC’s 208 angled brush to apply Blackest Black to my upper lash line, and it was smooth, easy to apply, and gave me good color intensity off the bat. I didn’t have to go back over to darken at all, which was yet another concern alleviated.
Blackest Black is very much a true black. It doesn’t have much of a sheen, though it’s not completely flat, and it doesn’t have shimmer. Plum, on the other hand, has a higher sheen and plummy-mauve shimmer in a dark plum base. The consistency of both is thick without being goopy and very smooth when applied. They’re not creamy like Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliners, but they can be blended or smudged so they’re not too thick. They seem to dry without much of a fuss, but they don’t dry instantly, so you may have to wait a few seconds before you squeeze your eyes shut to avoid any transfer.
At $9.99 each, they’re on the pricier end for the budget beauty maven, but Maybelline frequently goes on sale, so at buy one, get one free or buy one, get one 50% off, I think they’re definitely worth picking up if you’re in the market for an affordable gel eyeliner. The packaging has a surprisingly “high-end” feel for Maybelline (whose packaging I’m generally not impressed by) — they look and feel much like MAC Fluidlines.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
Product: 28/30
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’re looking for an affordable gel eyeliner, keep an eye out for Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner!
Drugstore Treats from Maybelline’s Eye Studio Collection
Maybelline Eye Studio Give Me Gold Color Plush Silk Eyeshadows ($9.99) may be a mouthful to say, but it’s a surprising treat to be found at your local drugstore. Each of the Color Plush Silk Eyeshadows can be found in a palette with four shades in each, and there are twelve different varieties currently on the market.
I’m often left wanting more from mass makeup, but Maybelline really knocked it out of the park with their Eye Studio collection. (I’ll be reviewing two shades of the Marbleized Eyeshadows and Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliners later this week!) I’m a tough one to impress when it comes to “drugstore makeup,” and I’m just really glad I had the opportunity to try these so I could share a new find with you.
Give Me Gold includes four shades: a silky champagne-white, a yellow gold with shimmer, a copper-bronze with gold shimmer, and a chocolate brown with a little bit of gold shimmer. I particularly liked this palette because the shades really work well together; they complement and you can get some nice neutral-ish eyeshadow combinations out of it. I’m pleased to report that all four of the shades were well-pigmented, felt soft to the touch, and applied very smoothly.
The only real downside to this palette was the packaging, which looks so-so, but it does feel a little cheap and flimsy. It may not last if you carry it around in your makeup bag on a daily basis, but if you just take it with you for travel from time to time (and leave it at home most of the time), I think it’ll be fine. I found the cover of this one snapped off, but I was able to snap it right back on.
Other than the packaging not wow-ing me, I’m pleased. The product itself is the most important part, and it was standout. Definitely some of the best eyeshadows I’ve tried from a drugstore beauty brand. You can definitely expect a look from me in the next day or two with these!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
Product: 27/30
Value: 9/10
Ease of Use: 4/5
Packaging: 3/5
Recommendation: If you’re looking for eyeshadow on a budget, Maybelline’s new Eye Studio palettes may be just right!
The Spring Season: Maybelline Caramel Kiss Lipstick
Maybelline Caramel Kiss Lipstick ($8.29) is a creamy browned nude — it’s kind of like a taste of caramel; a little warm, a smidgen golden, but very natural, soft, and wearable. I’m not usually big on brown-based shades, but this is a shade I can work with. I love the kiss of gold shimmer in this color, and the coverage is excellent. It clings and wears really well with lips, because it looks natural and lasts a good four hours on me.
Is this the right nude for you? Would you wear it?
The Spring Season is a series of posts featuring my favorite soft beige, coral, and pink lipsticks and lipglosses — all perfect for the first blossom of spring — that runs through March 2010.
