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Maybelline Eye Studio Copper Chic Eyeshadow Quad
Maybelline Eye Studio Copper Chic Eyeshadow Quad ($9.99) is a stunning combination of slightly warmed-up neutrals. I was really hoping Maybelline was going to knock it out of the park with this combination, but they didn’t quite hit the mark for me. They’re so-so but just not stellar. I’d still consider it pretty good by drugstore beauty standards, though–but it’s only decent against popular favorites like MAC, Make Up For Ever, and Urban Decay.
It includes a champagne-pink with a frosty finish, subdued copper, muted golden bronze, and darker chocolate bronze with light gold shimmer. My biggest issue with these eyeshadows was just that they applied sheerly, so it was difficult to get as much dimension as I’d like on my eyes. Like the other Maybelline palettes, these are softer eyeshadows that have to be applied with less sweeping and more packing/tapping techniques.
These excel best over a more metallic base (think MAC Indianwood or Rubenesque Paint Pots), because these eyeshadows grab onto the base well and then you can get the colors to pop and look more like themselves! I’m still, overall, impressed by the quality of the Maybelline Eyeshadow Quads, but none have been quite as good as Good with Gold thus far.
More Maybelline Eye Studio Eyeshadow Quad Reviews…
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- Product: 24/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 3/5
Recommendation: If you’re looking for soft, almost velvet-textured neutrals, you might like Copper Chic for a budget-friendly option.
Availability: Target
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Tags: eyeshadow, eyeshadow quad, maybelline, maybelline eye studio copper chic eyeshadow quad, maybelline product photos, maybelline reviews, maybelline swatches, rating: b minus
Milani Glitter Eyeliner ($5.99) is new for spring, and it’s available in six shades: Precious Silver, Emerald Stone, Purple Quartz, Terra Brown, Blue Topaz, and Black Rocks.
- Black Rocks is a dark black base with silver micro-glitter.
- Emerald Stone is an turquoise-green with silver micro-glitter.
- Blue Topaz is a softened sky blue with silver micro-glitter.
I’m pleased to report that these pencil eyeliners are easy to use and last well on the lower lash line. I didn’t experience any budging, smudging, or migration when I wore these on my lower lash line. What I really liked about these was how smooth and soft they were when I applied the color to my lower lash line. Some glitter eyeliners have a grittier texture, which makes them less than ideal for application on such sensitive areas as the lash line.
A fun detail is on the opposite side of the pencil is a smudging sponge, but I found these didn’t smudge that well–even when first applied. That’s fine for me, since I’d rather have it never smudge than smudge a little. I also prefer using the 219 and eyeshadow to really smoke out or smudge the lash line!
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- Product: 27/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you love a little bit of glitz and glam on your lash line, you might want to check out Milani’s new Glitter Eyeliners!
Availability: Milani
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Tags: beauty on a budget, drugstore beauty, Milani, milani black rocks glitter eyeliner, milani blue topaz glitter eyeliner, milani emerald stone glitter eyeliner, milani glitter eyeliner, milani product photos, milani reviews, milani swatches
Spring Pastels with Maybelline are a Little Too Light
Maybelline Eye Studio Legendary Lilac Eyeshadow Quad ($9.99) includes an icy silver with very faint, icy lilac shimmer; a lilac-lavender with gold shimmer; a blue-based blue-purple with subtle gold shimmer; and an eggplant purple with red undertones. This is probably my least favorite Eye Studio Eyesahdow Quad I’ve tested–it’s very faint overall. The pigmentation just isn’t there in three of the four shades (all but the eggplant-y one). I like the concept of four different purple shades, but I must say the blue-based purple might have been nicer with another, stronger medium purple with red undertones.
The eyeshadows themselves are soft and smooth, they just lack pigmentation. I’ve been happier with some of the other variations in this product type, like Good with Gold. This is definitely a skip variation to me — if the colors had more pay off, it could be a nice a way to try out purple eyeshadow, but since they’re already so soft, it’s hard to build up the intensity with these.
More Maybelline Eye Studio Eyeshadow Quad Reviews…
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- Product: 22/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 3/5
Recommendation: Skip this one — it’s just too faint — unless you love really soft, subtle color!
Availability: Target
Tags: beauty on a budget, drugstore beauty, eyeshadow, eyeshadow quad, maybelline, maybelline eye studio legendary lilac eyeshadow quad, maybelline product photos, maybelline reviews, maybelline swatches, rating: c
Beauty on a Budget: Maybelline Eye Studio Sapphire Siren Eyeshadow Quad
Maybelline Eye Studio Sapphire Siren Eyeshadow Quad ($9.99) includes an icy silver with bright silver shimmer, a muted teal-blue with silver shimmer, a dark navy blue with a soft sheen, and a matte black with silver sparkle. The eyeshadows have a very soft texture, so they are best applied by patting the eyeshadow on rather than sweeping it on.
The silver, dark blue, and black were surprisingly pigmented and really didn’t have a powdery or chalky finish to them–the only one that I had any issues with was the teal shade, which tended to go on very soft and really had to be packed on in order to get decent color. I also found that it was easy to overblend the teal shade to a very faded teal shade, but the other three shades I didn’t have that problem with. I thought I might have had that issue with the black, but it stayed dark and black for the most part.
The silver reminded me of MAC Electra, while the blue was similar to a mix between MAC Freshwater and MAC Deep Truth, and the black was a less glittery version of MAC Black Tied. The teal was a bit too faded to really be comparable to a MAC eyeshadow, but it has a similar tone as MAC Surreal (which is now discontinued).
The packaging is the same as the other eyeshadow quads I’ve reviewed, so I still have the same gripe — it’s cheap and flimsy. It’s easy for the clear plastic lid to pop off the hinge, though I haven’t had it break, so I can still pop it back on. For the price tag (particularly if you catch these on sale), they’re worth checking out!
More Maybelline Eye Studio Eyeshadow Quads…
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- Product: 26/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 3/5
Recommendation: If you’re on a budget and want to try out some new eyeshadows, Maybelline’s Eye Studio Eyeshadow Quads are worth a look!
Availability: Local drugstores
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Tags: affordable makeup, beauty on a budget, drugstore beauty, eyeshadow, eyeshadow palette, maybelline, maybelline eye studio sapphire siren eyeshadow quad, maybelline product photos, maybelline reviews, maybelline swatches, rating: b, saving money
Beauty on a Budget: Maybelline Irresistibly Ivy Eyeshadow Quad
Maybelline Eye Studio Irresistibly Ivy Eyeshadow Quad ($8.49) is a mix of four eyeshadows that can be used together or alone. They’re very soft, slightly powdery shades, so it’s better to use a tapping technique, rather than sweeping/brushing it on a lot. Think less windshield-wiper motions when applying these with a brush. I find that this is just something that holds true for all softer shadows (e.g. Stila and Urban Decay).
Irresistibly Ivy includes a softly shimmered champagne beige; rich, orange-copper with golden shimmer; matte teal with glitter sparkle; and reddened bronze-copper. I found that the orange-copper shade had the best texture and color pay off–very smooth and true-to-color. The teal had a little more of a dusty feel to it, since it’s more of a matte base with shimmer on top.
For drugstore beauty, the pay off is intense and over a good primer (e.g. UDPP), I had no problems with the color popping and staying true. I found minimal fading after eight hours, so they’re not quite as good as some of my favorite eyeshadows, but for the price, they’re an excellent alternative for those on a budget–or would like to try certain colors without shelling out $15+ for one.
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!
Availability: Local drugstores
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Tags: beauty on a budget, eyeshadow, maybelline, maybelline eye studio, maybelline irresistibly ivy eyeshadow quad, maybelline product photos, maybelline reviews, maybelline swatches, rating: b
The Spring Season: Maybelline Warm Me Up Lipstick
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.
Tags: maybelline, maybelline lip swatches, maybelline product photos, maybelline reviews, maybelline swatches, maybelline warm me up lipstick, pink lips, series: spring season
Beauty on a Budget: Glitter-tastic Nails with Milani Holographic Nail Lacquer
Milani Hi-Tech 3D Holographic Nail Lacquer ($4.99) is one of six new holographic shades from Milani this spring. Other shades include: HD (silver), 3D (gold), Cyberspace (blue), Digital (eggplant purple), Hi-Res (purple).
According to Milani, “New specialty nail lacquer that exhibits a unique 3D Holographic effect that no other nail lacquer has ever achieved. The nail lacquer appears to color-shift as the illumination source or the viewing angle changes. This color phenomenon is based on Holographic Image Technology that makes a very thin, bright, embossed metallic flake look like a rainbow. It allows the color to travel from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet; seven distinctive colors of the color spectrum.”
Hi-Tech is wickedly shimmery with larger shimmer particles (but they don’t feel gritty like a glitter polish often does). It’s a spring-y, yellow-green with different flecks of, predominantly, gold and green shimmer. It reflects and catches the light in a way that I can’t capture on film–definitely one of those “you gotta be there” moments. Really stunning, though. I’ll be sure to post again if I try any of the other five shades available.
Have you tried any of the new Holographic shades yet?
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! :)
- Product: 29/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you love glitter polishes but not the removal process, Milani’s 3D Holographic polish might be another way to get your glitter on.
Availability: Local drugstores, MilaniCosmetics.com
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Tags: beauty on a budget, drugstore beauty, Milani, milani hi-tech nail lacquer, milani nail swatches, milani product photos, milani reviews, milani swatches, nail lacquer, nail polish, rating: a
Long-lasting Eyeliner on a Budget: Milani Liquif’Eye
Milani Liquif’Eye Metallic Eye Liner Pencils ($5.49 each) are new for spring and available in five shades: Black, Silver, Gold, Aqua, and Brown. As far as I’m concerned, there is always more room in the world for metallic/chrome eyeliner. These do remind me of L’Oreal HIP Chrome Eyeliners in many ways, though these are a little firmer and more metallic than chrome finish. They’re definitely similar, though.
Liquif’Eye is soft, smooth, and richly pigmented eyeliner. It glides on like my beloved Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Liners and looks just as smooth. I get good wear out of these–no smudging, budging, or migration eight hours later. They don’t look faded either! Surprisingly, they stay well on my waterline, too, for several hours (but I do have a more watery waterline at times), which isn’t something most liners can do for me.
At just $5.49 each, they’re hard to resist. Not only are they excellent in every way–quality, long-lasting liner that is rich in color and smooth in texture–but they’re priced just right. I tried out four of the five shades, and I found each one to be just as good. I hope to see Milani release more shades in the future–how about a green, copper, and violet?
- Black (#01) is a rich, deep dark black. It’s an absolutely smoldering black that’s truly black–there’s no gray here.
- Silver (#02) is a bright and shiny silver with a metallic finish.
- Gold (#03) is a toned down, burnished gold. It’s not a true yellow gold, but it’a step down from that. Little more “antique” gold in it.
- Aqua (#04) is a bright aqua-blue. It isn’t quite as metallic as either the gold or silver shades, but it still has that metallic sheen.
Even the packaging is anything but cheap. It’s a matte black that looks and feels sleek. If you blindfolded me, I couldn’t tell you that these didn’t feel like other high-end eyeliners, like Smashbox and Urban Decay.
Have you tried these yet?
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- Product: 30/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 5/5
- Packaging: 5/5
Recommendation: Next time you’re near a Milani display, these are definitely worth a little look-see.
See more photos & swatches! Keep Reading!
Tags: beauty on a budget, drugstore beauty, eye liner, eyeliner, long-wearing, Milani, milani aqua liquif'eye liner, milani black liquif'eye liner, milani gold liquif'eye liner, milani liquif'eye metallic eye liner pencil, milani product photos, milani reviews, milani silver liquif'eye liner, milani swatches, rating: a plus
9 Eyeshadows for the Price of $11: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips
Physicians Formula Bronze Brown Eyes Shimmer Strips ($10.95 for 0.26 oz.) is a strip of nine different shades designed to complement brown eyes specifically. Bronze Brown Eyes includes: a neutral lilac, soft bronze brown, coppery bronze, golden champagne, soft copper, bronze, light copper, plummy brown, and burgundy brown. All nine shades apply smoothly, give good color pay off, and have a frosty finish. (If you’re into matte textures, Shimmer Strips are not the way to go.) Physicians Formula describes the shades as “three blendable trios perfectly paired to color, contour, and line your eyes.” Sort of handy if you’re not quite sure how to pair your shades yet.
Physicians Formula’s Shimmer Strips line-up always reminds me of Bobbi Brown’s Shimmerbricks. They’re not-so-elegantly packaged in comparison, as they come in a clear, slightly glossy plastic packaging. Shimmer Strips come in a slim compact that skinny and long that snaps open and includes an angled sponge-tip applicator (which is as good as sponge applicators are, which is not very). Otherwise, they do have a very similar feel and look–soft, not ultra intense in pigmentation but not sheer, and frosty.
I found these worked just fine using regular makeup brushes, though less is more–piling too much on the brush can lead to excess fall out. Overall, I found fall out to be minimal and the color to stay on fairly well with just some fading after the eighth hour of wear. Physicians Formula also designed Shimmer Strips for Hazel, Blue, and Green eyes, if you’ve been looking for a how-to on how to make your [insert color here] eyes.
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: 4/5
Recommendation: If you’ve been looking for easy-to-use eyeshadows on a budget, Physicians Formula’s Shimmer Strips give you nine all in one!
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Tags: budget beauty, drugstore makeup, eyeshadow, physician's formula, physicians formula bronze brown eyes shimmer strips, physicians formula product photos, physicians formula reviews, physicians formula swatches, rating: b
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!
Availability: Target, Walmart
Tags: drugstore beauty, eyeshadow, maybelline, maybelline eye studio green with envy eyeshadow quad, maybelline product photos, maybelline reviews, maybelline swatches, rating: b
