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
Sugarpill Cosmetics: ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadow
Sugarpill Cosmetics released eleven shades of Chroma Lust loose eyeshadows ($12.00 for 0.18 oz.). These loose eyeshadows are ultra finely milled with rich color pay off that apply smoothly. Many of these eyeshadows are also vegan (check their website which marks which shades are vegan), for those curious! I’d recommend using these with a stickier base (e.g. something like mixing medium) for brighter and more long-lasting eyeshadow. Myself, I’d use these as bases, much like I’d use MAC Pigments.
- Asylum is a rich burnished red with a shimmery sheen. I found it looked redder when used wet (and obviously, more intense).
- Decora is a medium baby girl pink with silvery sheen and gold glitter flecks.
- Goldilux is a metallic bronzed gold. This is a truly gorgeous color–easily my favorite of the eleven shades currently available.
- Junebug is a dark forest green with black flecks and a frosty sheen. The darkened base really comes through when used wet.
- Absinthe is a brightened yellow-green with a golden yellow sheen. It’s not chartreuse, but it’s not quite green either. This one applied beautifully wet or dry.
- Magpie is a medium-dark navy blue with silvery sheen and shimmer. I found this one definitely looked much better when used wet.
- Starling is a slightly darkened sky blue with a radiant silver sheen. This one could be used wet or dry, but I liked it better when wet.
- Royal Sugar is a vibrant shade of royal blue with silver and sky blue flecks of sparkle. This is not only an intense shade, but it’s a very unique color as well.
- Hysteric is a medium purple with a red base and an almost multi-colored shimmer.
- Lumi is an iridescent teal-reflecting white shimmer. This is a very fun shade to work with, and it’s one of those colors that can be layered over dark bases to give it a more unique look. (This one reminded me of MAC Transparent Teal Glitter in a non-glitter form.)
- Tiara is a metallic silver with a bright silver sheen. I found this looked lovely wet or dry, but the metallic sheen is brought out when this is used wet.
These are held cynlider-style plastic containers with slightly glossy black screw-on lids with the Sugarpill logo printed (it’s not a sticker!) on top. The containers are cute and functional (reminded me of stumpier, smaller versions of MAC Pigments). There’s no insert or lid once you open, so take care when opening.
I really liked the texture of these, because they were so soft and smooth, you didn’t need much to get intense color. My favorite shades were Goldilux, Absinthe, and Royal Sugar.
What are your favorites?
Sugarpill Cosmetics: Pressed Eyeshadow
Sugarpill Cosmetics also released nine shades of pressed eyeshadow ($12.00 for 0.14 oz.)–though you can find them all within pre-made eyeshadow quads as well. You can find a review of Flamepoint, Buttercupcake, Love+, and Poison Plum here. The other five shades you can find in this review! The majority of the eyeshadows are vegan, but check the website, as they mark which are vegan (e.g. Love+ is not).
- Bulletproof is a deep dark black with a matte finish. It applies smoothly and isn’t chalky or powdery.
- Tako is a matte white. This one I felt had a little bit of a powdery look to it, though it was surprisingly good for a white eyeshadow. I don’t know if I’ve ever found a white that didn’t look a bit off on my skin tone, to be honest. It doesn’t feel powdery–just looks a little like it on my skin tone.
- Dollipop is a bright hot pink with a matte finish. This is one of those showstopping pinks, truly. I am not sure if I’ve ever seen anything quite this bright before. This is a retina-burning shade! Super pigmented and applies beautifully.
- Midori is an intense medium-dark green with a subtle shimmer. I actually can’t think of a shade that’s similar to this–at least not one that I own. Very pretty – wearable without being so intense or primary.
- Afterparty is a rich medium blue with a shimmer pearl. This is the only shade that really made me go, “Oh! This looks like…” (it reminded me of MAC’s Freshwater, but a little lighter blue). This one has a very distinct pearly sheen to it.
All of the nine eyeshadows applied smoothly and felt soft to the touch. They were intensely pigmented, and you didn’t need much to get to that high level of pigmentation. For those who aren’t so much into color, Sugarpill doesn’t quite have you covered–yet. I’m interested to see if Sugarpill will put together a wider range of finishes, color varieties, and the like in the future.
The packaging works for me. It’s understated and functional, but it doesn’t feel cheap (which is something I worry about with newer brands). It’s a circular, flat, semi-domed shaped plastic. It has a matte black plastic on the bottom half with a clear plastic flip-top lid. The lid has the Sugarpill logo printed (not a sticker!) on the lid as well.
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 bright eyeshadow, Sugarpill Cosmetics might grab your attention!
Sugarpill Cosmetics: Burning Heart Eyeshadow Quad
Sugarpill Cosmetics recently debuted, and Amy (aka Shrinkle), the creator and founder, reached out to Temptalia to see if I’d be interested in checking it out. I’ve known of Shrinkle forever, mostly through friends who’ve bought from her via eBay, so when I saw that she was working on a cosmetics line, I was definitely intrigued. It was perfect timing when she reached out to me, because I was thinking of grabbing a few to try.
Today, I’ll go through the majority of the Sugarpill line, but first, I wanted to start off with the Burning Heart Palette ($34.00), which contains four large-sized eyeshadows (0.14 oz. each). The eyeshadows included in the palettes are the same size and shadows you can purchase individually. She has three variations available with a total of nine unique shades altogether. Burning Heart includes Flamepoint, Buttercupcake, Love+, and Poison Plum.
- Flamepoint is is a vibrant matte orange with fierce pigmentation.
- Buttercupcake is a bright matte yellow. I found the pigmentation on this to be great, but it did feel a little on the powdery side.
- Love+ is an intense shade of true red with a semi-matte finish. When swatched, I found it really looked more matte, but there is some shimmer/sheen when you look at it in the pan. Awesome pigmentation–very much true-to-color.
- Poison Plum is a rich violet with a semi-matte finish. Again, like Love+, it has shimmer in the pan, but it’s very subtle when used.
All four eyeshadows are rich, vibrant shades with good pigmentation and a soft, smooth texture. These aren’t powdery or chalky–they are very blendable in practice. The eyeshadow pans themselves look to be about the size of Make Up For Ever eyeshadows, for reference. Since the palette is magnetized, these actually can be popped out if you want to rearrange them for travel, too.
The packaging is edgy and fun–it’s exactly what I’d expect from what I know about Amy and her style. What I like is that for a brand that’s debuting, she’s done it right. The packaging is not only true to her style, but it’s quality. It’s printed, designed for the line, and looks good. On the back of the packaging, all of the ingredients are listed for your reference. I would love to see the names of the eyeshadows added to the back of the palette/packaging, though.
The quad itself is a heavy-duty cardboard (whether you dig cardboard or not for packaging is another story) — I myself, prefer plastic/metal packaging because they hold up better — but I haven’t had many issues with cardboard packaging either. Nevertheless, it’s not cheap, flimsy cardboard. I think with normal use, you’re not going to have any issues with the cardboard breaking down much, but you might get a couple of scratches. It’s magnetic, so it’ll stay closed, and inside, there’s a large mirror.
Do not expect Sugarpill to be an ultra affordable line–because the packaging doesn’t reflect cost-cutting and the products themselves are made with quality. I think it’s unfair for a brand (any brand, for that matter) to set low prices just to gain buyers. I think it’s important to set a price that makes sense for your brand, where you want to position yourself, and what kind of audience you want to appeal to. I think $34 for four shades of intensely pigmented eyeshadow (and they’re pretty large-sized pans, to boot) is a good deal.
I’d also like to give major kudos to Sugarpill for putting up some of the most accurate brand-provided swatches I’ve seen.
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: 3/5
Recommendation: If you love bright eyeshadow, Sugarpill Cosmetics might grab your attention!
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
Laura Mercier Polished Collection: Eye Colour Duos in Golden Brown & Plum Spice
Laura Mercier Eye Colour Duos ($22.00 each, 0.09 oz. each) come in three different finishes: luster, matte, and sateen. From Laura Mercier’s Polished Collection, there are three new Colour Duos: Golden Brown (Luster), Cocoa Rose (Matte), and Plum Spice (Sateen). The new shades are–surprise, surprise–limited edition.
- Golden Brown is a mix of a softened metallic gold and light bronze with copper-bronze sheen.
- Plum Spice is a satiny smooth dirty peach and lightly shimmered dirty pinked plum.
Both duos had a very smooth, soft texture and the shadows swatched easily. Golden Brown had more color pigmentation and an even smoother feel than Plum Spice, which had more of a semi-sheer appearance and required some layering to get a higher intensity.
I think Laura Mercier fans will enjoy these limited edition shades, because both duos include colors that are easy to use, perfect for spring, and can be mixed with many products you may already own. If you’re more of a bright color eyeshadow kind of person, these probably weren’t designed with you in mind!
Everything I’ve tried from Laura Mercier has been all about creating soft, flattering looks with sheer or buildable color for everyday wear–these fit that philosophy to a T. I think this best describes the line (taken from the “about” section on her website): “She personally created the colors to satisfy the needs of her clients, based on a classic and always-current palette, rather than seasonal trends only.”
The duos actually contain a decent amount of product–it’s like you get enough to use in your lifetime, without having to invest a ton into it. By the ounce, Laura Mercier’s Eye Colour Duos are more affordable than MAC and just a little above Make Up For Ever eyeshadows. I’ve always liked her packaging–it’s kind of like a chocolate brown with bronzy shimmer/sparkles in the mix. Pretty, functional, and a little fun.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
Recommendation: If you like soft, smooth color that applies evenly and without fallout, Laura Mercier is worth checking out!
