Top 10 of 2012: Best Drugstore Beauty Products

This has been a year filled with some fantastic formulas and shades–and at less than $10!  Here are some of my favorites:

• Maybelline Color Tattoos — excellent cream eyeshadows
• Revlon Lollipop — glossy fuchsia lipstick
• Revlon Papaya — coral gloss
• Milani Green Safari — creamy shadow pencil
• Revlon Gold Coin — metallic gold polish
• L’Oreal Smoldering Plum — rich plum eyeshadow
• Milani Olympian Blue — bold blue eyeshadow
• NYX Pink Lyric — bright pink lipstick
• Wet ‘n’ Wild Grew Up in Cobalt-imore — metallic blue polish
• L’Oreal The Queen’s Ambition — silver over black polish

What’s was your favorite drugstore beauty buy of 2012?

Video Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24-Hour Eyeshadow

Review + swatches, not just first impressions!  I reviewed them here on the blog here, here, and here.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows (Part 2)

This post includes the remaining four shades of Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows ($6.99 for 0.14 oz.), which are a cream/gel eyeshadow that’s supposed to yield 24-hour wear without creasing or fading and have intense color payoff.  I reviewed the formula itself here in part one.

• Pomegranate Punk is a darkened red-burgundy with a shimmery finish. It has good color payoff and a creamy consistency. It’s similar to Benefit Stiletto. It’s slightly less red compared to MAC Idyllic. MAC Artifact seems similar, too, perhaps browner.
• Tenacious Teal is a medium-dark blue with a silvered shimmer. It has great color payoff and applies smoothly. I’m not sure where they were going with the name, because there’s really no teal to speak of. It’s bluer than theBalm Open to Offers Olwen. It’s slightly lighter than Urban Decay Haight.
• Too Cool is a bright metallic-finished white with subtle cool undertones. It has excellent pigmentation and a smooth feel. There are several white eyeshadows that are similar, depending on how you like your white, but it’s not a unique shade. Because it’s so pale and light, though, it will make a great base and make your eyeshadows pop more.
• Tough as Taupe is a mauve-tinted gray with neutral-cool undertones. It’s opaque and feels very smooth. Though I don’t have it, it seems like it would be similar to MAC Stray Grey. MAC String-a-long may also be similar but I don’t own it to tell you how similar. Urban Decay Bust is browner. theBalm Come Hither Heather is lighter. MAC Interior Life is slightly darker. NARS Delphes is similar.

Please see this post for my full review!

The Glossover

	Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 2) A
	They're the best performing cream eyeshadow I've tried from a budget brand, and they're an excellent cream eyeshadow, period. The formula compares best to MAC Paint Pots, especially some of the more recent finishes. The best shades are those with less shimmery finishes.
	Product 9.5/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4.5/5
	Where to Buy
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Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Pomegranate Punk Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tenacious Teal Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tenacious Teal Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tenacious Teal Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tenacious Teal Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tenacious Teal Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Too Cool Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Too Cool Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Too Cool Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Too Cool Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Too Cool Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tough as Taupe Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tough as Taupe Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tough as Taupe Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tough as Taupe Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Tough as Taupe Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows (Part 1)

Maybelline Painted Purple Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows ($6.99 for 0.14 oz.) is a violet purple with a subtly shimmered finish. It’s cooler-toned compared to MAC Violet. It’s warmer than MAC Parfait Amour. Inglot #379 is cooler-toned. Inglot #439 is more red-toned.

The reason it’s so special to earn a separate post is actually because it’s significantly under-performing compared to the other nine shades in the range.  I didn’t want this one shade to drag down such a good product (long-time readers may remember that I prefer to review shades individually because of small differences that impact the overall rating).  It suffers primarily from poor color payoff; it’s sheer and applies unevenly as a result.  It has a drier, less creamy, texture compared to the other shades as well (which likely contributes to the uneven application).

What product is visible after the initial application is still intact after twelve hours (which is how long I tested this particular shade).  There was no creasing or smudging, and it looked as faded as it did when I first applied it–that lack of pigmentation gives it this faded, washed out look.  The unevenness of the color makes for a patchy base, and the drier texture made blending and applying product on top more difficult. It still maintains the overall wear of the range, but it lacks in the pigmentation department.

The Glossover

	Painted Purple C+
	This is definitely the odd one out of the bunch; it doesn't have the same vibrancy or intensity in color payoff as the other shades do. This is often a problem with purple hued products, so it's not unexpected, but it's still a disappointment.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 6/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 3/5
	Where to Buy
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Maybelline Painted Purple Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Painted Purple Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Painted Purple Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Painted Purple Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

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Maybelline Painted Purple Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows (Part 1)

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows ($6.99 for 0.14 oz.) are a cream/gel eyeshadow that’s supposed to yield 24-hour wear without creasing or fading and have intense color payoff. There are currently ten shades in total, with five being reviewed in this post.

• Audacious Asphalt is a brownish silver with a shimmery, metallic finish. It was almost pewter-like. It reminded me of Inglot #444.
• Bad to the Bronze is a subtly warmed-up bronze with a smooth, metallic finish and sheen. It’s very opaque with little product. It’s similar to Urban Decay Suspect, which is a touch lighter. Make Up For Ever #15 is darker and more red-toned. Inglot #406 is slightly more golden. The color is reminiscent of MAC Genuine Treasure, but the texture is very, very different. From this old swatch that I have (I don’t have it any more), MAC Indianwood is warmer, a little more orange.
• Bold Gold is a shimmery, medium-dark gold. It’s one of the more shimmery shades, so it’s not quite as smooth and not fully opaque but is buildable. Make Up For Ever #11 is similar in color but smoother–more metallic in finish than shimmery. Urban Decay Rush is browner.
• Edgy Emerald is an aqua-teal with a shimmery finish. It is nearly opaque on the lids without having to build up the color, and it works well as an eyeliner, too. NYX Seafoam Green is similar but a touch darker. MAC Shimmermoss is slightly bluer. MAC Aquadisiac is similar. Urban Decay Minx is similar, perhaps just the tiniest bit bluer.
• Fierce & Tangy is a brightened tangerine orange with a satiny finish. It applies so, so smoothly; this is one of the best shades in terms of texture and color payoff. I couldn’t think of a dupe for this shade. Make Up For Ever #10 is much darker, more of a true orange.

I tested several shades (though not every single shade individually) from the range for twelve to sixteen hours. I wore each of them alone, not with other products, primers, or eyeshadows. I didn’t experience any budging, creasing, fading, or smudging. The shades I specifically tested were: Audacious Asphalt, Bad to the Bronze, Edgy Emerald, Fierce & Tangy, Painted Purple, and Tough as Taupe.  These can also be used as an eyeshadow base or as an eyeliner, depending on what you’re looking for.   I tried these as bases and liners, and they worked and performed well.  It’s always nice when a cream eyeshadow can double as a cream eyeliner!

I didn’t test these for a full 24-hours, because I am really, really loathe to wear makeup for that long. Adverse reactions can be a job hazard from product tester, and the last time I did that kind of test, my eyes paid for it for another few days (dry, flaking), so I’m not keen on doing it again I apologize in advance. I think that a product that wears as long as sixteen hours without any issues is likely to continue in the same vein.

The consistency is creamy and smooth, though some shades are smoother than others due to the finish (the more shimmery ones are less smooth, while the more matte ones are the smoothest). The texture is similar to MAC Paint Pots (Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams aren’t quite as thick and dry down faster). These dry down quick but too quickly, so there is some time to work, but if you want to blend out the edges really seamlessly, I would recommend working on one eye at a time.  Color payoff varies from good to great over these five shades, with Audacious Asphalt and Bold Gold being buildable but not completely opaque in one go.  The other three are nearly opaque without layering.

What’s kind of funny about the range is the lack of really neutral eyeshadows. There are lots of fun, colorful shades, but there is a lack of one-and-done eyeshadows. That’s usually not how a brand launches a product like this, but hopefully with the success of the initial ten, they’ll roll out some softer/lighter shades that will work great for those mornings you have five minutes or less to put on your makeup.

Each shade is housed in a heavy glass jar with a screw-on black lid.  The glass gives it more heft, so it doesn’t feel cheap when you hold it, but it’s not the most travel-friendly as a result (and it is more breakable–one of mine arrived with a superficial crack on the bottom).  Also, be careful if you have more than one open, because the product’s name is actually on the lid, not the bottom of the jar, so if you can easily mix them up.  Thankfully, the shade range is pretty diverse and there aren’t shades that look too similar to each other, so it is possible to look them up if you forgot.

P.S. — They are currently buy one, get one 50% off at Ulta.

The Glossover

	Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1) A
	They're the best performing cream eyeshadow I've tried from a budget brand, and they're an excellent cream eyeshadow, period. The formula compares best to MAC Paint Pots, especially some of the more recent finishes. The best shades are those with less shimmery finishes.
	Product 9.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4.5/5
	Where to Buy
Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review!

See more photos & swatches!

Maybelline Audacious Asphalt Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Audacious Asphalt Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Audacious Asphalt Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Audacious Asphalt Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Audacious Asphalt Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bad to the Bronze Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bold Gold Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bold Gold Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bold Gold Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bold Gold Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Bold Gold Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Edgy Emerald Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Edgy Emerald Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Edgy Emerald Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Edgy Emerald Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Edgy Emerald Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Fierce & Tangy Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Fierce & Tangy Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Fierce & Tangy Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Fierce & Tangy Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow

Maybelline Fierce & Tangy Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow