Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) EyeShadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette ($59.00 for 0.24 oz.) is mix of pinks and neutrals with most shades running slightly warm, though two are cooler-toned. There are two mattes, while the other five are more frosted/metallic. I liked them individually more than I liked them together, personally (I think there are perhaps too many mid-tones for my liking), and I felt like they worked better if one only used two or three shades at a time. There were no duds in the palette at all, and that is always an impressive feat for a palette that goes over four or five shades. I had no issues getting good pigmentation to show up on bare skin, even with the more matte shades, which made it easy to use.
The Enigma #1 is described as a “matte caviar black.” It’s a deep, dark black with a matte finish. It seems to have a subtle warm undertone but appears mostly neutral applied (from what I can tell!). It had good pigmentation with a soft, silky consistency that wasn’t too powdery and remained blendable on the skin. It wore well for eight hours on me. It is a basic shade, so there are plenty of similar shades out there that you may already have. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
The Enigma #2 is described as a “deep gray pearl.” It’s a medium-dark, cool-toned gray with a frosted, silver-ish sheen with very fine teal micro-shimmer (it gives it an almost bluish cast at times). It had nice color coverage with a soft, blendable consistency that was easy to use and lasted for eight hours on me. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
The Enigma #3 is described as a “metallic slate green.” It’s a cool-toned, gray-leaning pewter–more silver than gold, but there’s a golden sheen that gives it a more pearly finish. It had excellent pigmentation, and the texture was smooth and almost creamy to the touch. It lasted for eight hours on me. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
The Enigma #4 is described as a “peony pearl with gold glitter.” It’s a muted, medium pink with warm undertones and a pearly sheen. I don’t know where they get the glitter part of the description from, because in the pan and when swatched, I don’t see it. If it’s there, it’s in such a minuscule quantity (but normally you’d see it in the pan!). It lasted for eight hours well. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
The Enigma #5 is described as a “soft pink matte.” It’s a brightened, pastel pink with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. Despite the lightness, it didn’t look or feel chalky at all, and instead, it was soft, smooth, and silky with excellent color payoff. On me, the color wore well for eight hours before fading. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
The Enigma #6 is described as a “metallic taupe with iridescent shimmer.” It’s a rich, bronzy brown with warm, yellow undertones and a frosted, slightly metallic, finish. It’s not what I would describe as taupe (far too warm, even in the pan, it doesn’t look very gray-tinged). The color payoff was fantastic, while the texture was buttery and rich. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
The Enigma #7 is described as a “rosy champagne pearl.” It’s a warm-toned, medium peach-brown with a metallic sheen. The consistency was soft and smooth, while it blended beautifully on the lid and had excellent pigmentation. It wore well for eight hours on me. See comparison swatches / view dupes.
The Enigma (216)
PPermanent. $59.00.
The Enigma #1
PiPPermanent in Palette.
The Enigma #2
PiPPermanent in Palette.
The Enigma #3
PiPPermanent in Palette.
The Enigma #4
PiPPermanent in Palette.
The Enigma #5
PiPPermanent in Palette.
The Enigma #6
PiPPermanent in Palette.
The Enigma #7
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma (216) Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #1 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #1 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #2 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #2 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #3 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #3 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #4 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #4 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #5 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #5 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #6 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #6 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #7 Plush Shadow
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Enigma #7 Plush Shadow
The Enigma #7 (inner lid), #4 (middle of lid), #3 (middle of lid), #6 (outer lid), #2 (above crease), #1 (crease), #5 (brow bone)
I really wish he would’ve paired the cool tones with something other than pink 🙁 He needs a nice nudes palette with one standout colour that everybody can rock! 🙂
I’d love to have seen one pink substituted for a gray or mauve!
At least there’s no “obligatory” gold/bronze that seems to find its way into nearly *every* neutral palette… The pink actually looks like it would suit anyone, though.
Pinks and grays are an elegant and classical combination. Enough dupable, this is a versatile and well-done palette. Glad that it’s permanent!
Very true 🙂 Do you have any go-to pink/gray combo, Lauren?
SUGARPILL Soot & Stars or MUG Galaxy paired with “Magic” (UD Glinda Palette).
(sorry my mistake. It’s “Magic” from UD Glinda Palette)
Xoxo.
Thank you!!
#4 and #5 are way too pink for me, but I actually quite like the other colors, especially #3! It’s rare that I come across a palette that really works for me all by itself, but I could get couple of looks out of this one with the addition of a different light matte or satin/matte base color.
I think they could have gotten away with maybe a light gray or mauve instead of one of the pinks!
This confuses me… Haha I bought this earlier in the year and returned it the DAY after I got it. I just couldn’t get any of the colors to show up on me, and when they did, they vanished within two hours… Now I’m thinking I might’ve gotten a dud! I’m glad it worked on you, though 🙂
Oh no! That really sucks 🙁 I’ve had pretty good luck with the MJB formula, though some are better than others.
Why wasting an eyeshadow oportunity with PINK eyeshadow? Why God why?!
Pink eyeshadow can be fun to use!
I’ve always loved pink eyeshadow. I’m always surprised by how much hate it gets. I think these two peachy pinks are lovely, but they are a bit close together in shade.
Perhaps because there are those who find pinks flattering…?
*waves hands* I love pink and gray when I want a simple, light wash of color.
Absolutely agree – why not a lovely green or blue? Way too many pinks for me.
Green and blue eyeshadow I find are hard to wear in a daily look without looking dated. It’s rare I find someone actually pull those off(when they do, it’s awesome). I think the eighties just ruined those colours for me lol!
The pinks here look like lovely crease or transition shades. This palette would be an awesome everyday eyeshadow palette and would probably look nice with some of the UD basics eyeshadows.
I can see where the pinks would be hard to wear with your lovely ginger coloring. I’ll bet blues and greens are beautiful on you.
this is a beautiful palette! that black looks gorgeous.
I was so glad the black was blendable!
This palette is really testing my lo-buy resolution! I wish they would’ve included 1 matte brown or 1 matte gray instead of 2 pinks, but these colors are still great, really work-horse shades for me. I’m sure I have these shades already, but not all in the same palette. This would make it great for travel. Hmmm…..
I agree -one pink for a gray or mauve would have been great IMO!
Christine, if I apply the Matte Black shade lightly, would it look like a dark gray? If it does, that would be so awesome because blacks can look harsh on me, and that’s the only matte color in the kit. I saw your eye look above, and the black looks like a dark gray, so let me know. Thanks!
You can definitely get a softer shade of black out of it – if you layer over the gray eyeshadow, you’ll get more of an actual dark gray with more of a satin finish, if that makes sense!
Thanks!! I actually like satin finishes more than mattes, so mixing them is a great idea! Oh my, it’s only early Jan, and my low buy resolution is already weakening….
I would get this for the pink shades alone! This is actually (I think) a very decent price point!
It’s not too bad! I’d say a little high given it’s only 0.24 oz. but better to get seven colors than four!
Beautiful, but I feel like I have so many of these types of colors.
I hear that 😉
If I could pick colors for a palette, these would be the ones. I SO desire this palette.. oh my.. !
Aww!
this palette is stunning! i’m not normally a fan of pinks, but these are absolutely gorgeous! i want to pick this up if i can!
The pinks definitely work here – they aren’t too hard to use like some can be!
This palette looks nice…You should try the night owl palette, it is a beautiful palette.
Thanks for the tip, Denise!
I ordered this the other day online and I never order makeup online unless I have seen it in person. So I’m glad this got a good review from you.
Hope you love it, Rachel! Keep me posted.
I pretty much want this.. lol. I don’t have any MJ palettes so I might as well start here!
Monica
Oooh, very nice 🙂
Ditto!
This one is quite nice,though particularly dupeable.
Definitely plenty of shades we’ve seen before! The pewter-ish one was most unique to me.
Whew..finally a pass for my poor wallet! lol. I think I would like this a lot if it had plum tones with greys vs pinks. To each their own. 🙂 Couple of questions off topic : I had my heart set on a YSL Rouge Volupte(12) Forbidden Burgundy (My first YSL lipstick ever at 38!!) It is noted as permanent. I looked all over the internet(Saks,Nordstrom,Amazon,Neiman Marcus,Net-a-porter,,Sephora,Beauty.com,YSL’s website,googled it,and called my local YSL nordstrom counters at Nordstrom.It apparently is a very hard to get shade! The SA at Nordstrom said they are re-fromulating .So, it may be gone if I don’t get a hold of one! Any ideas? I am going to try to call some department store counters in the city near me. Any other thoughts on where or how to get a hold of one these precious beauties?
Also, I noticed the links to Sephora,Beauty.com,Amazon,etc in your posts. If one uses those to order stuff, does that benefit you? I order a lot online..especially in winter and your site has helped my beauty love buying habits be wiser beyond words. So, I was wondering if I order through the links, am I helping to keep Temptalia running. If so,what if I ordered something that is not that particular product or even a beauty product? do those count too 🙂
I love the combination of the shades. MJ palettes are always so good!
Wow – I am impressed with that black shadow! I like the overall murkiness of the palette (I’m liking the trend for that this season?), but I can definitely see how it’s not a palette where I’d use a large number of the shades together, as you say. Funnily enough, the one I’d swap out is the matte baby pink! I’m not sure what I’d swap *in*, though 😉 Maybe a dirty, murky mauve/lavender/purple?
I really like this palette, but I can’t justify $60 on a fairly dupeable palette. These are shades I’m drawn to, so I can safely pass-for now, LOL! At least it’s permanent!
Maybe you can at least swatch it next time you’re at Sephora, since it is perm!
Oooh – I like this – maybe even more than the new Hourglass palettes (or not…or maybe I just want them ALL!). I especially like 2, 3 and 6 and – here’s the shocker – I seem to have many dupes for 3 and 6 especially.
lol! I am very curious how the Hourglass palettes will hold up.
Those pinks are cute tho. Overall I think they do need one more dark shade, perhaps better be a shimmer one.
I agree!
Love the grey tones in this palette – but why oh why did MJ include SO many pink shades!
Maybe next time it’ll be right 🙂
Even though I know this is an insanely usable palette and might actually suit me, I just feel super bleh about it.
Awwwww!
This looks GORGEOUS!!!!!!!
Glad ya liked it!
This reminds me of Chanel’s spring releases with all of the pink!
I’m into pinks and greys do I love it!! The brand does make a lot of other options for those who don’t tho, and I really like the formula- soft and pigmented, the metallics are so pretty
I’m obviously in the minority here, but this palette with me is a true Enigma! Colors are not as they appear and it’s a mystery! The grays shift to blue, and a pastel silver/blue, and the first two pinks, in order, are a delightful medium pink with slight peach shift and pink shimmer, then a matte yet gorgeous ballerina/cotton candy/almost lavender pink! The black is a very pigmented cool black with sheen slightly, the second to last color is a very vibrant rose gold/copper complex woven metalic, so pretty, and the iridescent sheen at the end is an amazing shimmery white/beigy/pink with a white/silver extreme shimmer microfine and peach gold reflect at some angles, others much cooler! Every time I se this palette swatched, it looks different! I guess, hence: Enigma! 😀
It is beautiful palette with a lovely combination of grays, pinks and browns.. i just wish there has been some other shade in place of that pastel pink.
I love the versatility of the colors. I think I could get along with this palette 🙂
This palette is so beautiful! Looks like a great cool toned palette
I’m not a big fan of pink eyeshadow to be honest, but the rest of the colours are very nice. And they seem to be very pigmented! I’ve been thinking about trying something from Marc Jacobs for a while, to be honest.
I love all the colors except for the two pinks. I wish they would have gone with a grayish plum or even just a matte beige to highlight. Color #6 is absolutely lovely though!
I’ve hated MJ palettes right from the beginning. The shape, the tiny pans….I feel like I’m being ripped off just looking at them. Really hoping he decides to rethink his packaging. Although the shades & performance seem to be quite nice, I definitely won’t be buying this.