Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadows Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 1)

Christine — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:57:27 +0000

Maybelline Audacious Asphalt 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.