Melt Cosmetics Gun Metal Dark Matter Eyeshadow Stack Review, Photos, Swatches
Gun Metal
Melt Cosmetics Gun Metal Eyeshadow Stack (x4) ($48.00 for 0.36 oz.) contains two glitter-packed shades, one intensely metallic shade, and one matte. It’s a hard set of textures to combine and work together, because the glittery shades are incredibly dry, chunky, and very prone to fallout. Even when I tried using an adhesive base with them, there was still fallout while worn, and I did get some in my eye while I wore the palette for testing.
Look Using this Product
Gun Metal
PPermanent. $48.00.
Harsh Stone White
Harsh Stone White is a soft, golden beige with warm undertones and a sparkling, metallic finish. It had good color coverage that was buildable to full coverage with half of a layer more or used with a dampened brush. The texture was smooth, dense but not heavy or thick, and easy to blend out. It wore well for eight hours on me before fading slightly.
Top Dupes
- KVD Beauty Sterling (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Viseart Bijoux Royal #2 (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Linda Hallberg Cosmetics Bang (LE, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Morphe Enlight (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Disney by Sephora Sea Shells (LE, ) is brighter (95% similar).
- LORAC Dream It (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Make Up For Ever D416 Crystalline Yellow (DC, $21.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- MAC Vanilla Diamond (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Morphe Beam (LE, ) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Laura Mercier Spirit (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Mica, Triethylhexanoin, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Magnesium Carbonate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Acrylates Copolymer, PTFE, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Black 2 (CI 77266), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Harsh Stone White
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Assimilate
Assimilate is a medium taupe with cool undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation with a soft, moderately powdery texture. The eyeshadow blended out beautifully, but it did have a bit of fallout (even after I tapped away excess). I was happy to see that despite the powderiness, the color itself didn’t seem to sheer out too readily, so I could built it up with two to three layers for better opacity. It lasted for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Natasha Denona Diadem (110CM) (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop Take the Lead (LE, $4.50) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop The Virgo (P, $4.50) is darker (90% similar).
- Urban Decay DTF (LE, $19.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Anastasia Volatile (LE, $12.00) is darker (90% similar).
- MAC Quarry (P, $17.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Subtly Elegant (LE, $17.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Viseart Cendre (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- LORAC Black #6 (LE, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Cool Brown (P, $5.25) is lighter (85% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Mica, Triethylhexanoin, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Magnesium Carbonate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Acrylates Copolymer, PTFE, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Black 2 (CI 77266), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Assimilate
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Industrial
Industrial is a blackened taupe with warmer, brown undertones and a sparkling, glittery finish. The pigmentation was fantastic, but the texture was definitely drier and had chunky, larger glitter particles which made it harder to apply evenly and resulted in a moderate amount of fallout when I tried to apply and blend it out on my lid. It was easiest to work with using a dampened brush, which went a long way to preventing fallout during application but still allowed some fallout during wear. The color stayed on well for eight hours with some fallout.
Top Dupes
- elf Blue Steel (P, $5.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Glam Noir (P, $28.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Scorpio (DC, $20.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Full Metal Black (LE, $28.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- MAC Jet Couture (P, $21.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Surratt Beauty Scandal Eyes (Glitter) (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- Viseart Eclipse (GPV2 #7) (P, ) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Soleil Neige #4 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- Olivia Palermo Diamond Dust (PiP, ) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- Dose of Colors Game Over (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Mica, Triethylhexanoin, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Magnesium Carbonate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Acrylates Copolymer, PTFE, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Black 2 (CI 77266), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Industrial
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Gun Metal
Gun Metal is a dark gray with neutral-to-cool undertones with a glittery finish. It had good pigmentation, but the consistency was incredibly dry, more loosely pressed, and chocked full of chunky glitter. It was hard to use dry, because it was a challenge to get the product to adhere well while also blending it out; it could work patted onto the lid in a cut-crease look, but any blending at all resulted in a fair amount of product dropping off of the lid. I tried it wet as well as with a light adhesive (MAC Fix+), which definitely improved the application of the shade but I still had slight fallout throughout the eight hours it lasted for.
Top Dupes
- Pat McGrath Black Metal (PiP, $25.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- NARS Smash It Up (LE, $25.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Black Oyster (Cream) (LE, $45.00) is cooler (90% similar).
- Viseart Eclipse (GPV2 #7) (P, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Jet Couture (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Glam Noir (P, $28.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Tarte Beat Drop (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Black Onyx (LE, $36.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Terra Moons Darkside (P, $8.50) is lighter (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty SS18 (LE, $36.00) is darker (90% similar).
Ingredients
Talc, Mica, Triethylhexanoin, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Magnesium Carbonate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Acrylates Copolymer, PTFE, Phenoxyethanol. May contain: Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Black 2 (CI 77266), Manganese Violet (CI 77742).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
Some fell into your eye??? This will be truly painful for anyone who wears contact lenses. Pass on this one.
Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t recommend wearing this one if you have sensitive eyes and don’t plan to use an adhesive base!
Holy fallout! It’s amazing how you are still able to achieve such a beautiful look when dealing with a mess like that. I would have given up! The colors in this stack were very appealing to me but this is a easy pass.
Patience is a virtue, haha!
Oh dear. This didn’t fare too well, due to the dry texture. I probably do have something similar to Gunmetal and Assimilation. But nothing like the other 2 shades, I don’t believe.
I found it so odd that they didn’t have detailed instructions on using the two shimmers!
Love your look! Especially paired with that top ?
Thank you, Wendy! I’m sooo not comfortable in collars that high but love the look.
I actually enjoyed this set when it originally came out. But I knocked it off a shelf and it fell about two feet into carpet and all four shades completely shattered. My fault for dropping it, but I do think it speaks to how tricky the texture is. Anyway, this is fun if you like glitter, but Christine’s rating is very fair (as always, but it’s rare I try something before her)!
Oh, your poor stack! 🙁
Ah! More grey eyeshadow fails! What is it with grey shadows that makes them so bad so often? The answer is most probably that it is my favourite colour so the reviews are more salient to me and that I am on a quest for my ‘perfect eyeshadow’. I’m not entirely sure what the ‘perfect’ one will look like and I’m pretty sure it will never exist but it doesn’t stop me from looking ;-p
You have enviable makeup application skills. I love this look. Since I have several dupes I’ll pass on the Melt products.
Thank you, Shari!
What an absolute shame the brand decided to use glitter! Why – when all they had to do was use a soft shimmer instead and it would have made all the difference, I think, to the ratings and useability of this eyeshadow stack. Very few use glitter during the day and for many, it is also a deal breaker for night too as no-one wants glitter bits in their eyes and on their face.
The shades are beautiful colours and the brand has just wasted a perfect opportunity to get this right.
Gorgeous eye look Christine.
I found it strangest that they didn’t advise more specifically on how to use them since the texture was quite chunky and different from their other shimmers!
I’m confused. The Harsh Stone White lasted 8 hours on your lid, but you only gave it a 0.8 rating for longevity, bringing this shade to a C rating. Is that accurate?
Sorry, that’s a typo!
Highly disappointing.
Did you mean to give Harsh Stone White a 0.8 for longevity? Your text made it sound like wear was decent (8 hours). Just wanted to check!
I already fixed this! Please refresh the page 🙂
It was a typo!
Thank goodness for your reviews! I really liked a couple of these! Thank you!
I love these colours and this cooler assortment (the 2 sets seemed much warmer) but given the problems with the shadows and the fact that I probably have dupes for all of them, I would pass on this even if it were readily available near me.
This is one of my favorite Melt Stacks and I use Assimilate every single day. It’s good for my brows, crease, and contour and I’ll cry like a little baby (and stock up) should it ever be discontinued. The other colors are gorgeous, and if Harsh Stone White wasn’t formulated with silicones I’d used it as a facial highlight.
I know many people mention fallout, but I’ve never personally experienced it with this particular stack. Perhaps it’s my brush? I use a flat synthetic that packs on colour well without buffing/disturbing the area.
Ohhh, I was told by a dermatologist it was the mica that was making my face all itchy and irritated. Thank you! That makes sense since my extremely sensitive skin doesn’t tolerate silicones in primers, foundations, or setting sprays too well for too many hours.
Side note: I love Gun Metal and found it to be easier and smoother on my skin than the rather scratchy sandy older Urban Decay eyeshadow that’s similar.