LE Maybelline Color Tattoo Mattes

I had been on the hunt for the limited edition Maybelline Color Tattoo mattes that launched with the Fall 2013 Gilded in Gold collection for, literally, months.  Of course, none of the stores near me ever received them (as far as I can tell), however, I was able to swap for three of them on MakeUp Alley.

This color tattoo collection, more than others, seems to be a pretty straightforward attempt to dupe some very popular MAC Paint Pots.  The three colors in the Maybelline collection are Matte Brown (often called a dupe for Groundwork, but in my opinion, it's darker than Groundwork), Just Beige (dupe for Soft Ochre, but again, seems to be significantly darker) and Nude Pink (dupe for Painterly, I will actually do a post comparing these two).

(L-R Just Beige, Nude Pink, Matte Brown)

Maybelline isn't kidding about these formulas being matte.  It may just be a quality control issue with the limited edition shades, but I have the permanent color tattoo matte in Tough as Taupe and it isn't anywhere near as dry as these shades.

The formula is incredibly stiff and despite their great pigmentation, they tended to look a little patchy, probably because the formula is so stiff.  I found the shades difficult to blend out and they did not sheer out particularly evenly.  

Once they set, they looked dry on my lids.  They didn't crease, but worn alone, they definitely don't do anything to improve the look of my lids.  They work well as bases as long as I apply shadows on top of them before they completely set.  These set quickly, so there isn't much wiggle room in my experience.

If you're looking for long wear, these are the shadows for you.  These things lasted a solid fourteen hours without budging an inch (I don't have oily eyelids, but they are hooded, so they can be tough on shadows).  I generally use an oil cleanser to remove my makeup, but even with an oil cleanser, it look a bit of work to completely remove these shadows.

Just Beige

Nude Pink

Matte Brown

As far as these being dupes for MAC paint pots, in my experience, they aren't.  The paint pots have so much more slip to them and they sheer out and cling to powder shadows so much better.  I have a MAC paintpot in Painterly that I've had for at least two years and it's still creamy (though it looks a little sketchy in the pot).  I haven't had these shadows long enough to know for sure, but my suspicion is that they will dry up and crack within the year.

The price point on the Maybelline Color Tattoos is, without a doubt, way more compelling than the MAC Paint Pots ($6 range, vs $20).

I know that Maybelline launched another Color Tattoo collection  - Dare to Go Nude - that contains a bunch of nude shades, though I don't think any of them are matte, so maybe they're re-formulating their mattes.

All in all, these shadows just aren't what I want them to be, especially considering how good most of the Color Tattoo range is, and considering how difficult it was for me to find them.

The LE Maybelline Color Tattoo mattes contain 4 grams of product and retail anywhere from $4.50 to $7 each depending on where (IF) you can find them.

Have any of you tried the LE Color Tattoo mattes?  If so, what did you think?

Overall:  5/10  

Tom Ford Eye Quad in Cocoa Mirage

The next up in the Tom Ford overview is the Eye Color Quad in Cocoa Mirage.  This palette is part of the permanent line and is the only one of the Tom Ford palettes I own that doesn't contain any of the shimmer (glitter) shades.  This quad has two complete matte shades, one mostly-matte shade and one satin finish.

The top two shades are completely matte.  My experience with the Tom Ford mattes so far has been phenomenal.  The mattes are buttery soft with fantastic pigmentation (though I understand that in some of his other palettes, that isn't the case). 

Cocoa Mirage is fairly neutral in my opinion.  It leans ever so slightly warm, but I don't feel like it's so warm that someone cool toned couldn't wear it.

 As you can see from the swatches, the lightest shade is a very close match to my natural skintone.  The second matte shade is a mid tone slightly warm brown.  The third shade is a warm medium-dark brown and the only satin finish in the palette.  It has lovely pigmentation and texture.  The last shade is a dark brown that leans warm.  It is mostly matte, but there is the tiniest amount of gold glitter.

I swear I'm not a total Tom Ford fangirl.  There have been two palettes which I acquired (swapped for on MakeupAlley) and then promptly swapped away because I was not happy with them.  So when I say that Cocoa Mirage is a fantastic palette, I really mean it.

Overall:  10/10

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I figured that since I mentioned the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette the other day in my review of the Kat Von D Ladybird palette that I might as well go ahead and post a review.  I've had the Naked Basics palette since last winter and I never, ever use it.

I think from the name, Naked Basics is a fantastic idea.  And the packaging is my favorite of all the Naked palettes.  It's super sleek and sturdy, all matte, doesn't collect dust or fingerprints.  The mirror is a really nice size.

The execution of the shadows, however, leaves a whole lot to be desired.  I picked it up because I am a huge fan of matte neutrals and I wear them often.  Problem is that of the 6 shades in the palette, only 5 of them are actually matte.  (Venus has shimmer).

The other big problem, as far as I'm concerned, is that out of 6 shades, 4 of them are incredibly light neutrals.  Just look at the swatches below.  Look.  The first 4 shades in the palette are barely discernible from my pasty pale skintone.  

As far as the texture on the shadows, they're fine.  I'm not blown away by any of them, but they're okay, especially for mattes.  I definitely don't feel like Urban Decay's matte formula is any better than other mid-range brands.  Inglot's matte formula is heaps better.

Overall, this Naked Basics palette is so incredibly basic, in the most derogatory sense of the word.  There is nothing special about this palette, there isn't even anything particularly useful (IMO) about his palette.  I know that lots of people love this palette as a complement to other palettes and I understand that, but I feel like a palette should be self contained.

The Urban Decay Naked Basics palette is part of UD's permanent range.  It contains 7.8 grams of product and retails for $27.  It is available wherever Urban Decay is sold.  I picked mine up at Sephora.

Overall:  5/10

Sugarpill Burning Heart Palette

Okay, so I am in no way Sugarpill's target customer base.  I wear a dramatic range of shadows from light beige to dark brown on a daily basis.  However, just look at this palette.  I mean ... just ... look.  This thing is gorgeous.

(Clockwise from top left: Flamepoint, Buttercupcake, Poison Plum, Love +)

The Burning Heart palette from Sugarpill contains a whopping 16 grams of product.  Each shade contains 4 grams each.

• Flamepoint - Bright, burnt orange with a matte finish.
• Buttercupcake - Bright primary yellow with a matte finish.
• Poison Plum -Vibrant purple with blue microglitter.  This was the only shade that stained.
• Love + - Dark red with a matte finish.

All of the shades were on the drier, stiffer side, but the color payoff was excellent, especially considering these are matte shadows.  I was blown away with the quality of both the shadows and the packaging.

Sugarpill eyeshadow palettes generally retail for $34.  I purchased mine direct from Sugarpill when they were running their 20% off birthday special.  You can also get them from MakeupGeek, Beautylish and several other online retailers.

Overall: 10/10

Review: Sleek Ultra Mattes v2 Dark

I was lucky enough to receive the Sleek Ultra Mattes v2 Darks Palette from the lovely Diana when I did my swap with Tam a few weeks ago.  I had been lusting after this palette since I saw it on English blogs, but since my access to Sleek is very limited, I figured I'd never get a chance to see it in person.

First off, I love the packaging.  I'm not sure if it's new for all Sleek palettes or just for the matte palettes, but I love it.  And the shadows ... OMG, the shadows.  I think it is a well known fact that I love me some matte shadows.  Seriously, I have a matte shadow problem.  And these mattes are beautiful.  Most of them are buttery soft and have incredible pigmentation as you can see from the swatches.

There are a lovely range of colors here, enough to create a multitude of looks.  I think this is an incredibly versatile palette and I use it often.

The Sleek ultra mattes palette contains 12.1 grams of product and retails for $10.99 plus s/h at SleekMakeup.com

Overall:  10/10