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  

Maybelline ColorSensational Vivid Lipstick in On Fire Red

Okay, so this review has been a very long time in the making.  I picked up the Maybelline Vivid Lipstick in On Fire Red last winter and am just now getting around to reviewing.  Oops!  But it all works out because now I can review it just in time for holiday party season.

I have several lipsticks from the Maybelline Vivid line and overall, they are just fantastic quality.  On Fire Red is a classic primary red, slightly blue based.  It applied really well, very even.  I did need a couple of swiped for total opacity, but overall it was great.

The formula is very smooth and moisturizing and it wore really well.  I didn't have a problem with it settling into lip lines or clinging to texture, even when worn without a lip primer.  It also didn't feather on me, which is something of a miracle for a lipstick this creamy and pigmented.

The formula did stain my lips a bit (but show me a red that doesn't, ha!).  It's not a super long wearing formula, but I did get a good 6 hours of wear out of it before I really needed to touch up.  Obviously, if you're doing a lot of eating and/or drinking, that wear time will be diminished.

Maybelline ColorSensational Vivid Lipsticks contain .15oz of product and are available wherever Maybelline is sold.  I picked mine up at Target for under $6.

Overall:  10/10

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metals

These aren't new products but I have a big backlog of reviews, so I figured better late than never.  This review is on the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metals.  As far as I can tell, the Metals line launched for Spring 2013 with 5 shades.  The one shade that I did not pick up was Electric Blue because I know I would never wear it.  

So, on to the shades I did pick up ...

• 55 Inked In Pink - Warm, rosy pink.  The formula was very creamy and smooth.
• 60 Silver Strike - There didn't seem to be a whole lot of pigmentation to the base.  It mostly seems like silver glitter.  It has an okay texture and applied fairly evenly.
• 65 Gold Rush - Very orangy yellow gold.  This had the worst texture of the bunch.  It was incredibly patchy and uneven.
• 70 Barely Branded - Warm champagne beige.  Fantastic texture, creamiest of the bunch.  It stuck me as very similar to the Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream #13. (swatched below for comparison)

So if the regular Color Tattoo line is the MAC Paint Pot knockoff, the Tattoo Metals line is definitely the Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream knockoff.  

The Maybelline Color Tattoos have a fantastic price point.  I had great wear times with all these shades and no creasing (though I will admit that it is rare for me to have creasing with a cream eye product).

I am a little baffled by both Silver Strike and Gold Rush.  A metallic silver and a metallic gold should have been automatic home runs.  Just about every makeup line out there has some variation on these kinds of cream shadows or liners and yet, these two were just duds for me.  They were uneven, the gold was a brassy, brash unflattering gold.

I do think that Inked In Pink and Barely Branded are fantastic shades and really can go toe to toe with the MUFE Aqua Creams in terms of color payoff and wear time at about a quarter of the cost.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metals contain 4 grams of product and retail for around $6.

Maybelline Limited Edition Blush in Golden Fuse

I already mentioned the Maybelline blush in Golden Fuse when I did my review of MAC's Warm Soul blush.  Golden Fuse is a Limited Edition blush with Maybelline's Summer 2013 collection, So Electric.

This baked blush is a warm golden bronzy pink with lots of gold shimmer.  I don't think it swatches anywhere near as orange as it looks in the pan.  It has a surprising amount of pink.

This blush is a solid performer.  It had a nice texture and blended out easily.  It had good staying power - 6 hours before it started to fade, 8 hours before it faded significantly.  It's a beautiful warm color, perfect for summer.  It does have a lot of shimmer, so if you don't like that, you may want to steer clear.

This blush is not an exact dupe for MAC's Warm Soul, but I think it's probably as close as you're going to get at the drugstore in terms of both color and texture.

Maybelline's Golden Fuse blush contains 2.5 grams of product and retails for around $5 wherever Maybelline is sold.

Overall:  10/10

Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks #645 and #015

I was just browsing the beauty section at CVS the other day and I was completely struck by Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in #645, Red Revival

Come on.  Look at that.  How could I not pick it up?  They were having a buy one, get one 50% off, so I also picked up something that I thought would be more wearable day to day, #015, Born With It

 I will say that the Red Revival really delivered.  I think it is stunning.  Born With It ... meh.  Not so much.  Here are swatches:

(under daylight bulbs)

(flash)

#645 Red Revival:

This is a true red.  It is slightly darkened and leans slightly blue based, but not at all berry or wine-y at all.  It does not apply quite as darkly as it looks in the bullet.  It applied very opaquely and was quite moisturizing, though as with all lipsticks this bold, I did apply it over a base (MAC Prep + Prime Lip).  It wore really well.  I got probably 4 hours out of it, while drinking soda and coffee, before I needed to touch up.  It stayed surprisingly glossy for the first two hours.

#015 Born With It

I will admit to doing nearly no research on these.  I have no idea how long these colors have been out.  I do have to figure that since this color is named with the Maybelline tag line, that it must be one of their flagship colors in this line.  However, I found this color very disappointing.  It is a neutral yellow based pink with tiny glitter.  I don't think it looks glittery on the lips and I didn't get a gritty sensation on the lips.  That's probably because the glitter doesn't stay in the lipstick.  I found glitter everywhere.   I have no idea how that is even possible, but there it is.

Overall:

Red Revival 10/10

Born With It 5/10

Review: Maybelline Expert Wear palette in 10 Sunbaked Neutrals

I saw this palette in a tutorial by Amarixe.  I was particularly impressed with the dark bronze color in this palette and when I saw it at Target, I decided to go ahead and pick it up.

This palette is called "Sunbaked Neutrals" and it pretty much delivers on the name.  The palette is a mix of finishes.  According to the packaging, the finishes are matte, sparkle and high-pearl.  As far as I can tell, the only matte shadow is the brown on the upper row.

The top row of the palette was pretty disappointing as soon as I started swatching.  The shadows tended to be pretty dry and hard to work with, even the metallic gold/bronze shade (though the metallic shade was easily the best of the upper row).  The color payoff wasn't great ... yeah, it just wasn't great.

So them moving onto the lower row, the palette completely redeemed itself.  Every shade in the lower row was fantastic.  Even the darker matte shade was like butter.  These shadows were so creamy and super pigmented.

The palette is really small.  The entire palette contains 6.2 grams of product - each color is only .78 grams of product.  For reference, one regular size MAC shadow contains 1.5 grams of product.  However, this palette is incredibly budget friendly at around $7.

Overall:  7/10

Eyeliner Updates: Benefit, L'Oreal, Maybelline

It's been a while since my last big eyeliner post and I have updates:

Benefit Magic Ink

.08oz,  $20

This is one of the few eyeliners I've seen in a long time that has an actual bristle brush applicator.  The only other 2 I can think of are the Kat Von D eyeliner and the Vincent Longo eyeliner.  The brush is really thin, which allows for very precise product application.  However, be forewarned that if you're looking for a dramatic eyeliner look, you may be spending a good chunk of time applying product.

I personally prefer bristle brush applicators, but if you're not a fan of them, you might want to skip this product, especially given how fine the brush is.

The formula it incredibly pigmented.  This is easily the blackest black eyeliner I've ever seen.  You don't even have to give it a good shake.  Not the slightest hint of wateriness to be found.

The product goes on smooth.  I haven't noticed any issues with it flaking or cracking.  It seems to stay a bit pliable, which prevents the cracking and flaking but does mean that it smudges pretty easily, even hours after application.  And if your eyes water at all, this stuff will run.

It's not something I'd wear daily, but when you're looking to do a really precise, pigmented eyeliner look, it's great.

Overall:  7/10



L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof Eyeliner

.07oz, around $8

You can still readily get this eyeliner from most retailers (Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Ulta, etc), but I can't find it on the L'Oreal site right now.  I really hope they're not discontinuing this product.  I feel like they're always cycling out the products that I like.

This product took a while to grow on me.  I learned the hard way that you really need to give it a vigorous shaking before application.  But now, I love it.  It's my go-to liner.

The applicator lays down a good strip of product.  The pigmentation (provided you give it a good shake) is really good, not at all watery.  The waterproof formula is surprisingly waterproof.  I don't go swimming in it or anything, but I often have watery eyes and this stuff has never budged.

This product isn't great if you're trying to do a dramatic winged liner look.  The product will contract as it dries and it's just not good for that type of look.  However, if you're just wanting a regular liner, it's fantastic.  And for a waterproof product, it comes off easily at the end of the day.

Overall:  9/10





L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Eyeliner

.05oz, ranges $9 - 16

Like the Telescopic waterproof, I'm thinking they may be discontinuing this as well.  It's not longer available on the L'Oreal site either.

I was looking for a daily wear alternative to the Benefit Magic Ink.  This product got a lot of play on YouTube, specifically as being an alternative to the Lancome Art Liner at a much better price point.  There were specifically raves about how intensely pigmented the formula is.

I was very underwhelmed.  The tube I bought is not intensely pigmented.  It's okay.  But it's really watery, even with a good shaking.  I don't care for the applicator brush at all.  It's really long and floppy.  I'd prefer a bristle brush to a floppy felt tip.

Overall:  5/10



Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner

.106oz, around $8.50

Comes in 4 shades: black, brown, charcoal and eggplant.  Supposedly gives you 24 hours wear.

I have only tried the brown formula, but I can easily say that there is no way this is a 24 hour wear product.  On me (and I don't have oily lids), it's not even a 6 hour wear.  You could probably set it with an eyeshadow and get longer wear out of it, but to my way of thinking that sort of defeats the purpose of using a long wear gel eyeliner.  And it works well as a color base, but again, not exactly why I purchased it.

It comes with a brush that doesn't totally suck, though I don't ever use it to apply this product.  The Maybelline gel liner is also much cheaper than the MAC Fluidline, but in this case, you get what you pay for.

Overall:  6/10


Swatches
(sorry for all the flash, camera wasn't cooperating):