I believe, no matter how many eyeshadows a beauty blogger has in her possession, there will never a day where she goes “Okie, I’ve had enough eyeshadows to last me a lifetime and no more shall I ever buy”.
That part about having enough eyeshadows to last a lifetime is definitely true, and I think many of you share that sentiment, but to stop just because there’s enough? That’s what vanity consumerism is all about, isn’t it?
Sure, there will be times when the month’s bills hits the ceiling and you will find your makeup buying obsession absolutely reproachful, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do – BE HAPPY!
And nothing makes me happier than buying new makeup! (Of course there are, but you know what I mean!) The promise of endless possibilities with new shades, textures, finishes, combinations… and that’s only eyeshadows!
When Makeup Geek (MUG) launched her own brand of cosmetics, I was elated! She’s such an inspiration – famous beauty blogger and now successful business woman! I mentioned her in my Makeup Geek Haul (I got brushes too!) so you can go over and check it out.
MAC Singapore sells their eyeshadow at SGD26.00 a pot and it’s A LOT to pay for one shade, and I have barely made a dent in any of my MAC eyeshadows. They should make smaller-sized versions and I’d be happy to pay for a slightly-more-expensive-than-half-price price.
But for the same size and equally good quality, MUG prices its eyeshadows at a fraction of MAC’s! MAC – USD14.00; MUG – USD 6.00.
Let’s take a look at my first seven (and definitely not last!) Makeup Geek eyeshadows.
MUG Eyeshadow - Unicorn
Doesn't the name win your heart already? How mystical and beautiful!
MUG describes it as a 'shimmery blue purple'; it reminds me of periwinkles - unicorns gallivanting across a field full of periwinkles. It has a shimmery finish and feels slightly grainy but nowhere as grainy as Razzleberry. Pigmentation is good.
Unicorn plays very well as a lid color, and if you're adventurous, try it as a Contour Area color!
Unicorn is one of the Top 10 Makeup Geek Eyeshadows.
MUG Eyeshadow - Cocoa Bear
Cocoa Bear is my most recent greatest love for the Contour Area! Haha, I sound like I always change my favorite shade on the Contour Area. But really, if you have warm-toned skin like I do, Cocoa Bear does a wonderful job of warming up the eyes and it goes well with almost all shades I've tried on other parts of the eye. Some browns can look a little too cool on me, but Cocoa Bear's reddish brown is simply perfect. It is very pigmented and blends well.
I only use Cocoa Bear on the Contour Area as I don't usually like browns on the lid.
Cocoa Bear is one of the Top 10 Makeup Geek Eyeshadows.
MUG Eyeshadow - Peacock
Peacock is not in the Top 10 list, but I chose it anyway because it looked so special! I do still think this blue-black shade is gorgeous, but the pigmentation is poor and rather difficult to blend.
It is also chalky. See how obviously you can see my arm hairs in the swatch? A chalky powder product would create such an effect.
Peacock is really pretty and I tend to use it on the Outer 1/3 of the lid and Contour Area. I used it as a Contour Area color in this eye makeup tutorial.
It reminds me of the crappy half of L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow, which I was going to throw away. I depotted and retained the good side.
Left: Makeup Geek Peacock, Right: L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow Duo Showy crappy half
MUG Eyeshadow - Shimmermint
The picture of Shimmermint on the Makeup Geek website is not quite as accurate. In the Top 10 list, Shimmermint looks more fresh grass-green than the light khaki-green it really is. I think my picture depicts the shade more accurately, at least that's what I see with my eyes. MUG's swatch is quite accurate, though much more layered.
I love Shimmermint for its velvety texture, great pigmentation and blendability. This is one of my favorites. To think I almost didn't want to get it! It reminds me of MAC's Gorgeous Gold in a way. Gorgeous Gold is gold that reflects light green while Shimmermint is green that reflects light gold. Too beautiful! 😀 😀 😀
MUG Eyeshadow - Razzleberry
Razzleberry is pretty, just... flat pretty. It doesn't WOW me, despite its flecks of gold, and you know just how much I love gold in my eyeshadows. Maybe it's because I have Sugarpill Love+ that made me feel, when I first applied it, that it is so similar yet loses out in pigmentation and ease of blending.
Razzleberry feels very grainy when you use your finger (some people prefer to use their fingers to apply eyeshadow), and I'm not a fan of eyeshadows that feel so grainy. I thought Sugarpill's Love+ is a little grainy but compared to Razzleberry, Love+ feels like silk.
On the MUG website, Razzleberry looks like an orange-red and I really wanted an orange-red eyeshadow. 🙁 I bet it was layered to death to appear THAT intense. My swatch was achieved with 4 layers and it only got this far. I didn't apply any primer and maybe they did, but the difference is stark, isn't it?
Left: Makeup Geek Razzleberry; Right: Sugarpill Love+
MUG Eyeshadow - Corrupt
Even though Corrupt didn't make it to the Top 10, it has received plenty of positive reviews for its intense pigmentation. It IS the blackest black eyeshadow I've ever come across and doesn't take much effort to get it on. It took only two gentle rubs on my arm to create that swatch. Madly pigmented!
The price to pay for such pigmentation is its chalkiness. It really does get all over the place and I have to be very careful not to get it all over my cheeks even after dabbing away excess on a piece of tissue.
Besides, I don't fancy using black for my eye makeup looks. I find that black looks too harsh for the flatter curvature of Asian eyes and there are plenty of alternatives for harsh black. I got Corrupt only because everyone was raving about it.
If you can carry black eyeshadow well and apply foundation after eye makeup, then you'll find a best friend in Corrupt. Otherwise, I think NYX's Black Eyeshadow gives greater control, is less messy and is not too much less dark.
A little rub, a little touch, and it gets all over the place in my Z-palette. TSK.
Me not a fan.
I need to move it to my other 'less-used eyeshadows' palette soon. It's not even a palette, it's a pathetic, flimsy CD case. *Annoyed with self
MUG Eyeshadow - Shimma Shimma
Ever since I got Shimma Shimma, Sin from Urban Decay has been ousted. Sin is slightly more pink and looks a little weird as a brow bone highlight.
But Shimma Shimma... *WOWZA! It goes on easily and beautifully, works as an overall lid color, as a pop of light on the inner corner of the eye, and as a brow bone highlight.
MAC Shroom and Kat Von D Tequila have been my staple brow bone highlighters, but they were never good enough, or what I really craved for a inner corner color or one that I could just brush all over the lid, slap on some mascara and look fresh and awake. Shimma Shimma does all that. And it is so soft and velvety! LOVE, LOVE LOVE!
Left: Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma; Right: Urban Decay Sin
All together now,
Packaging
I love that I don't have to depot the eyeshadows (as addictive as depotting is) as they already come in magnetized pans. No need to write and paste your own label either!
There have been some hits and misses, but overall Makeup Geek Eyeshadows are great quality for the price. I don't think the Makeup Geek Company cares about price as much as their desire to bring to the market good quality and affordable eyeshadows. Amateur or professional, everyone will find something they like from the ever-increasing number of Makeup Geek eyeshadow colors available.
I believe they will only get better at producing their own products and with Marlena's insistence on putting out a product only after she is totally satisfied with it shows the company's commitment to the brand and the market's needs.
Oh, for those who have asked about shipping costs to Singapore, it's really not too expensive and took less than 2 weeks to arrive. There's a sale going on now, so it's a good time to get something for yourself.
Now, what colors should I bring home next?
What about you? Have you tried any Makeup Geek Eyeshadows? Have I tempted you? 😀
If it is well prices and works well than it's worth the money.