This is Maybelline's Expert Wear Eyeshadow Twilight Rays Palette. I picked up this palette last week because....the colors were pretty ^_^ I loved the midnight blue (2) and 6-8 especially and had high hopes for this since I am a devout user of Maybelline's Linen (my highlighting staple). This was $6.48 from Walmart.
Despite my high hopes, I was to be disappointed.... The colors are quite lovely in the pan but applying them is another story. I'm not sure if it was just this particular item but the colors were so chalky. Almost crumbly and thus very difficult to get an even application. You can particularly see this in the lovely midnight blue (2) and 8. The colors are also rather on the sheer side. The sheerness if forgivable for 1, 3, maybe 4, 5, maybe 6, and 7. But I expected the midnight blue (2) and plum purple (8) to be at least somewhat pigmented and dramatic. The sad thing is, is that I think they tried to make them pigmented but the formula was bad hence the reason the darkest colors were the most chalky. All of the colors have glitter specks in them that reflect silver.
The following swatches were with me swiping the color with my finger 3-4 times and they turned out alright; I dunno what it was but I just couldn't get this kind of color onto my eyelid.
On the plus side, the lighter colors are quite acceptable for everyday wear and oddly enough, less crumbly then their darker counterparts. But that's not saying much, even the lighter colors are hard to apply evenly. I think the biggest disappointment for me was the overall weak color payoff when you're putting it on your eye.
The chalkiness of the Maybelline palette affected the additional eye shadows I added to make it more pigmented. Hence the slightly blotchy application. In summation I'd say this palette was not worth the buy. It was a disappointment, the colors were too light, the texture chalky, and application difficult. I shall be returning this :(
Pros:
- colors are pretty in the pan
- lighter colors are nice for delicate washes of color
Cons:
- chalky texture
- low color payoff
- hard to apply darker colors evenly
P.S. I tried this without any kind of primer. Maybe that would make a difference but the truth is that I just recently started using eyelid primer and my other eye shadows weren't this crumbly even then.
Despite my high hopes, I was to be disappointed.... The colors are quite lovely in the pan but applying them is another story. I'm not sure if it was just this particular item but the colors were so chalky. Almost crumbly and thus very difficult to get an even application. You can particularly see this in the lovely midnight blue (2) and 8. The colors are also rather on the sheer side. The sheerness if forgivable for 1, 3, maybe 4, 5, maybe 6, and 7. But I expected the midnight blue (2) and plum purple (8) to be at least somewhat pigmented and dramatic. The sad thing is, is that I think they tried to make them pigmented but the formula was bad hence the reason the darkest colors were the most chalky. All of the colors have glitter specks in them that reflect silver.
The following swatches were with me swiping the color with my finger 3-4 times and they turned out alright; I dunno what it was but I just couldn't get this kind of color onto my eyelid.
On the plus side, the lighter colors are quite acceptable for everyday wear and oddly enough, less crumbly then their darker counterparts. But that's not saying much, even the lighter colors are hard to apply evenly. I think the biggest disappointment for me was the overall weak color payoff when you're putting it on your eye.
| Colors 3, 5, 8. #8 had NO color payoff. The dark purple at the ends is actually from another palette. The inner corner white highlight is also Urban Decay Yeyo. In other words, the only "actual" color you're seeing from this palette is the white glittery part in the middle. |
Pros:
- colors are pretty in the pan
- lighter colors are nice for delicate washes of color
Cons:
- chalky texture
- low color payoff
- hard to apply darker colors evenly
P.S. I tried this without any kind of primer. Maybe that would make a difference but the truth is that I just recently started using eyelid primer and my other eye shadows weren't this crumbly even then.