Maybelline Color Tattoo Collection - Swatches & Review

If you're a fan of cream eyeshadows like I am, you probably also have some Maybelline Color Tattoos... the problem is that they are addictive. Maybelline is always releasing Limited Edition shades and I find myself picking up one or two, until I've reached a collection of 18 strong! So I decided to do a post where I compare the shades that I own, you won't see much color overlap because I try to purchase only colors which are unique to my collection.

Too Cool, Barely Branded (Metal), Creamy Beige (Leather), Caremel Cool (LE, Dare to go Nude),  Nude Compliment (LE, Dare to go Nude)

Here you can see that the first 5 make great base eyeshadows, I prefer to layer these with eyeshadows of a similar shade to improve the color payoff.

• Too Cool is probably the one which is hardest to blend, being that the consistency is a little bit poorer than the rest. 
• Caramel Cool and Nude Compliment are from the Summer 2013 Limited Edition "Dare to go Nude" collection. 
• Creamy Beige is my dupe for the MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study (it works as an amazing universal base shade).

Inked in Pink (Metal), Vintage Plum (Leather), Deep Forest (Leather), Chocolate Suede (Leather)

• By far my favorite from this lot is Inked in Pink (from the now discontinued Metal collection) because I find it to be the most wearable shade of all of the color tattoos, it's a nice light pink shade with fine shimmer. 
• Chocolate Suede is another one I would recommend, it's part of the current permanent Leather collection, it goes on buttery smooth and has good color payoff. 
• Vintage Plum and Deep Forest are slightly more patchy (probably because they are mattes) but they are also richly pigmented (you're only seeing 1 swipe in the swatches). 

Silver Strike (Metal), Seashore Frosts (LE, Summer 2013), Electric Blue (Metal), Stroke of Midnight (LE, Dare to go Nude), Dramatic Black (Leather)

• Seashore Frosts (Limited Edition, Summer 2013 collection) is the most unique color of this bunch, it's a sheer wash of blue with golden iridescence - this isn't exactly a shade that can be worn alone and it requires some building up to get that golden pop to come out. 
• Electric Blue and Silver Strike are straight-forward metallic shades (from the Metal collection) 
• Electric Blue has a particularly great color payoff 
• Stroke of Midnight was the biggest disappointment of all the color tattoos I own because it has poor color payoff, applies patchy and looks more like a charcoal soot with glitter than a black. I wouldn't even use this color for a base because it's not pigmented enough to cover the color my skin for a smokey eye. 
• Dramatic Black (current Leather collection) was a complete redemption from Maybelline, it is a fully opaque black that can even be used as an eyeliner on your upper lash line (I've tried this and it results in very little smudging).

Gold Rush (Metal), Edgy Emerald, Lavish Lavender (LE, Summer 2013), Pomegranate Punk

• Gold Rush (Metal collection, now discontinued) is a bright yellow gold with sparkle, I really like this one for doing bright eyeshadow looks including neon greens and yellows.
• Edgy Emerald is a great emerald green shade with a satin finish that will help make green eyeshadows more vibrant when worn as a base.
• Lavish Lavender (LE, Summer 2013) is a violet purple with pink shimmer - this makes for a very unique lavender color which I love wearing with Urban Decay's Grifter eyeshadow
• Pomegranate Punk is a deep burgundy, wonderful for fall looks, it has a creamy consistency and performs well as either a standalone shade or in conjunction with eyeshadows - I highly recommend this one.

And there you have it, that's my whole collection from the past few years since these have been introduced. I have been storing them upside down, I'm told this helps them last longer and prevents drying out.

What are your favorites?

IPSY Unboxing - July 2014 "Sensationally Sunkissed"

This month's Ipsy bag featured a wide variety of products, a quick gloss-over reveals nail polish, sunscreen, hair treatment, lip balm and cream eyeshadow. This is definitely a subscription service for those who are looking to expand their overall beauty collection.

The first item is a full sized Models Own nail polish in "Red Sea" from the Splash Collection. I'm happy with this since it seems to be a full color polish with the added bonus of chunky glitter. Retail value: $8.57 (Full Size)

This month I received another item from Pixi Beauty, a Mini Tinted Brilliance Balm in "Pretty Pink", this is a deluxe sized sample. Retail value: $8.40

I also received a Bare Minerals 5-in-1 BB advanced performance cream eyeshadow in "Divine Wine", this is a deluxe sized sample. Retail value: $5.40

This month's bag contained Marrakesh Split End Mender & Preventer (Retail value: $5.99) as well as Pur-Lisse sunscreen/moisturizer (Retail value: $16.18). Both are deluxe-sized items that I will get use out of as I tend to over-wash my hair and dry it out with various shampoos and hair dyes. The sunscreen is an essential item and it's so small and cute that I will be happy to carry it in my purse or in the car for emergencies!

 I have heard many complaints from various beauty bloggers that they didn't really like the bag this month but to be quite honest, I really do. It's a larger more square-ish configuration than the usual and it has cute lace detailing. Since the bag isn't overly patterned or busy, I think this is the ideal sort of bag for carrying my travel cosmetics.

The value of my July 2014 IPSY bag was $44.54 which is a wonderful value for the $10 I paid. If you want to sign up for your very own IPSY monthly subscription, click here. 

Liquid Cream Shadow Formulas

From left to right: Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (054 for green eyes), Too Faced Glitter Glaze (Silver Spark & Goldie Rocks), EyeTini Shadow Tint (Ambrosia & Violette), Jane Cream Shadow (Lilac & Gold) 

Lately, I've discovered a new-found love of liquid formula cream eyeshadows. I find that the pigments usually have great color payoff and the application is so simple with a doe-foot or wand applicator (as opposed to having to use my fingers as with my beloved Maybelline Color Tattoos). I have a variety of different shades and types so I figured a quick review of them could be helpful for those of you looking for an easy application of wearable color.

I do want to say that these colors are all somewhat shimmery or reflective, they are not matte at all but I actually prefer this look on the eye, rather than an all-matte look. You can, however, always layer them with any finish of eyeshadow you want for a more potent color and extra dimensions.

Swatch Reference Photos:

Swatches Photographed with Flash - From left to right: Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (054 for green eyes), Too Faced Glitter Glaze (Silver Spark & Goldie Rocks), EyeTini Shadow Tint (Ambrosia & Violette), Jane Cream Shadow (Lilac & Gold) 

Swatches Photographed in Natural Light - From left to right: Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (054 for green eyes), Too Faced Glitter Glaze (Silver Spark & Goldie Rocks), EyeTini Shadow Tint (Ambrosia & Violette), Jane Cream Shadow (Lilac & Gold) 

The beginning of this fascination with cream shadows began with the Too Faced Glitter Glazes which are absolutely breath-taking (they are the 2nd and 3rd swatches from the left). I believe these are currently on sale at TooFaced.com for $9 each (that's an ABSOLUTE steal) because they're limited edition (original price was $21)!!! These function either as a stand-alone eyeshadow or a glittery-tinted top-coat for your eyeshadows.




The Almay Intense I-Color liquid shadow (first swatch from the left) is probably the one that impressed me least, I think the formula is a lot more sheer (although it is buildable) and dries more quickly than all of the others. This sort of forces you to work quickly when putting it on your eyes. I do think the colors are quite beautiful and neutral, however, so if I can find any more of these on clearance or sale, I will pick them up.

My February IPSY Glam Bag rekindling my love for liquid shadow formulas when they included EyeTini Shadow Tint in Ambrosia (4th swatch from the left) and I loved the full coverage so much and intense pigmentation that I absolutely had to order Violette (5th swatch from the left) off eBay. These are the absolute perfect formula, it's not too thick but also not too thin, they don't bunch up, don't crease, and are super easy to blend with powdered eyeshadows as well. I'm not a huge fan of the Tini brand, but this product is definitely giving me a much more positive outlook on them.

And finally, a brand that has seen a recent revival (specifically at Ulta) is Jane (the last 2 swatches from the left). I hadn't picked anything up until I saw these cream shadows even though I saw many glowing reviews of the brand on YouTube from fellow beauty bloggers. These shadows are very reasonably priced (around $8) and they have a very wide selection of colors. The only difference between these and the EyeTini shadows is that these tend to reflect a little bit metallic. Try not to deposit too much product because it can bunch up and create flakes (I find this happens sometimes with MAC Paint Pots in vivid colors as well). These are a great buy and I've really enjoyed using them alone and as a base coat for other eyeshadows!

Let me know if there are others you guys prefer in the liquid formula - I'd love to get my hands on some more and continue experimenting!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Limited Edition Collection "Dare To Go Nude" Swatches

Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Color Tattoo Collection. Credit: nouveaucheap.blogspot.com

The beloved Color Tattoos by Maybelline are getting new shades! For a limited time only, these exclusive shades from the "Dare To Go Nude" Collection will be available at Walgreens, Duane Reade, and CVS (I can only confirm these retail locations for now).

I checked out the shade range and was expecting to see some new colors, I was a little bit disappointed because I only thought the shades "Caramel Cool" and "Stroke of Midnight" were unique from the line-up. Swatches of the entire line-up can be seen below:

Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Color Tattoo Collection Swatches. Credit: nouveaucheap.blogspot.com

I was so excited about this collection in its entirety until I saw it in my local Duane Reade. When I compared the first two lightest shades ("Pure Nude" and "Beige-ing Beauty") they looked so incredibly similar to "Barely Branded" from the premanent Metal collection. I already have the whole Metal collection so there was no reason for me to pick up 2 more colors which looked identical to the naked eye (especially once they're blended out or used as a base). The next colors, "Nude Complement" and "Sleek & Spice" were very close to "Tough as Taupe" and "Bad to the Bronze", respectively. I'm just not thrilled about those shades so I didn't pick them up, either. That really, unfortunately, only left me with "Caramel Cool" and "Stroke of Midnight" by default!

Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Color Tattoo Collection - Caramel Cool and Stroke of Midnight

 I was most excited by "Caramel Cool" as it is an absolutely beautiful crease and transition color, especially for fair skin. "Stroke of Midnight" is a little bit patchy, as you can see from the swatches below, but it is definitely workable and I would only consider using it as a base to make colorful eyeshadows pop and transform shades.

Caramel Cool and Stroke of Midnight -  Natural Light

Caramel Cool and Stroke of Midnight - with Flash

 Maybelline releases at least a few Limited Edition collections a year and with my already absurd stash of these, I reserved myself to buying only the ones which were unique to my collection. There's a good amount of product inside of these pots so unless you exclusively use these (and you know I sure don't with my vast collection of makeup!). Let me know if you guys picked any up and what you think of the collection!