Makeupgeek (MUG) Eyeshadow Review

If you are looking for some really affordable and yet really high-quality eyeshadow, look no further than Makeupgeek.com. I have been consistently impressed lately with the products I have ordered from MUG and my latest haul is no exception. With 50 shades to choose from, I headed to the blogs to look at swatches and read reviews in order make a selection of four shadows. The shadows are available in pot or pan and I chose to order some pans to put into a new palette I received. The pans are $5.99 each and you get even more product than what is in a MAC pro-pan (size difference pictured below in last picture). The drawback? No magnet on the back of the pan! I would gladly pay a buck more to get a magnet... just in case anyone is listening. Luckily, after trying the shadows, I can say that the no-magnet issue is the only drawback to these products. So pigmented, so smooth, so easy to blend, and such gorgeous colors! 

Shimma Shimma is a cream color full of micro-shimmer, no glitter! It's heavenly and so buttery soft. An amazing inner corner highlight. It is a true must-have for anyone. Don't be thrown off by the name, it is a classy shimmer.

Unexpected is a warm mauve/taupe shade that has some purple in it. It is an interesting shade, reminds me of MAC Quarry but better texture. Great crease color!

Cocoa Bear is a fan favorite among the bunch and is a red-toned matte brown. It is a shade or so darker than MAC Texture (comparison below in third picture) and about two shades darker than MAC Soft Brown. It's a perfect outer-v shade and I know I will get a lot of use out of it!

Beaches and Cream is a sandy peach that appears matte but when you look up close you can see the faintest bit of a sheen. It's a great all over base color or highlight shade or to blend out darker colors. It is just one of those every day multi-purpose kind of shades that everyone needs.

Final thought. These shadows aren't just nice for $5.99, they are nice for any price point. Dare I say I am more impressed with these than my MAC shadows? It's too early to tell but I will definitely be making more trips over to Makeupgeek.com soon! 

MUG Shimma Shimma (Top Left) Beaches & Cream (Top Right) Unexpected (Bottom Left) Cocoa Bear (Bottom Right)

MUG Shimma Shimma, Beaches & Cream (above)

MUG Unexpected, Cocoa Bear, MAC Texture (for reference)

MUG shadows + MAC Texture on the far right (above)

To compare size difference: Mac shadows (top row) MUG (bottom row)

The Blackest Matte Black Eyeshadow You've Ever Used: MakeupGeek Corrupt

Corrupt by MakeupGeek (MUG) is the blackest black you've ever laid eyes on. Or rather, that has ever laid on your eyes. Mind blowingly black I tell you. If you don't know, MakeupGeek is a cosmetics company started by Marlena who is one of the original YouTube beauty guru's with an amazing talent for makeup. She has her own line of products that include roughly 50 eyeshadows. You can buy them in the pan or the pot and the pans run $5.99 AND can be incorporated into your Z-Palette or MAC Pro (without the insert). Corrupt is among the favorites of this collection and I can see why. It is ridiculously pigmented and smooth in texture. It absolutely destroys MAC Carbon (not hard to do) and it is blacker than UD Blackout, which I had previously used as my go-to matte black. Corrupt isn't for the faint of heart. It is for people who take their smokey eye seriously and really want that rich dramatic black to add definition or to smudge out their eyeliner. For $5.99, you get more product than a MAC Pro-Pan and all of the quality and richness that you'd expect from a very expensive eyeshadow. Only better. You need this color in your makeup collection now. 

I will be reporting back when I receive the four other MUG shadows I've ordered based on reading numerous rave reviews about the quality of these products. 

MUG Corrupt Eyeshadow (above), courtesy of www.makeupgeek.com

Courtesy of http://thebeautifullifeofthegirlnextdoor.blogspot.com

Courtesy of http://confessionsofamakeupaddict.blogspot.com (above) MUG Corrupt 

 

 

A Small NYX Lip Product Haul!

Currently, NYX lip products are buy 1 get 1 50% off at ULTA. I picked up four lip products, three of which are mine and one is my daughter's but it is not pictured here. I have been wanting to try out the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams because the colors look so pretty. I grabbed the "Milan" shade which is a nice medium warm pink that looks like it has a hint of mauve thrown in there. I also picked up two lip liners, "Hot Red" and "Cabaret". I love NYX lip liners and I had previously seen someone use these two in a nice red lip combo, using the Hot Red to line and fill in the whole lip and then  Cabaret to define the edges of the lip. This combination really gave the lips a lot of dimension which I think is important when wearing red. Hot Red is a gorgeous true bright red which is sure to make the teeth look whiter, while Cabaret is a deeper slightly burgundy toned red. I plan to use these with my beloved Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet. 

A quickie review on the Soft Matte Lip Cream since I put it on in the car before driving home, as any lip product junkie would naturally do. NYX isn't lying, this product is like nothing else I own, "not a lipstick and not a gloss, it's a lipstick cream that goes on silky but looks soft matte". Yep, that about sums it up. It applies with a doe-foot applicator as you would apply a gloss but has the formula of a lightweight matte lipstick. It has a very powdery silky texture which I find interesting. The lips absorb the product so that it basically looks like a lip stain by the time you're finished putting it on. I don't find it to accentuate any lip imperfections and  it goes on very opaque. I think this is going to be a love it or hate it texture for most people because some may find it drying. I don't find it to be too drying but it definitely feels more like a stain than a lipstick. It may be called a "matte cream" but there is nothing creamy about how it feels on the lips. That being said, I really like it. It has good lasting power and doesn't make my lips look flaky (yet). I think the color would be flattering on all skin tones and is a gorgeous pink that really livens up the face. I also find this pink tone works especially nicely for those with blue eyes. Swatches below!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Milan, NYX Lip Liner in Hot Red & Cabaret  (above, below)