Maybelline Expert Wear Shadow Duo in Sunkissed Olive

Maybelline Modern Metallics Duo in 90D Sunkissed Olive
$3.94 at Target US

I think these colours go well together and I thought they would go nicely with my olive/tan skin tone.

Swatches (no flash)
The pigmentation is great, as is the texture. However, the lighter shade looks ashy on my skin (but this ashiness didn't pick up on camera). The olive colour comes off as more grey than olive as well. 

Swatches with flash
I think this duo will work better for me in the winter when my skin is much lighter.

All things considered, this is a great duo. I've tried to purchase it a few times but they were always sold out. I think it's one of their most popular duos!

I'm not sure if this is available in Canada (I've only seen the Maybelline singles and quads). Target is coming to Canada soon so I can only hope that we'll get a ton of new products!

Maybelline Color Sensation The Porcelains Lipstick

I found these at Meijer in the US for around $6.99 each.

The packaging is frosty and has a rubbery feeling to it.

Afternoon Tea

Flawless Fuchsia

Afternoon Tea, Flawless Fuchsia
(without flash)

Afternoon Tea, Flawless Fuchsia
(with flash)

These are matte finish and have a pleasant vanilla-ish scent to them. In certain lights, they have a tiny bit of shine/gloss, but for the most part, they are matte. Afternoon Tea is quite natural on the lips if you have darker lips to being with.

They're not opaque after applying one layer, so these are good if you want just a hint of colour, but they can be built up to be opaque.

I'd say these are of average quality. They can be a bit drying, so I'd recommend applying a primer/lip balm a few minutes beforehand.

Maybelline Palette in Sunbaked Neutrals

I love this! I found it at Walmart in the US for about $6. The colours in this palette are ones that I tend to use on a regular basis and it comes in a variety of finishes (matte, shimmer, pearl).

I think this palette is great for travel because it's small and contains 8 neutral but very different eyeshadows. 

Swatches of the top row of the palette

Swatches of the bottom row

These eyeshadow wear very well. The lighter shades are more sheer (which is great for highlighting) while the darker shades are more pigmented, which is great for definition.

This palette is a dupe for countless high-end colours, a list of which I can put together if anyone would like (a list of palettes and high-end dupes in general is something I'm thinking of doing soon).

Right now, I can say that the dark green shade in the lower right corner is a close dupe for Lancome's Designer, while the palette overall is similar to Kat Von D's Palette in Ludwig and Wet n Wild's Comfort Zone.

For about $6, you can't go wrong with this palette.

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Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Single in Golden Halo

This is an addition to an earlier post which contains a review of this product.

The following photos are of the Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Single in Golden Halo.

Right: swatched alone Left: swatched with primer
Without flash

Right: swatched alone Left: swatched with primer
With flash

Golden Halo is part of the Modern Metallics line. It has a great metallic finish but is more difficult to apply than a shimmery or satin eyeshadow. Using a primer intensifies the colour and the finish and also makes the actual application easier.

Available on Amazon:

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Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzers and Blushes

I heard somewhere that these were being discontinued. I haven't noticed them disappearing in the stores, but these were/are on sale at Superstore (Canada) for $3.94 each! I was really only interested in the brown shades because I wanted to see if they could be used as eyeshadow bases.

These are actually amazing as eyeshadow bases. I first apply a primer and then a small amount of Dream Mousse and then layer an eyeshadow on top. It makes the eyeshadow stay on all day and remain crease-free. I find that using bases helps make the eyeshadow stick to your eyelid better as primers can often dry really quickly and lose their adhesiveness.

Left to right: 10 Glistening Sun, 20 Sun Glow, 60 Coffee Cake

Glistening Sun (with flash)

Glistening Sun (without flash)

Sunglow (with flash)

Sun Glow (without flash)

Coffee Cake (without flash)

Coffee Cake (with flash)

Two swatches of each; one apply thickly and one blended onto the skin.
Glistening Sun, Sun Glow, Coffee Cake
(with flash)

Two swatches of each; one apply thickly and one blended onto the skin.
Glistening Sun, Sun Glow, Coffee Cake
(without flash)

The texture of these are halfway between a cream and a mousse. I don't think they're meant to be very pigmented because as they are meant to be used as bronzers and blushes, they want them to blend very easily and just give a hint of colour.

They are packaged in glass containers similar to MAC Paint Pots and Maybelline Color Tattoos, but the lids are a bit larger than they need to be. This makes them a bit bulky, but they have a nice weight to them.

I imagine these are similar in texture to the Dream Mousse Shadows, but I don't believe they were ever released in Canada. I really hope they aren't discontinuing this line because is has great products! That, and I'm hoping they end up releasing the Shadows here.

As for using these as bronzers, I can't comment as I don't like using cream bronzers/blushes this time of year. However, I feel as if they would give a nice glow to anywhere you apply it.

Pigmentation: 2/5 (which is appropriate considering their intended use)

Packaging: 5/5

Staying Power: 5/5 (when used as a base under other eyeshadows)

Price: $9 CAD 

Availability: WalMart, Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart

Repurchase: Yes

Dupes:

Maybelline Eyestudio Color Pearls Marbelized Eyeshadow

This is a product which I purchased when it came out, used it all and have recently purchased again!

I repurchased it in Bronze Blowout and decided to get Khaki Craze as well. They're about $8 in Canada, but I got them in the US for much cheaper (around $4-5).

Khaki Craze, Bronze Blowout

Khaki Craze, Bronze Blowout (with flash)

Khaki Craze, Bronze Blowout (without flash)

Khaki Craze, Bronze Blowout (with flash)

Khaki Craze, Bronze Blowout (without flash)

When I purchased Bronze Blowout the first time, I used the dark brown a lot more than the marbelized gold/pink. The reason being that the solid colours in these duos are a lot smoother than the marbelized sides. You can see from the swatches that the green and brown in Khaki Craze and Bronze Blowout have much less fall out than the colours they are paired with.

It's nice that they paired coordinating colours together, with two different finishes, but I personally don't use the marbelized side much. They are a bit more difficult to work with (as they are more gritty), but they are useful if you want some glitter/sparkle.

Based on the solid colours alone, these duos are a great value and because the colours are rich and smooth, you'll likely get a lot of use out of them. Khaki Craze and Bronze Blowout are both wearable colours that can be worn day-to-day, but they can also be used in more dramatic ways by using the marbelized shades.

The packaging is sturdy and compact, though as you use up more of the product, the eyeshadow becomes less secure to the packaging and could crumble/break more easily.

Pigmentation: 5/5

Packaging: 3/5

Staying Power: 5/5

Price: $8 CAD/ $5 USD

Availability: WalMart

Repurchase: Yes

Dupes:

Available on Amazon:

Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Singles

These are another product that aren't available in Canada (as far as I know) and so I purchased them in the US for a few dollars each.

Though Maybelline Single Eyeshadows are available in Canada, the Stylish Smokes line isn't (or at least I haven't been able to find them where I live).

I bought Antique Jade and Cinnamon Spice.

Top: Antique Jade
Bottom: Cinnamon Spice

Cinnamon Spice, Antique Jade

Cinnamon Spice, Antique Jade

Cinnamon Spice, Antique Jade (with flash)

Cinnamon Spice, Antique Jade (without flash)

I think these are really great for the price! Although they're not intensely pigmented, they apply nicely and have no fall out. I wouldn't say that they're creamy, but they're not chalky either. They're nice to use if you want some colour, but not too opaque.

They need to be worn over a primer, as many eyeshadows do, but they will last about 5-6 hours before creasing (at least in my experience).

I'll definitely purchase more the next time I go to the US as the price is very good ($2-3) and it's a good product!

Pigmentation: 4/5
Packaging: 4/5
Staying Power: 3/5
Price: $2-3 US
Availability: WalMart US
Dupes:

Available on Amazon:

Drugstore Tinted Lip Balms: Revlon, L'Oreal, Maybelline

This Fall/Winter, many drugstore makeup brands have released tinted lip balms that boast rich pigmentation, along with intensely moisturizing ingredients.

I've collected one tinted lip balm from Revlon, L'Oreal and Maybelline in order to compare the pigmentation and effectiveness of each. I also purchased two of the clear Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms to see how they compare with the tinted ones.

Left to right: Revlon Lip Butter in 050 Berry Smoothie, L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in 518 Tender Mauve, Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in 05 Quenched, 10 Peppermint, 20 Grape Vine

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie (without flash)

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie (with flash)

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve (with flash)

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve (without flash)

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Grape Vine (without flash)

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Grape Vine (with flash)

Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched

Maybelline Baby Lips in Peppermint

Swatches (left to right): Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve, Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine (without flash)

Swatches (left to right): Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve, Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine (with flash)

For the purposes of this review, I chose one similar colour from each brand so that I could compare the pigmentation of each. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

Pros:
-Nicely pigmented
-Applies smoothly
-Applies evenly
-Hydrating
-Not sticky or greasy
-Coloured packaging matches the colour of the product

Cons:
-~$10 CAD each
-Unscented (with a name like Berry Smoothie, you expect it to smell good!)

Grade: A-

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve

Pros:
-Applies evenly
-SPF 15
-Coloured packaging matches the colour of the product
-Has a slight vanilla scent and flavour (in my opinion, this is a good thing)
-Nice packaging
-Hydrating
-Not sticky or greasy
-Contains some shimmer (I'm indifferent about this as I would normally not go for shimmer, but it's nice to have the option in case that's what I'm looking for)

Cons:
-More expensive than the Revlon Lip Butter (~$11 CAD)
-Poor pigmentation in comparison with the Lip Butters
-Sometimes has a slight 'gritty' texture to it, probably as a result of the shimmer

Grade: B+

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Grape Vine

Pros:
-More than half the price of the other tinted lip balms mentioned in this review (~$4)
-Scented (again, this is my personal preference)
-Applies evenly
-Applies smoothly
-Doesn't apply as thickly as the Lip Butter or Balm, even though the other two aren't very thick to begin with
-SPF 20
-Hydrating
-Not sticky or greasy

Cons:
-doesn't come in a variety of colours

Grade: A

**Peppermint and Quenched are great! I actually like them better than Grape Vine. I think the pigmentation in Grape Vine makes it 'thinner' in consistency, which may not necessarily be what you want from a lip balm. 
Peppermint gives that 'tingly' effect to your lips while Quenched has a mild sweet scent that is difficult to describe!

Overall, I think these are all very good products, but the Baby Lips Lip Balms are a better value for your money (in terms of hydration). If you're looking for pigmentation and hydration, I definitely recommend the Lip Butters. As I have only tried one of the Colour Riche balms, I can't say much, but of the one I have tried, I'm not as impressed with them as I am with the Lip Butters.

Available on Amazon: