Review: Maybelline ExpertWear Quads

Holy moly, At long last I have finished this my compilation review of my Maybelline ExpertWear quads ^_^!  I am quite fond of Maybelline palettes, even though their formula isn't amazing, it's decent and I love the colors they put together. They are very easy to find and retail $6-7 with the occasional BOGO 50%.  I really hope that this review is helpful to everyone looking to try a Maybelline palette. Four of these quads are from the Stylish Smokes line aka everything except Designer Chocolates.

Unfortunately, I have not tried the two most popular quads in the ExpertWear line: Chai Latte (most highly ranked on MUA) and Enchanted Forest (#2 on MUA).  This happened because Chai Latte looked too similar to Natural Smokes, which I bought first, and I accidentally bought Emerald Smokes instead of Enchanted Forest :P  Seriously, I was standing in the aisle at Walmart trying to remember which green Maybelline quad was more highly ranked and I couldn't remember for the life of me :P  Then I got too lazy to make an exchange. Oh well xD

The four evenly divided palettes are the same as the horizontal palettes (as in formula), I believe.  I also think the 4-square ones are an older version of these quads since I just started seeing the horizontal palettes recently.  I think the horizontals are supposed to be for more dramatic looks and the 4 squares are for wearable everyday looks.  They just stamp different instructions on them:

- 4 even square palettes: Browbone, Lid, Crease, Outer Corner
- horizontal palettes: Base, Lid, Crease, Liner

All the palettes come in both forms so I guess this is Maybelline's way of diversifying without actually adding anymore colors to their collection.  In general, all the quads come with a balance of matte and shimmer shadows.

Thoughts on the ExpertWear Quads as a whole . . . .
Packaging: Decent.  Slim, easy transportable, practical.  Nothing to complain about really but I wish it came with a built in mirror.

Pigmentation: It's a mixed bag but the matte shadows tend to be bad, the shimmery shadows tend to be quite good. I'll get more into it in the individual reviews.

Formula: After trying five quads, I have to say their matte shadows are usually poop.  They are generally chalky, very powdery and virtually useless.  However, there is no fallout.  Their shimmer shadows are overall much higher quality.  Although they aren't as pigmented as say, Urban Decay shadows, they have enough color payoff to add a small pop of color in a wearable, professional way.  I wouldn't go as far as to say the colors are velvety but they are quite blendable nonetheless.  The shimmer shadows are buildable, the matte shadows, not so much.  The darker matte shadows are somewhat buildable but....they don't build very well.  You have to get used to packing on with the sponge then ever-so-carefully blending just the edges.  :\  I don't have problems with creasing but some have mentioned that this is a problem. Tip: Sponge tips are actually better for packing on color than brushes :)

Overall Quality: As I said, I like these quads.  Some quads are definitely better than others but as a whole, Maybelline's quads are great for practical everyday looks, readily available, and pretty cost friendly.  The perfect small purchase to perk up a dreary day I'd say ^^

**Note** I don't use primers with eyeshadows ever, in real life or in swatches, so it's quite possible to get more pigmentation if you do use primers.

Ok onto detailed in-depth reviews :)

Maybelline Expert Eyeshadow Quad in Charcoal Smokes

Makeup Alley says:

Average Rating: 4.0/5.0

75% would buy this product again

This is one of the most loved Maybelline Quads.  It's considered one of the easiest quads to use to create both wearable everyday looks and a sexy~ smokey eye.

I dunno why I got the swatches so out of order ^^

These are SINGLE SWIPE swatches so they would be much more pigmented on your lid.

#1 Liner: In the pan and finger swatches, the glittery black is gorgeous with a blue base silver microglitter.  I find it very difficult to build and the glitter is not visible on your lid ><  I never use it and find it fairly useless to get a smokey eye.

#2 Lid: If you consider that the swatch is just one swipe, you can see that it has pretty good pigmentation! It's a lovely taupe with a silver sheen.  A very practical color that works well with both smokey and natural eye looks.

#3 Crease: The finger swatch is oddly blue O_o  But it's a dark gray with a blue undertone that works well with my cool undertone.   It's a little powdery compared to the Lid and Base color but it's not so bad. Overall, I'm not a huge fan on this color though.

#4 Base: The lightest color is actually my favorite ^^  It's a shimmery gray-silver that I like to use as a base.  I think it's a little too shimmery as a browbone and nose highlighter but in a pinch it works fine :) It's also a perfect inner corner highlight. What I really like about this is that you can use it as a subtle wash of color or build it to a more noticeable silver-gray.

Overall
Unfortunately, as a whole, this quad is not something I recommend :\  It doesn't have the versatility I expected, mostly because the black liner color is so patently useless.  This wormed it's way into one of my monthly favorites video because I like the shimmery Base color and taupe color is so purty.  Also it's really easy to crank out an everyday look or semi-smokey eye out of this.  BUT I feel like that after using this for 3-4 months I do NOT recommend this palette in the sense that the other Maybelline quads are better.

To clarify, this is a decent quad and it wouldn't be waste per se to buy it, but I just feel like there are better Maybelline quads to buy.  Also, a smokey eye look palette is a must-have in any makeup collection so I think you should invest in a more expensive smokey eye palette if you can.  Besides a good matte (or slightly shimmery) black and white are staples so plopping down as much as $30 for a high end shadow that works well is well worth it.  Sometimes it's better to spend a bit more than wasting $6-7 on something that you will probably use regularly but isn't ideal.  This is one of those times :)

Maybelline Expert Eyeshadow Quad in Natural Smokes

Makeup Alley says:

Average Rating: 4.1/5.0

74% would buy this product again

Natural Smokes is even MORE loved than Charcoal Smokes (for good reason).  It is just such a perfect everyday quad.  Honestly, I use this more than my UD Naked palette - why? I'm not sure, but I think it's because it's more portable, slightly less pigmented (thus easier to blend out mistakes which I make a lot of ehhe), and just...yeah, 4 colors are quite enough for an everyday neutral look.  I really do like the UD Naked but come on, it's almost ostentatious (and clunky) to carry around 12 neutral shadows everyday >_>

#1 Outer Corner: A matte dark brown.  The arm swatches aren't as pigmented as the finger swatches but it has several redeeming qualities: it's blendable, not powdery at ALL (very unusual for a drugstore matte shadow), and easily buildable.  And as a dark brown goes it is very, very acceptable.

#2 Crease: I shimmery brown with gold flecks.  A lovely silky (almost velvety) texture, no fallout, very blendable...just no complaints.

#3 Lid: A light gold with silver flecks.  It looks a bit powdery on my fingers but it really isn't  It's a lovely shimmery color that is just great on the center of your lid to add a bit of dimension.

#4 Browbone: A matte off-white color. I use this as a base color too and at my inner corners.  It leans a tad on the chalky side but it's not too bad at all, as you can see in the arm swatch.

Overall
All four colors are good and together, these shadows make it so easy to create a neutral everyday look.  You just can't go wrong with it.  A slight downside is that without a base, this is not particularly long-lasting, maybe 4-5 hours.  But with a base, it will last 7-8 hours, good enough to last through work.  Also I think this would make a great "beginners" palette.  It's very easy to blend and correct mistakes.   I recommend this palette very much for people looking for a portable, easy to use, neutral palette.

Maybelline Expert Eyeshadow Quad in Designer Chocolates
Makeup Alley says:
Average Rating: 3.6/5.0

63% would buy this product again

This was the first Maybelline Quad I ever bought.  I got it solely for the burgundy red crease color (a serious dupe of one of the colors from the NARS Cheyenne duo I think).  I did a tutorial with this quad once, so you can go there to see what the red color looks like on a face.

From LT to RT:
#1 Outer Corner: A matte (milk chocolate) brown color.  I think it has a slight gold shimmer to it.   Once again, it's lighter than the finger swatches but it's still a nice color that matches well with the burgundy red.  If this brown was too dark it would overwhelm the crease color anyway.

#2 Crease: A lovely shimmery burgundy-red with a silver flash.  The reason behind the purchase.  It took me a little fiddling to learn how to use this color.  The first time I put it on I looked like I'd been crying all day ^^  Basically, never use red below your eye :P  It does chunk a little bit if you try to pack on too much at once but overall it's easy to blend and has pretty good color payoff. No fallout either.

#3 Lid: A matte peach.  It looks a lot better in swatches :P but this is my least favorite color because it's nearly invisible on my NC20-25 face.  It's also a little bit chalky though it looks deceivingly silky in the pictures -__-

#4 Browbone: A matte eggshell beige.  Chalky with a tad bit of fallout.  Overall, it can be worked with though and is a nice subtle highlighter for your inner corners and indeed perfect for your browbone.

Overall
The Lid color is a miss for me but the other three colors are nice to work with.  I am so in love with the red color though so I don't regret this purchase at all.  However, as much as I personally like it I hesitate to recommend everyone try it.  I know most people do not want to bother with reddish shadows and it's not really a very versatile quad.  I'd have to say overall, you guys should be the judge.

Maybelline Expert Eyeshadow Quad in Emerald Smokes
Makeup Alley says:
Average Rating: 3.8/5.0

75% would buy this product again

By far one of the most beautiful quads I've seen in the pan.  Just LOOK at the Crease and Liner color!

#1 Base: a matte pale yellow.  A little on the powdery side, but it's not bad.

#2 Lid: A slightly shimmery olive with gold flecks.  It's not creamy per se, but it applies well enough.  A very workable neutral.

#3 Crease: A shimmery fern green.  It's not as vibrant as Urban Decay shadows but this color is an easy, subtle way to add a pop of color to an everyday look :) It reminds of less pigmented, more wearable version of UD Kush, which I reckon is a good thing.

#4 Liner: A matte black with gold and bronze flecks. Probably the most disappointing color in this quad.  Maybelline can't do blues and matte blacks, I swear :P The gold flecks become nearly non-existent and the essentially useless :{

Overall
I like this quad because it's easy to get a neutral look that isn't all taupe and biege :)  The fern green is so flattering on yellow undertones I think.  I rarely wear greens (or purple) eyeshadows because I feel like they're easy to mess up and produce the "black eye" look, but this is a lovely vibrant green that somehow never produces a bruised look :) I think this would be a good introduction to green eyeshadow for beginners.

Maybelline Expert Eyeshadow Quad in Sapphire Smokes
Makeup Alley says:
Nothing.  Not even on there since it's not popular enough.

This is one of those palettes that look drop dead gorgeous in the pan but awful otherwise :\  It's not even on MUA for a reason, I don't know why anyone would want it once they've tried it -_-  And is it just me or does Maybelline just not know how to formulate blue shadows >_>?

#1 Base: a matte white.  Very powdery and pretty useless.  It's hard to get any pigmentation.

#2 Lid: A shimmery white. Not powdery but impossible to get any pigmentation. It has faint shimmers but washes out to near invisibility.

#3 Crease: A shimmery teal. This was surprisingly awful.  Finger swatches were nice but trying to get it on your eye is a different story.  It tends to just blend away completely.

#4 Liner: A shimmery navy blue.  A big fat disappointment - SO gorgeous in the pan and in finger swatches but it blends away so easily on your eye :(

Overall
In the pan and in finger swatches, the blues looked so promising.  But then you put it on your skin and it's just....wtf?  Very chalky, almost no color payoff, and tends to blend away into invisibility.  I don't have anything to say except this entire quad is a pass.  Sadly enough, all four colors suck and I straight up do not recommend this palette.

eww my wrists are so vein-y >0<

And just for fun, here is what my arms looked like afterwards ^_^ I'm a rainbow zebra xD Useful to see what the colors look like at a distance no :)?

Recommended:
Natural Smokes
Emerald Smokes

Maybe:
Designer Chocolates (one of my personal favorites though)
Charcoal Smokes (very loved but I don't like it :\)

Not Recommended:
Sapphire Smokes

*whew* So that's that. I think it took me over two months to finish this post -__- I hope this was helpful!

A Simple (Lunar) New Year Makeup Tutorial

So yeah...I recorded this in December with every intention of posting it on 12/31/2010. Oh well. ahaha I did say procrastination was one of my New Year Resolutions ^_^  Also it surprises me a bit that people are more interested in seeing wearable, every day looks (see poll to right..and vote ^_~), but I guess it's just because I personally enjoy watching more costume-y tutorials xD  Anyway, here is my stab at a wearable look (ironically, for a holiday when most people wear dramatic, party looks hehe).  I had a mild cold in this video so sorry if I sound a little "sleepy" :}

Products Used:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Maybelline Charcoal Smokes Quad
Maybelline Designer Chocolates
Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Liner in Black
* UD Uzi (optional)
* UD Maui Wowie (optional)
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara in Black
UD 24/7 Glide Pencil in Lucky
Lioele Silky Highlighter BB Touch
NYX Mosaic Blush in Dare
Etude House Dear Darling Lipstick in Coral Shine 07
The All Natural Face lipgloss in Aztec Gold

* =  from UD Book of Shadows 3

I dunno why the pic on the left turned out so green and the right so yellow :P   Colors are most accurate in face shots.  Anyway, I was aiming to create a wearable, but still celebratory look that blended berry reds, silvers, and golds~ The colors were inspired by how Chinese believe red and gold is lucky and how white and silver are supposed to "rabbit year" colors. 

In any case, I really like the Maybelline Expert Wear Quads, they're so...useful.  Plus they're easy to get your paws on in drugstores/online and cheap to boot :D!  I snagged two of mine at a BOGO 50% sale at Walgreens, thanks to Sisi Sparkles who posts drugstore sales every week. I own three Maybelline Quads: Charcoal Smokes, Natural Smokes, and Designer Chocolates. I used two of them in this tut :}  I have fantasies of owning ALL the quads, but since I just picked up the UD Naked Palette *sigh* I will have to refrain from getting any more "neutral" palettes.

The red crease color from Maybelline's Designer Chocolates also really strikes me as a dupe for the burnished red/berry color in the NARS Cheyenne duo.

Temptalia's swatch makes it seem like NARS Cheyenne's is a wee bit on the brown side and more pigmented.  I can't say for sure though since I've never seen the duo in real life.  But Maybelline's red crease color in just about the only red-ish eye shadow I can work with - it's a soft, shimmery berry red color, it's the whole reason I purchased that palette.  I'll be doing a collective review of Maybelline Quads so I'll do swatches then :}

To amp up the look, of course, I whipped out my trusty UD Book of Shadows III!

Uzi and Maui Wowie are glittery shades and have a bit of fallout. Not bad though :) I consider these colors "optional" colors for this look though, the red crease color is really the showpiece ^_^

And yes, I cut my hair. I regret it so much. I asked the hair dresser to trim off 2-3 inches and she chopped off SIX inches within seconds of saying, "Nah, 3 isn't enough, you have too much hair." *snipsnip* Me: O_O?!  It was so much hair it looked like a small possum had died behind my chair.

Ugh, the trials of getting your hair cut by one of your mom's friends - I swear that Korean ahjummas are fully content to make decisions FOR you whether they're your mom or not if you're below the age of 30.  I should've just gone to my trusty (and more expensive) hair stylist.  All I'd wanted was to trim off my split ends, retouch my bangs, grow my hair for 2-3 more months, snip off the whole shebang to donate, and get a bob cut -___-  Now I have to grow my hair out again for another year to donate (minimum hair length is 10 in) and I am deeply unsatisfied with my hair. For one thing she didn't thin my hair so my head still feels "heavy" and my hair is even frizzier O_O   And while it still feels heavy and unmanagable, I am much more limited with the hair styles I can do.  I miss having my tumble of hair to play with. Now I shed just as much, my hair is frizzier, and I am stuck doing braids and little pony tails.  Whine, whine, bitch n moan *sigh*   I'm such a baby. I know hair grows back, but I miss my little cape of hair :(

Ok, enough of that xP  Time to go eat some macarons and drool over Iron Chef reruns!

Review: NYX Product Reviews

Now for more reviews ^_^ This time from a couple NYX stuff I picked up from Cherry Culture.  Cherry Culture is pretty much the place to get NYX products; I've compared prices left and right - at Ulta, Ebay, various drugstores - CC hands down has the best prices.  Shipping isn't even much of an issue because it's always free shipping when you spend $40+.  Ulta in my area particularly jacks up the prices of NYX single shadows and round lipsticks and NYX is not carried at Walmart here. So yeah, online is really the place to get NYX for me.  The stuff came well packaged and within a week of ordering + detailed receipt.

If I recall correctly I got these all on Final Sale so they were cheaper than usual. For example, the famous NYX Round Lipsticks are usually $3.50 and I snagged em for $2.50 :D  All of these NYX items are still on sale (in the Sale section) so grab them now (esp the Round lipsticks)~!  I've heard some people have gotten these for as low as $1.75 but either way it's an amazing bargain.   NYX is known for their Round Lipsticks and Single Eye Shadows, so those are items you should definitely try if you're thinking about trying NYX stuff.

Everything was in bubble wrap but what I really like is how they put the concealer in a separate pouch in case it breaks or something.  Attention to details like that always impresses me. Neway,  I've put swatches of everything up here except the concealer, I still need to take pics of how it covers blemishes~   And I have yet to try on the lashes but they're pretty cute yeah ;)? I'll review them properly another time.

NYX Fabulous Eye Lashes - $4.00

Option 121.

Option 114.

The look real nice but let's see if these really last 10 uses ;) Sample pics online are exactly what you get.

NYX Single Eye Shadows - $3.99

Extreme Apricot, Blue Marine

I only bought two so I could see what the hype was all about before a bigger investment.  The camera really captures the exact color of Extreme Apricot in this pic I think, hopefully individual monitor colors aren't too far off.  On the left is a matte red-orange, truly exquisite.  The color is rich and exactly red-orange. Love it.  Very smooth and no fallout.  Blue Marine is supposed to be a matte color too but I swear it has light sparkles and a slightly frosty finish I think. Blue Marine also has a bit of fallout and is less smooth on application than the apricot. Overall, great pigmentation and the color pay off is worth the price tag.

I don't have a particular reason I picked these eyeshadows, I just really like blues and that apricot color looked unusual. I mainly picked these up to see what all the hype about these shadows were.  I'll definitely be picking more up, these were quite good, especially the matte colors.  NYX has a great range of single shadows so I look forward to exploring more of the unusual colors.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush - $6.00

This is my first cream blush -- I've been dying to try out Canmake Cream Blushes but I've heard good things about NYX Cream Blushes so I decided to try this out and it looked quite similar to Canmake's.  I don't regret it, this blush is super creamy and pigmented.  My swatch is obviously a lot darker than how you'd apply it on your cheeks - the actually color you'd get on your cheeks is like the top part of the swatch where it fades out. I only took one pic because it captures just how the blush looks in room lighting.  Rose Petal is among the more popular colors for this blush and I can see why, it's a very wearable color indeed.  It's got a peach-pink glow and while it looks more brownish in the pan it's a lovely peach pink on your face.  Cream blushes are said to be more natural and give a delicate lit-from-within glow powder blushes just don't give and I would say that's true.  There are no sparkles and it just settles into my skin into a subtle healthy flush - very natural.  It looks like I just came in from a quick jog :)  A good first cream blush and it's decent size too.

I applied this onto my face with my fingers the first time *yuck* cuz I didn't have any sponges and it was a bit difficult to get an even application. So def use a sponge or something when using this.  I know many people use their fingers with cream blushes but it's really unhygienic in my view and since cream blushes do "dry" fairly quickly, if you don't blend fast you'll end up with splotches.

NYX Mosaic Powder - $6.75

A super popular blush color and understandably so.  This is a very wearable peach color; it creates a very natural nude peach glow.  It's gorgeous in the pan and well-milled.  No fallout from the glitter and application is smooth.  The colors mixed together are really lovely, it creates a beautiful shimmery peach glow. It's more peachy than the cream blush above.  One thing that occurred to me looking at the single swatches is that I want to use the gold-bronze in the lower left as an eye shadow ^^  This has less color payout than the cream blush but I like it that way, I prefer to build colors slowly rather than struggling not to splotch my face with too much color.  This is a really nice blush and the color's lovely - I'd say it's worth the money.

NYX Round Lipsticks - $2.50

As usual I saved the best for last - SUCH a steal and the quality is eye popping! Packaging isn't "high end" but it's definitely sturdy and does not feel cheap - it has a nice heft and I like the peep of color on the bottom of the tube.

The color payoff is amazing, application is silky smooth, it does not sink into cracks and it does not smell.  I hate smelly lipsticks, it's the reason I dislike Revlon lipsticks (it smells SO strong and chemically to me) and the reason Maybelline lipsticks will never be an HG or favorite for me even though I use them often - I hate the fake wanna-be MAC vanilla smell. Actually, I don't even like the smell of MAC lipsticks even though it has a more "true" vanilla scent :\ To be honest, I believe that cheaper lipsticks tend to smell worse than high quality ones and so far, that has always held true for me.  Not NYX lipsticks though - I was so shocked!  Just a very light almost soapy-waxy scent; it's so faint I almost missed it.  I've read some reviews complaining about this but honestly, you literally have to stick this in your nose to smell it.

The color pigmentation is incredible, all these swatches are just one swipe:

Circe - perfect nude lip color for me. Has a distinct yellow undertone; I really recommend this for cool toned Asians looking for a perfectly nude lipstick.   I have pretty pigmented lips and this covers it very well. I heard this color does not go with warm-toned people though but for NC15-20s (which I am), I think this is very suitable. This is already my go-to nude lip color.

Rea - The color outright looks awful on me, way too brownish-grey :\  ...it makes me look...old O_o It also has a faint purple flash and it makes me look a bit bruised and unhealthy. I do not recommend cool toned people to get this at all.  You will look like you smeared mud on your lips :( Great for a zombie look I suppose. Don't get me wrong, this lipstick is great, just a terrible color choice on my part. Do not recommend for NC15-20s.  This only has a 52% Buy Again and a 3.5 on Makeup Alley, which I think demonstrates what a tricky and unflattering color this can be :\

Thalia - a matte dusty rose color.  I really liked it as a swatch and in the tube but it has a warm brown undertint that makes this rather unflattering on me :\  It also looks kind of purple when it's on my lips.  This color truly does not match my complexion and it would look a lot better on non-pale people I think. For me, this is another "zombie" lipstick -_- Do not recommend for NC15-20s.

Doll - it looks very pink in the swatch but it really is more of a berry (reddish-pink, more red) color with a purple undertone.  This color is strangely harsh on me; it looked like a nice pink in a swatch and in the tube but it turns into a deep plum red on my lips.  It's a bit much to wear to work but it's a great winter color fo' sho'.  It's truly a warm berry tone, rich and pigmented.  I can totally see this paired with gold/bronze eyeshadow + cat-eye for a Christmas party or something ^_^ It may be a hint too warm for my skintone but I'm going to try and work it ^^;;  Nonetheless, I do not particularly recommend this lipstick for NC15-20s.

Snow White - a classic red with a blue flash.  Love it! The blue flash makes your teeth look super white and it really suits my cool toned skin ^^ I'm glad I bought this cuz everyone needs one perfect red lipstick right ;)? I highly recommend this for cool-toned people since warm-tones look better with red lipsticks with an orange flash (see below).

Tangent: I recently returned Maybelline's Color Sensation in Are You Red-dy.  It was red with an orange flash and let me tell you, it looked awful on me :\  I don't buy lipsticks too often and the ones I pick usually look decent on me (well, the lippies I pick in person, not online ^^;;) - but this is the first lipstick that legit looked BAD on me.  On camera and in real life.  It was just way too warm-toned for may face.  I'm sorry I didn't take swatch pics of this color but it was so awful I returned it before I remembered to take a swatch.  Cool-tones should try NYX's Snow White or any red lipstick with a blue flash.  Conversely, this leads me to highly recommend this to warm-toned people :D

For a ridiculous number of NYX Round Lipstick swatches go here.  From the colors I've seen, these are pretty accurate if a bit washed out and more glossy looking since she uses high flash.

FYI: The sample colors of these lipsticks on Cherry Culture are totally off.  If you're picking lipstick colors, google specific lipstick swatches because if you follow the sample colors on the site you're going to end up with something completely unexpected. I also heard NYX lipsticks melt very easily.

Overall
I can't stress how smooth and creamy the application of the lipsticks were.  I must say these have joined my HG list; Etude House lipsticks are still my favorite but those are very difficult to get in America and more expensive.  NYX is very accessible via CC in America and I can't believe these are only $2.50 each....they have a great range of colors too so I am sure everyone can find a color to suit themselves.  I 100% recommend these; of all the items reviewed here, these were the best.   The Extreme Apricot eye shadow was also really nice and the color is awesomely unusual, I haven't seen another color like it anywhere. 

For the other items I think you can find comparable blushes and the Blue Marine eye shadow else where.  They are all nice items and I don't regret buying them but I wouldn't say you're missing out on much if you don't get these. 

RESPONSE to Anonymous:

The staying power of NYX lipstick varies on the texture.  Very creamy NYX lipsticks like Circe and Pumpkin Pie are not long lasting, they come off after your eat/drink etc.  They are also nude lip colors, which is probably why they are less long lasting.  Overall, I'd say they last 3-4 hours.  More matte and darker lipstick colors like Doll and Snow White are more long lasting, they will fade but last through eating/drinking.  They leave a stain on your lips even if the actual color fades. Overall, they last a decent 6-8 hours.

Review: Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow (Twilight Rays)

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.

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.

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.

Review: Maybelline The Falsies Volum'Express Washable Mascara

Hi everyone~ I thought I'd do a quick review on the Maybelline The Falsies Volum'Express (Very Black) mascara.  I bought it at Walmart for ~$6ish on whim, mostly because I wanted to try something new and I needed a mascara.  On Makeup Alley it got a 3.4/5.

Maybelline says....

- Patented Spoon brush and Kera-fiber formula instantly build 8x more volume without clumping. 

- Unique flexible wand helps to lift and separate lashes to provide the look of 300% more lashes.

- Ophthalmologist tested.

- Contact lens safe

Directions: Hold brush with spoon side against lashes and sweep from root to tip to fill in gaps and coat each lash with Kera-fiber formula. Repeat until false lash look is achieved. Do not let dry between coats.

Such a bulky tube but the tube's color is pretty stylin' ^^ Some complaints are that this mascara tends to clump and I suppose that it does a bit. But honestly, any (somewhat) volumizing mascara with fibers in it are prone to clumping but it's nothing you can't solve with a little eyelash comb.  I've tried the famous Imju Dejavu Fiberwig mascara and that was a hella clumpier and twice more expensive (I bought it for $15 at the Narita Airport in Japan).

One coat.

Experience: I'm lucky to have pretty long lashes to begin with but this does provide a noticeable difference when I put it on.  I don't think this formula is clumpy enough to complain about at all and I really think the trick is to not let the mascara dry during application - aka put it on fast.  I'll try this and update this page if this works.  Overall, the application was smooth and for me, one coat was quite sufficient.  I really like the glossy finish and lash separation. I have to admit it does have a mild "falsie" look but is not overdone.  FYI I don't particularly fancy false lashes, mostly on the principles that it's too much of a bother to put on every day and that I think they tend to look great in photos but too dramatic (even the modest ones) for daily use.   Anyways, since this mascara lengthens more than volumizes I think, it can look spidery if not applied properly. Removal was very easy. Like the Imju Dejavu, it came off very easily with lukewarm water, I just had to gently rub it off.

One coat. Eh, a little on the spidery side. Wish it volumized more but it's alright I suppose :)

This definitely lengthens and volumizes (to a lesser degree) and for the price, it does everything promised.  However, Clumps of Mascara says that it does start clumping after 2 coats and imho does not volumize very much so for people looking for something really dramatic you should probably look elsewhere. But for someone looking for an easy to apply and remove one coat mascara that definitely lengthens and modestly volumizes for every day wear, this is a good one :)

Overall: I'm not really familiar with many mascaras, but it does the job for a good price.   You may not be blown away by this, but I don't think you'll be disappointed either.  I recommend this for those looking for natural lengthening and lift.  Removal is easy so this is also great for the lazy makeup wearer ;) Overall, I do recommend this and it is the only mascara I use (when I remember to use mascara at all).

Clumps of Mascara did a good review of this mascara too.

Lens: GEO CK-105

UPDATE 9/20/2010 - so the secret is wiggling the wand and applying the mascara really fast - as in, swipe/wiggle, swipe/wiggle to prevent clumping.  Slowing down causes clumps AND flaking right away :P  Not for the slow-mascara-applier.  Loving how easy it is to wipe off and how there is no flaking when applied properly :} Great lengthen-er but try as I might, this is definitely not a volume mascara.

UPDATE 2/17/2011 - Xteeener's review on three of Maybelline's mascaras, including this one.  She mentions that The Falsies clump less over time (as the formula dries out).