Top 10 Makeup Geek (MUG) Eyeshadows

Okay, finally, here it is! My Top 10 Makeup Geek (MUG) Eyeshadows in no particular order. I have carefully chosen these either for their uniqueness or for their superior quality when compared to similar big ticket eyeshadows from other well known brands. I have purchased every MUG eyeshadow that I own with my own money. I am not sponsored in any way by Makeup Geek. I currently own 36 MUG eyeshadows of the 69 that MUG makes. That's slightly more than half. I do think though that I own the most popular ones. If you think I am missing a "gem" in the MUG collection, please leave the name of the eyeshadow in the comments section below.

I have now reviewed all of the MUG eyeshadows that I own. Swatches and reviews of all of these can be found on my blog if you are interested. These 10 are my MUG faves and are the ones that I think you should consider getting if you aren't sure which MUG eyeshadows are good bets. So without further ado...

 



 

1. Gold Digger - I normally don't like gold eyeshadow, but there is something special about this one. It's not overly warm in tone and it applies beautifully. It's very pigmented and looks awesome on its own with black gel or liquid liner. This eyeshadow gives you a very put together look with little effort.

 

 

2. Unexpected - I looove this colour. It's a great crease colour if you are sick of wearing browns and want something different. This colour is smooth and blends like a dream. This one easily would make a Top 5 MUG eyeshadow list if I made one.

 

 

 

3. Sensuous - This may seriously be my favourite MUG eyeshadow. It reminds me of MAC's Trax but this one is a bit more purple, less violet. Awesome in the crease. Applies effortlessly and is smooth and creamy. A must for my eyeshadow collection.

4. Wisteria - Gee, can you tell I like purple eyeshadow....that being said I am not a fan of all MUG purple shadows. This colour is awesome for blending out a blue or dark purple crease. Gorgeous. I do not have anything like it in my collection. This colour is not chalky and is easy to work with.

5. Country Girl - This is a pink brown and there aren't too many eyeshadows out there like it. This colour is just so different. Looks awesome in the crease and makes a change from the standard brown crease grind.

6. Cocoa Bear  - Marlena from MUG raves about this colour being one of her favourites. It's also the nickname that she has for her boyfriend. I am not a huge brown eyeshadow fan, but I realize we all need various shades of brown eyeshadow in our collection to put together many standard looks. Hands down, this colour is the best brown that MUG makes. Smooth, creamy, easy to blend and looks great on everyone. It's a red brown but I don't think there is quite a dupe for it in the MAC line. It's not a red as Folie. This really is a great colour and would also make my Top 5 MUG eyeshadow list if I had to make one.

7. Envy - This is an awesome, magical dark green eyeshadow. The quality of this eyeshadow is fantastic. If you want a dark green, shimmery eyeshadow, look no further.

8. Corrupt - This is the blackest black eyeshadow on the market in my opinion. If you want a potent black, this one kicks ass and is taking names.

9. Poison Ivy - I am normally not a huge green eyeshadow fan but this one is unusual and I love it. It's great for blending out Envy and also works well with gold eyeshadows. The formula is amazing.

10. Cosmopolitan - This is supposed to be a dupe or even an improvement on MAC's Expensive Pink. I don't own the MAC version, but this colour is wicked. You can wear it on its own with some liner and it looks like you slaved away on your makeup for ages. The shimmer is fantastic and the quality is bar none. If you are looking for a "special" eyeshadow that is not like the rest you own, this one is your ticket.

That's my Top 10! I have to say that there were 7 (*gasp*), yes 7, which deserve honourable mention. Here they are.....

From top to bottom and from left to right the runners-up are White Lies, Beaches & Cream, Cupcake, Moondust, Neptune, Drama Queen and Mermaid.

Hope you liked this post! I will do a list of "The Worst of" or should I say "The Most Disappointing" MUG eyeshadows for you later in the week. I will do a couple of other blog posts first to vary things up as some of you might want a change from talking about MUG eyeshadows for a bit. I think I too want to switch gears a bit.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows in White Lies, Mermaid and Poolside - Review and Swatches

This is it! Finally, I have tested out all of the Makeup Geek eyeshadows that I own and these three are the final ones that I have to review. As promised, I will do my list of the Best of Makeup Geek eyeshadows tomorrow and I may even do a Worst of and Best Bets by Colour blogs for you as well later in the week. If you have a suggestion or preference, please send me an email and/or leave a comment or response below.

So let's get to it. In the picture above we have from left to right, White Lies, Mermaid and Poolside. Swatches are pictured below in the same order. White Lies is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Gesso. I don't own Gesso and never have so I can only comment on the "dupability" so much. White Lies, as is Gesso, is a matte white. I personally don't think that it is necessary to pay a lot of money for a matte white eyeshadow. I only use this colour as a brow highlight or tear duct accent. Occasionally, I will use it on the lid for a special or out of the ordinary look. MUG's White Lies is creamy, blends well and is not chalky. It is long last lasting and very smooth. Frankly, I have nothing negative to say about it. At $5.99, I cannot see myself splashing out $18 for Gesso. I can't imagine Gesso is that much better to justify paying the extra money given what I use it for.

Moving on to Mermaid. This was a pleasant surprise. It's described as a metallic teal with gold. I think it may be my favourite blue from the MUG line. It's very flattering on the lower lash line with a neutral eyeshadow look. I find the colour is smooth, creamy, long wearing and is easy to work with. I really like it. Mermaid is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Parrot. I actually just recently acquired Parrot as it was a repromote out of the blue by MAC so I snatched it up while I could. I haven't even swatched it or worn it yet! I will have to compare it to Mermaid in a separate blog one of these days. Let me know if any of you are interested. No complaints here about Mermaid.

Finally, we have Poolside. Undoubtedly, this is the neatest looking blue that MUG has. When I wore it I was reminded of Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliner in Electric. It is very similar and I would say a dupe. Poolside is described as a bright shimmery teal with specks of gold. Personally, I don't see the gold. Even when swatched. It is shimmery though but the shimmer is not gold more blue or silver. Poolside is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Cool Heat which I do not own so I can't really comment on that. Poolside is a bit chalky and stiff to work with. The colour is pretty but I find it prettier in the pan than on my eye. Personally, I prefer Mermaid hands down. Also, Mermaid seems to be more long wearing than Poolside.

So that's it! Stay tuned for my Best of Makeup Geek eyeshadow list coming tomorrow! Hope you like it!

Packaging: 9/10 (compact looks a bit cheap but the pan refill is 10/10 of course)   

Pigmentation: 10/10 White Lies  10/10 Mermaid    9/10 Poolside
Easy to Work With: 10/10 White Lies  10/10 Mermaid    7/10 Poolside
Longevity: 10/10 White Lies  10/10 Mermaid    7/10 Poolside
Colour Stays True: 10/10 White Lies  10/10 Mermaid    8/10 Poolside
Texture: 10/10 White Lies  10/10 Mermaid    6/10 Poolside
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 9/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10 White Lies   10/10 Mermaid    7/10 Poolside
Overall Rating: 10/10 White Lies    10/10 Mermaid    7/10 Poolside
Would I buy this again? Yes White Lies and Mermaid, No to Poolside

Friday Fun - Pan Porn

Pan porn. What a hysterical phrase! When I first came across it several weeks ago, I thought it was the most clever term I had heard in ages. I mean on the surface of it, how absurd! That being said, I totally get why it is "porn". Only a true makeup addict would get a cheap thrill out of pan porn and I am proud to say I am one of them.

For those of you who aren't up to speed, pan porn is the excitement and thrill you get out of hitting "pan". That is, seeing the pan of your makeup compact, whether it be blush, bronzer, eyeshadow or a powder or cream product. It's such a sense of accomplishment, loving your product and getting your money's worth. Most true makeup addicts even get a kick out of seeing others people's pans. Pan porn that is. I get a cheap thrill out of seeing my pans and yours. Yes, this is an addiction and is likely a certifiable mental illness.

There is also a dirty side to pan porn. Yep. After all of the excitement and the thrill of hitting pan, there is an icky feeling. It's the feeling of knowing that your product will soon run out and you will have to repurchase. Heaven forbid that it is a limited edition shade or product....then you know you are screwed....no pun intended.

Here is my current pan porn. I will show you mine and maybe if you like, you can show me yours. Okay, this is starting to sound wrong. I will shut up now. Smashbox's Blush Rush in Flush is on the left and MAC's Shroom eyeshadow is on the right in the above picture. I have a couple other compacts that are getting close....

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows in Chickadee and Peach Smoothie - Review and Swatches

I'm back to my Makeup Geek (MUG) eyeshadow reviews. After this review, I only have 3 left in my stash to try and then I will give you a best and worst list. I promised it for you guys by the end of September so I better get cracking!

In the above picture I have Peach Smoothie on the left and Chickadee on the right. I bought Peach Smoothie in a compact because MUG was sold out of the pan refill at the time. Also, my large Z palette is full so it seemed like an ok idea at the time. Peach Smoothie is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Samoa Silk which is being discontinued. I got Chickadee ages ago in a set of eyeshadows that I bought from Makeup Geek. I didn't like the colour and wasn't thrilled to get it, so it sat and sat in my vanity drawer forever......

Here are the swatches. I have MAC's Samoa Silk on the left, Peach Smoothie in the middle and Chickadee on the right.

Okay, let's start with Peach Smoothie. First of all, I don't think it is a good dupe for MAC's Samoa Silk. It's a substitution, albeit a cooler, more subtle version, but not a great dupe. Samoa Silk is more orange and warm. Peach Smoothie is less orange, more peach and is a cooler colour. Since I prefer cooler shades on my skin tone, Peach Smoothie looks better on me than Samoa Silk I think. For those of you who love the warmth of Samoa Silk, Peach Smoothie may leave you disappointed. It's a personal preference basically. Peach Smoothie blends easily but I think falls down in pigmentation. I have to really work with it and apply it several times to get the desired effect that I want. It is smooth, creamy and not chalky.

MAC's Samoa Silk on the other hand, has better pigmentation, blends and applies easily with little effort. Since I prefer the colour of Peach Smoothie, I can't say that I am sad that Samoa Silk is going the way of the dinosaur. I just wish MUG would improve the pigmentation of Peach Smoothie.

Chickadee.....I didn't think I would like it and guess what? I don't. I have no qualm with the quality of this eyeshadow. It is very pigmented, blends easily, isn't chalky and is very long lasting. Kudos to MUG for that. I just hate the colour and it makes me look ill. It's way too warm for me and reminds me of a smear of iodine. Honestly, I think some people will love this colour if they are warm toned and are into this colour. This would be a good choice for darker skin tones to blend out the crease etc. but I just don't like it for me.

Packaging: 9/10 (compact looks a bit cheap but the pan refill is 10/10 of course)   

Pigmentation: 4/10 Peach Smoothie   10/10 Chickadee
Easy to Work With: 5/10 Peach Smoothie   10/10 Chickadee
Longevity: 7/10 Peach Smoothie   10/10 Chickadee
Colour Stays True: 10/10 for both colours
Texture: 10/10 Peach Smoothie   10/10 Chickadee
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 9/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 8/10 Peach Smoothie   2/10 Chickadee (on me)
Would I buy this again? Yes to Peach Smoothie and No to Chickadee

Overall Rating:

8/10 Peach Smoothie  
                          
9/10 Chickadee (if you have warm tones but a much lower rating if you are cool toned)

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie in Go Getter - Review and Swatch

I have been meaning to do a review on this lip gloss for months. I can't believe I am just getting to it now. I picked up this bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lip gloss in Go Getter back in May on a trip I took to Pennsylvania. I got it in a bareMinerals kit of stuff at Ulta. I believe this is a limited edition colour, but hey, you never know, they may bring it back. Also, I am guessing that the quality of this lip gloss is similar to other shades in the Marvelous Moxie line.

First of all, I love the colour. It's like a peach tropical punch. It goes on like a nude peach and it looks louder swatched than it is on your lips. It is/was a perfect summer lip gloss. Despite the fact that it is a loud peach colour, it's really sheer, so you can wear this with anything. I have worn it alone (looks great like that by the way) or over any shade of lipstick to give it a little kick. It looks especially good over peach, coral and pink lipsticks of course. If your nude lipstick is kind of blah, this lip gloss will perk it right up.

This lip gloss is a bit sticky, but sticky in a good way. Some people hate any form of stickiness in their lip gloss, so if you hate that, you might not like this. I find this product to be long lasting and moisturizing. The packaging is cute. I would definitely buy other lip glosses in this line. The product smells minty and does tingle, but not as much as the Buxom lip glosses do. I like that there is no chemical or plastic smell or taste to these. bareMinerals prides itself on using good ingredients and keeping a lot of chemicals out of their products and for that, I say thank you bareMinerals! Also, the application brush is really nice - it's doe footed as is the cap.

This normally retails for $18 U.S. and $23 Canadian. I got mine in a set as I mentioned before so I got a really good deal overall on everything I bought. The only thing I didn't like about this gloss, and not to be gross, is that I find sometimes you can end up with a lot of built up lip gloss guck on the insides of your lips after wearing it for a while. I keep a tissue handy with me when I wear this and check the mirror every couple of hours. Just saying.....Other than that, I have no complaints about this. It has been in my purse non-stop since July. It's about half gone and I am a bit sad about it.

Packaging: 10/10 

Pigmentation: 7.5/10 (it goes on more sheer than it should) 

How Does it Feel On: 9/10 (moisturizing and tingly) 

Longevity: 8/10 (I would give 10/10 but it goops after a while) 

Texture: 10/10

Price: 8/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Smell and Taste: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yes indeed

Overall Rating: 9/10

Friday Fun - Owl Mug...Cute or Fugly?

Sorry I have been missing in action all week. It's been an insane past few days. I had a number of plans this week and then there were transit issues one night so getting home in Toronto was a nightmare this past Wednesday. I feel like an absentee blogger! Sorry guys! I will make it up to you. I have lots of goodies planned over the next couple of weeks.

It's Friday, so I thought I would slip in some "Friday Fun" on my blog until I get to the makeup again tomorrow. I saw this mug in a YouTube video by the blogger Elle Fowler aka AllThatGlitters21 recently. The video was a bit old but the mug called to me....After doing some online research I found the exact mug that she had at Pier One Imports. So I trotted over there last week and picked it up. I had a coupon too so I paid just over $10 including tax when all was said and done.

As some of you might have guessed, I love owls. They are so crusty and yet majestic, what is not to love??? Since owl stuff is in, I have been taking full advantage of picking up owl stuff over the past year. I think this mug is adorable. I especially like the leaves and vine tree thing for the handle. The wings and handle are more burgundy/plum in person than my camera shows in the above picture. It appears to be a really well made, sturdy mug.

On the flip side, my husband made a "sucking lemons face" when I showed it to him and he told me that it is butt ugly, fugly in fact....

So I am asking you, my blog readers, to tell me what you think. Is this owl coffee mug cute or fugly? Please feel free to put comments below! I can take the truth!

Makeup Geek MUG Eyeshadows in Neptune and Wisteria - Review and Swatch

So I am back to my Makeup Geek eyeshadow reviews. I am in the home stretch - only 5 more to try from my collection before the end of the month! Today, we have Neptune on the left and Wisteria on the right. I will cut to the chase. Both of these are gorgeous and work well together. The pigmentation is good, they aren't chalky, they blend well and are easy to work with. They look good on too. These are definitely two of my favourite MUG eyeshadows. I have zero complaints about these two. They are awesome! I wore them today and I will show you the look and a link to the MUG tutorial in a sec. Here are the swatches:

I used a "winter" tutorial for the ELOTD (eye look of the day) even though it's Fall.....but I still think it looked nice. I didn't have the glitter or glitter glue used in this tutorial, so I improvised and I wasn't totally thrilled (I used MAC's Vanilla Pigment) as the look ended up being a bit "gold" looking. I have the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk but I didn't use it. I think Marlena from Makeup Geek used a better choice of products than I did. Here is what I came up with:

Sorry, my brows are looking a tad wild at the moment. Must deal with them. Here is a link to the real look which is better than my version:

http://www.makeupgeek.com/tutorials/winter-nights/

I never said I was a makeup artist, I'm just a makeup addict!

Packaging: 10/10

Pigmentation: 10/10 both
Easy to Work With: 10/10 both
Longevity: 9/10 both
Colour Stays True: 9/10 both
Texture: 10/10 both
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 9/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10 both
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10 both
Would I buy this again? Absolutely Yes to both
Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Lierac Gentle Cleanser Micellar Cleansing Water/Demaquillant Douceur - Review

I've been itching to do a review on this product. I got swindled into buying it and that left a bad taste in my mouth. As it turns out, I ended up really disliking this product so I have to say my beef. Long story short, I went to Rexall Pharma Plus a couple of weeks ago looking for my trusty Klorane Make-Up Remover and they were sold out. I was so not happy. I was completely out and was desperate. As I stood with one hand on my hip, sighing dramatically, a salesperson approached me. I told her I was looking for the Klorane make-up remover and told her that apparently they were sold out. She barely nodded and started pushing this Lierac product on me. I had never heard of this brand.....

She kept thrusting it into my hand telling me it was great and it had won awards and I would love it. I told her I wanted to read the bottle etc. and when I tried to look at the bottle she would grab it from me and read it to me. The woman was annoying as all hell. She kept talking and insisting I try it and rubbed it on my hand. Now that ticks me off. How am I supposed to know how an eye make-up remover works by squeezing it onto the back of my hand???? Come on.

I told the salesperson that I had never heard of this brand and that I was leery to try it. She assured me that it was French and therefore how could I not like it? Again, come on!!! Not everything made in France is good. Sheesh. This woman seriously would not leave me alone until I bought it and promised me $5 off. Now I already had a coupon in my wallet for $5 off anything in the store and lo and behold it turned out to be the same $5 coupon. In other words, big deal, I could have bought anything else and got the same discount. Ahhhhhh. This was also $29 before the coupon. I believe it retails in the U.S. for $24. I needed eye make-up remover badly, so I caved and bought this crap.

Where to start???? The smell of this product is disgusting. I can't even describe it accurately. It's really perfumey and chemically. Are those words? Sickening, the smell is. This is why I like to be left alone to read labels and smell products in peace. Please go away salesperson on commission until I signal for you. Never again will I buy something like this on a whim without smelling it.

The bottle and dispenser are a joke. Eye make-up remover should not be packaged this way. When I use the pump, the product flies all over my bathroom. The product is like a sweet water. It's not thick at all. Even when I literally cover my entire cotton pad over the pump dispenser, some still ends up hitting my palm or flies out of the side. So useless and wasteful!

This product says right on it that it works on face and eyes. If you get any in your eye, you are going to be sorry! It burns like a biatch. I personally find that this product is average at best at removing make-up. You could spend less than 1/3 of the price that I paid for this and get a better eye make-up remover product. I'm sorry, but this stuff is the pits all around. I really regret this purchase.

The only good things I can say about this product are twofold. One, the ingredients don't look bad but the smell is so hideous that I can't help but think that there's something dodgy in there. Second, the product is not drying and leaves your eye skin feeling soft (possibly a tad itchy for a few moments but that goes away fast).

I checked online to see what esteemed award this product won. Couldn't find it. Lierac has won other awards I see but not for this product.....this product should win an award in the Beauty Hall of Shame! Enough of my ranting. Let's get to the meat - my rating.

Packaging: 0/10

Texture: 3/10 (it's like a sweetened water)  

Price: 4/10

Ingredients: 8/10

Smell: 0/10

Easy to Work With: 2/10 (dispenser is useless, product barely average)   

Travel Worthy: 0/10 (not unless you packed some in a separate leak proof container) 

Moisturizing: 6/10

Comfortable/Softening: 7/10

Would I buy this again? NO WAY IN HELL 

Overall Rating: 2.5/10

 

If anyone has tried any other Lierac product and had great results, I would love to hear from you! Surely, all Lierac products can't be this bad.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzing Powder and Pinch My Petals Blush - Review and Swatches

I got this duo in a big set of Too Faced products that I picked up at Sephora several months ago. This was, by far, the happy surprise of the products that I got in the set. On the left is the cult favourite Chocolate Soleil Bronzing Powder and on the right is Pinch My Petals Blush. I love both of these and they look so good together. At first glance, I thought that the bronzer was too dark for me but it isn't. It also smells like chocolate and I hear it tastes like chocolate which I find a bit creepy that someone found that out - but it is what it is.

This is a matte bronzer and I think it could work on a number of skin tones. It applies smoothly and blends well. There isn't much orange in it, if any at all, so that is a plus in my book. This never looks muddy. One of the best bronzers out there - period. The colour of the bronzer is super flattering and would be on most people.

I love the blush. I have been wearing it non-stop for weeks now. It is a light peach with a hint of pink. I like it because it's a bit of a no brainer blush for me for summer. This shade may not show up on medium or darker skin tones. It's the perfect light peach/pink for me.

My only complaint about the blush is that it is a bit gritty and slightly chalky. It has some minor shimmer. However, it applies well and blends easily. The colour is the winner here. I am so happy that I have this duo and this is definitely going with me when I have to travel. You can easily wear this blush and bronzer duo in the winter too if you have a light skin tone. If you are medium, you could wear the bronzer but you may have to layer on the blush. The blush is not super pigmented but that can work to your advantage if you don't have much time in the morning and you just want a quick swipe and buff on of quick colour. You would have to apply a good amount to look like a clown. The mirror in this compact is enormous.

Please see the swatches above. Sorry, my skin looks dry there. Yuck! My apologies. I know Too Faced used to sell Pinch My Petals as part of their permanent line I think but I am not sure that they still have the colour readily available. What a pity. Sephora is still selling the Too Faced set that I bought on their website (and maybe in stores?). Here is the link:

http://www.sephora.com/the-iconic-collection-P374814?skuId=1442763

Bottom line is that the $39 U.S. was a good deal for all of the products that I got. I already did a review of the eyeshadows and the mascara. I guess the gloss is next at some point....

Packaging: 9/10 both  

Pigmentation: 9/10 Chocolate Soleil   6/10 Pinch My Petals  
Easy to Work With: 10/10 Chocolate Soleil   9/10 Pinch My Petals  
Longevity: 9/10 Chocolate Soleil   7.5/10 Pinch My Petals  
Texture: 10/10 Chocolate Soleil   5/10 Pinch My Petals  
Price: 10/10 (given I bought it in an economical set....)
Ingredients: 7.5/10 both
Travel Worthy: 10/10 (for overnight travel and daily purse travel)
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10 Chocolate Soleil   9/10 Pinch My Petals  
Would I buy this again? In a heartbeat 
Overall Rating: 9.5/10 Chocolate Soleil and 8/10 Pinch My Petals

Makeup Geek MUG Eyeshadows in Poison Ivy and Envy - Review and Swatches

Yes, I am at it again with the Makeup Geek (MUG) eyeshadows. I have to get through all of the ones I have as I have promised you guys a best and worst list before the end of the month. I better get cracking!

For those of you who read my last post, you will know that I have been less then thrilled with the MUG green eyeshadows. Well I have good news. These two - Poison Ivy and Envy redeemed the MUG greens. At long last. These two are gorgeous. Poison Ivy is like golden moss green. This is the perfect colour to blend out Envy. I didn't think I would like it, but I do. I don't have anything like it in my stash. Please see the swathes below. Poison Ivy is on the left and Envy is on the right. Both are extremely well pigmented and my swatches do not do them justice as the flash was used here.

Envy is the perfect dark, midnight green. It looks magical. Both colours are very creamy and are easy to work with. They blend well and you need very little on your brush. These are not at all chalky like some of the MUG eyeshadows are. As you can see, I bought Poison Ivy in the compact because they had ran out of them in the regular refill pan. They are $5.99 each (just the pan, not the compact). Both of these are solid colours. Poison Ivy is supposed to be a near dupe for MAC's Sumptuous Olive. I don't have that MAC eyeshadow so I am afraid that I can't comment on the validity of that. In the swatches below I have Envy on the left and Poison Ivy on the right to give you a better idea of the pigmentation.

 

 

Packaging: 9/10 (compact looks a bit cheap but the pan refill is 10/10 of course)   

Pigmentation: 10/10 both
Easy to Work With: 10/10 both
Longevity: 9/10 both
Colour Stays True: 9/10 both
Texture: 10/10 both
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 9/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10 both
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10 both
Would I buy this again? Yes to both
Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Makeup Geek MUG Eyeshadows in Cosmopolitan and Sea Mist - Review and Swatches

Okay, before you ask, no, I did not wear these two colours together in a look. I had just worked with both separately over the weekend and was able to get an opinion together so I could do a review! I have a bunch of Makeup Geek eyeshadows still kicking around which I have not tried. What is a matter with me? I have gotten through most of them though and I swear that my list of the best Makeup Geek (MUG) eyeshadows (and maybe a worst list) is coming before the end of this month if it kills me!

So on to the matter at hand. On the left we have Cosmopolitan which is supposedly a dupe for MAC's Expensive Pink. I don't own Expensive Pink and never had so I am afraid I don't have a baseline to compare Cosmopolitan too. It's a rose gold colour which is all of the rage right now. I really like this eyeshadow and I have to say this is one of the best MUG eyeshadows. It will be on my best of MUG list. It's smooth, silky, blends well, looks great on and I have a feeling would look good on just about anyone regardless of their skin tone or colouring. I wore it with brown gel liner and it was "hot" I tell you. I bought this in the compact because they were sold out of the pan at the time. Also my big Z palette is nearly full so this was a good option. I can't think of one con or negative thing about this colour, it is really nice.

In the swatch above I have Cosmopolitan on the left and Sea Mist on the right. Cosmopolitan looks less orange on and definitely rose gold so the swatch does not do it justice on my camera.

So Sea Mist....where to start. Sea Mist is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's Aquadisiac. I don't agree on both the colour factor and the quality/texture factor. I love the name of the eyeshadow, Sea Mist, and in the pan it looks pretty. In reality, it's a bit blah and it's chalky. It blended reasonably but I found that the colour seemed to go on thicker in some spots and thinner in others. There were some minor fallout issues. I had to really get in there and blend. I think this colour may be best suited as a lower lash line colour when you have neutral makeup on to give a little "pop" of colour.

I have to say that of all of the colour ranges that MUG has put out, I really am not liking the greens and blues. I find they are chalky, aren't the easiest to work with and the colours are a bit bizzare and unflattering. If you are into wild looking makeup, you might like some of them, but to me, they are just out there. Many of the greens are warm greens and they make me look ill. Maybe it's my colouring, I am sure they look good on other people. They look awesome on the MUG website. I regret that I bought so many greens and blues. I do have another 3 green/blue eyeshadows of MUG's to try still so hopefully at least one or two of them will redeem my faith in MUG's greens and blues.

Packaging: 9/10 (compact looks a bit cheap but the pan refill is 10/10 of course)   

Pigmentation: 10/10 Cosmopolitan  6/10 Sea Mist
Easy to Work With: 10/10 Cosmopolitan  6/10 Sea Mist
Longevity: 9/10 Cosmopolitan  7.5/10 Sea Mist
Colour Stays True: 9/10 for both colours
Texture: 10/10 Cosmopolitan  5/10 Sea Mist
Price: 10/10
Ingredients: 9/10
Travel Worthy: 10/10
Attractiveness of Product: 10/10 Cosmopolitan  5/10 Sea Mist
Would I buy this again? Yes to Cosmopolitan and No to Sea Mist
Overall Rating: 10/10 Cosmopolitan  6/10 Sea Mist

Estee Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Creme SPF 15 - Review

I must have at least half a dozen large samples of this moisturizer kicking around. I used it briefly a few years ago and thought that it was decent stuff. Now, I love my Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream, but it doesn't have SPF in it, which is actually fine with me. I don't think people should be wearing SPF moisturizers 24/7. I recently discovered that I was accidentally wearing an SPF moisturizer to bed...but that is another story which I will share with all of you at a later date.

Anyway, I was out in the sun a bit this summer and I decided I should probably be wearing a moisturizer with SPF in it during the daytime. Normally, I am not much of a sun worshipper so it's not a big deal for me to have SPF everything kicking around. I was going to run out and buy myself some SPF moisturizer when I remembered that I had a huge stash of Estee Lauder DayWear. So I saved myself some coin and cracked open a bottle of this stuff. I have to say that it is very good. It smells a bit of cucumbers and it's a light green colour so if you hate cucumbers, you may not love this.

I am actually not crazy about the smell of cucumbers, but this smell doesn't bug me. It's light and fresh and once it absorbs into your skin, you can't even smell it anymore. I find that the "green" colour helps to camouflage the red blotches on my face and the "green" just blends in with your skin. I also find that this cream really helps to keep my foundation in place and lasting all day long even when I skip the foundation primer. The jars I have are for Normal/Combination skin. You can also get one for Dry skin. The product is moisturizing, perhaps not the greatest in the world, but it does a decent job. My skin feels very soft when I use this. All around it's really good and I will definitely keep some around for when I do hit the sun. I have even used it on days when I didn't hit the sun much. Estee Lauder, you have pleased me once again.

A 1.7 oz. jar is $48.00 U.S. so basically it's likely around $55 Canadian. My samples are 0.5 oz. and up so thank you Estee Lauder, I won't need to shell out for more anytime soon. A little of this goes a long way. This is an award winning cream.

Packaging: 8/10 (glass would give this a 10/10)  

Texture: 9/10

Price: 8/10

Ingredients: 7.5/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Moisturizing: 8/10

Look of Skin: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yes

Overall Rating: 8.5/10