Sunday 12 July 2015

REVIEW & SWATCHES: Makeup Geek Products

ITEM: Makeup Geek Eyeshadows
PRICE: $5.99USD 

ITEM: Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadows
PRICE: $9.99USD 

ITEM: Makeup Geek Blushes
PRICE: $9.99USD 

So I have expanded and grown my Makeup Geek collection recently and I thought that it would be good to share my thoughts and swatches of the product. I will preface by establishing that I have no affiliation with the company, so all my opinions are my own personal opinions that are completely honest and true.


Eyeshadows

So I will start with the staple products - the eyeshadows.


Overall, I will start by saying that I really love the Makeup Geek shadows. The pigmentation, texture, blendability, and colour range is incredible. The price is very reasonable. The fact that they come in individual pans means you can pick and choose the colours that you invest in. The fact that different palettes with the shades inside means that you also have the option of having a quick and easy to choose product for those that don't want to go through and choose the shades. It's great. Everything that you hear about the product on Youtube or other forms of social media is all true - the products generally are really good and worth the price. The formula is great, I love purchasing eyeshadows in a pan and just putting it into my Z-Palette and I think the price is extremely reasonable.

However, there are inevitably some cons to all products. Firstly, I find that one or two of the matte shades swatch quite patchy or skip on the skin. (I will point those out below). However, I can redeem this by saying that on the eyes, these same shades are gorgeous and I don't have any problems with application.

Secondly, some other matte shades (the lighter ones which I will also point out below) are great, but really accentuate the texture on my eyelids. I have some bumps or uneven skin on my eyelids (as do most people), and I do think that the lighter matte shades can ever so slightly accentuate that. However, it is only visible very close up though.

Thirdly, all shades (matte, satin, shimmery) kick up a lot of powder. However if any eyeshadow has a lot of pigment in them (which these are SUPER pigmented it's amazing!), they will all inevitably kick up a lot of powder and have fall out. These do not have as much fall out and do not kick up as much powder as the LORAC Pro Palette, but they do definitely have more than an Urban Decay or Stila Palette.

I do want to point out that I have no issues at all with the shimmery shades. They are all incredibly pigmented and incredibly smooth and amazing to work with.

So below are the swatches of the products (with a few notes on any extra good shadows or shadows with which I had a bit of an issue).

Left to Right:
Shimma Shimma - Rapunzel* - Beaches and Cream - Peach Smoothie* - Creme Brulee - Purely Naked - Frappe
I know that some of the colours do not show up fully in the swatches but they are actually excellent transition or blending shades.
Left to Right:
Preppy - Desert Sands* - Chickadee - Glamorous - Cosmopolitan - Goddess - Cocoa Bear*
 Cocoa bear swatched patchy here but it is definitely perfection on the eyes. It is also hands down one of my favourite shades of all time.
Left to Right:
Cupcake - Country Girl - Bitten - Latte* - Barcelona Beach - Homecoming - Hipster
Bitten was one of the particularly patchy shades when I was swatching it. The pigmentation and texture was dry and skipped a lot. I do think however, it's beautiful on the eyes.
Left to Right:
Moondust - Brown Sugar - Mocha
Mocha is another shade that was a lot more pigmented in the pan than swatched. I do think it's a great shade but you need to be a bit careful using it and you also need to build up the colour when using it.

* - My favourite shades

As you can see from the swatches, the shimmery or more satin shades have smooth pigmentation and excellent colour payoff. These were predominantly all in one swipe. However, some of the matte shades (particularly the ones that I have specifically pointed out) need more than one application/swipe for the colour payoff shown here. They also needed to be smoothed out to prevent patchiness.

Rating: 9/10 (Because of the occasionally difficult matte shade in swatches).

Foiled Eyeshadows

Next will be the Foiled Eyeshadows - Makeup Geek's newest products. I don't have a lot of the shades - I like to stick with the more neutral shades. However I do think that I have a sufficient grasp of the application quality etc. of the product to give a substantive review. 

These shadows are amazingly pigmented. They are extremely creamy - they have a special oil in them and you can definitely feel that in the texture when you put your finger in it. The colour payoff is insane. They give off the most gorgeous foiled shiny effect. I really truly think that they are innovative and well-made products. You can use it wet or dry - wet will give you a foiled effect to the extreme!

The two main cons to this product are that it has a lot of fall out (even if you tap off your brush aggressively), and the application is a bit inconvenient. It is best applied with your fingers. You can also use a synthetic brush but it does not apply as pigmented so you really need to rub the brush into the product thoroughly to get extreme pigmentation and an extreme foiled effect on your eye. I personally don't like to apply products with my fingers (as I mentioned in my Colourpop Highlighter review and swatches), so that is a little bit annoying for me. 

Also, with the fall out, I do suggest using a shadow guard and make sure that you do your foundation and concealer after you use this. The eyeshadow has extreme lasting power so when it falls onto your cheek, it cannot simply be dusted away with a brush. 

So below, are the swatches of the 6 shades that I have.
Left to Right:
Starry Eyed - In the Spotlight - Magic Act - Grandstand - Flame Thrower - Mesmerized
The crumbliness that you can see slightly at the top and bottom of the swatch of Flame Thrower was something I experienced with every single shade when swatching. The pigmentation is incredibly intense so when swatching, I went a little bit too aggressively into the shadow and this caused crumbly patches through the swatch. However, because it was such a smooth and oily formula, it was easy to press these little balls down and just get it to smooth out.

Note though that when using on your eye, this doesn't really happen. It's just something that happens when swatching (in my experience). The balls however are most likely what causes the excessive fall out when putting the product on your eye.

Rating: 8/10 (The fall out and application are the downfalls of this product).

Blushes

So lastly, is the blushes. Let me warn you though, I have almost NOTHING negative to say about this product. As a matter of fact, the only negative for me is that I wish there were more colours so I can purchase more! 
These blushes are one of my all time favourite blush formulas. They are smooth, easy to blend and very pigmented. The colours that I have are mainly all matte - with one exception. They are not overly pigmented (which is an issue in my opinion), they are creamy in texture and super easy to use. You can be a beginner in makeup or a pro and I think it will work for everyone. I really do love these. The colours that I didn't purchase are the ones that I think I wouldn't really use. However these blushes are the ones I use all the time. I will indicate below my favourites.

So, here are the swatches of these beauties.
Left to Right:
Smitten - Summer Fling - Romance - Infatuation* - Spell Bound* - Hanky Panky - Rendenzvous - Secret Admirer

These were all done in one swipe. No patchiness, pigmentation on point and just a smooth application. Love it.

* - My favourite shades

Rating: 9.5/10 (Only because I would like to see more glowy shades and different colours available).

Hope you enjoy the post! Please let me know if there are any questions or requests! In the meantime, follow me on instagram for constant updates and pictures!
@mnh.beauty

8 comments:

  1. The foiled shadows look amazing! I've always been so tempted to pick up a few of these but I made a vow that I need to hit pan on at least one eyeshadow palette before I can buy any more! ... however I don' t say no to presents LOL DF xox


    www.doaner-fide.com

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    1. The foiled ones have this amazing formula and pigmentation! Hahaha yes I would like to get more but I am on a no buy (kind of). hahaha gifts are always the best! ;) xx

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  2. I have so many MAC eyeshadows, but I really want some MUG ones too! Too many eyeshadows not enough eyes!!
    Great post & swatches!

    Mel x | Loads of Lifestyle

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    1. Thanks Mel! I should've mentioned how I thought these compared to MAC eyeshadows! I honestly wouldn't be able to tell the difference if I shut my eyes and felt them! The only difference would be that these can sometimes have a bit more powder kick up than MAC! :) xx

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  3. These look so great! I've heard a lot about them and I really want to get some - one day!

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    1. Babe! Get them like 3 or 4 at a time so you can build your collection slowly. Definitely think they are worth the investment!

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  4. Stunning swatches! I also did a review on my blog so its awesome to be able to compare it to someones elses opinion

    https://binarybeautynz.wordpress.com/

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    1. Glad you liked it babe! Yes comparing opinions is always interesting and fun! xx

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