Review: Coastal Scents Hot Pot (dupe of MAC Satin Taupe) and Gel Eyeliner

I am absolutely delighted to bring you my first Coastal Scents review! Thanks to Coastal Scents, who sent me a fantastic assortment of products to try, I was finally able to test some products that I have heard so much about on other blogs and also on youtube.

If you're unfamiliar with Coastal Scents, they are an internet company that is known for their colorful eyeshadow palettes, as well as other extremely affordable makeup products. I did receive two eyeshadow palettes in addition to the products I'm reviewing today, so please check back because I will be reviewing those in the very near future.

Today I'm going to be reviewing the Coastal Scents Hot Pot in S35 (retail: $4.49) and the Coastal Scents Gel Liner in Truffle (retail: $6.95).

Let's start with the Hot Pot. Coastal Scents Hot Pots are a collection of eyeshadow singles that are dupes of popular MAC eyeshadows. They are sold in pans that come in plastic sleeves. The idea is that you can mix and match and put them into a customized palette, which you can also purchase on the CS website.

I received the Hot Pot S35, which is supposed to be a dupe of MAC Satin Taupe. Let's take a look:

Coastal Scents Hot Pot S35 on left, MAC Satin Taupe on right

It's hard to tell but I want to confirm that the CS Hot Pots are about the same size as MAC pans, so if you already have a palette for MAC pans, the Hot Pots will definitely fit.

I also received a Coastal Scents Gel Liner in "Truffle" which comes in a thick frosted glass container:

Here are some pics I took after applying MAC Satin Taupe on one eye and CS Hot Pot S35 on the other eye. In all pictures I am wearing CS Gel Liner in Truffle. Also, I did not use an eyeshadow base in any of the following pictures.

MAC Satin Taupe w/ CS Truffle Gel Liner

Coastal Scent Hot Pot S35 w/ CS Truffle Gel Liner

MAC Satin Taupe

Coastal Scents Hot Pot S35

MAC Satin Taupe on left, Coastal Scents Hot Pot on right

Now here are photos taken eight hours after application--and keep in mind that I did not use an eyeshadow base on either eye:

MAC Satin Taupe with Coastal Scents Truffle Gel Liner

Coastal Scents Hot Pot S35 with Coastal Scents Truffle Gel Liner

MAC Satin Taupe with CS Truffle Gel Liner (note: I accidentally wiped my lower lid area forgetting that I was testing the liner, so that's why it looks like I'm not wearing liner on my lower lash line in this pic)

CS Hot Pot S35with CS Truffle Gel Liner

MAC Satin Taupe on left, CS Hot Pot S35 on right

OK, I've got SO much to say about these pics, so please stay with me.

First let's talk about the eyeshadow. Now obviously S35 is not an exact match for MAC Satin Taupe. It lacks the bronze shimmer and the warm brown undertone of Satin Taupe. BUT, if you are going for the general look and feel of Satin Taupe, without the price tag of Satin Taupe, I would recommend S35. You can achieve the same type of smoky eye feel that you can get with Satin Taupe, and I was very happy with S35's texture and blendability. It goes on smoothly, it's not too powdery, I didn't experience any fallout and it was easy to blend. S35 is a deep taupish-gray and quite lovely in and of itself. As for the staying power of S35, it wasn't too bad considering I didn't use an eyeshadow base. Yes, there was some fading and the color intensity lessened throughout the day, but I think that this is something that a good base could remedy.

Let's talk about the Gel Liner in Truffle. As you can see in that last picture of my eye, this liner ran a little bit in the corner of my eye. But what I'd like to note is that this was after eight hours, and four of those hours were spent chasing a 2-yr-old around in 85 degree weather. Compared to how other liners perform on my extremely oily eye area, I'd say this one ranks right up there with the best of them. For me, the running and smudging were extremely minimal, and WOW does this liner apply like a dream. It's so creamy and it just glides right on, making it a snap to apply even if you're not a gel liner girl. Honestly, this liner made me want to revisit the land of gel liners, which have historically never worked for me (and believe me, I've tried 'em all). I honestly could not be happier with this gel liner. Oh! I should also mention that Coastal Scents has just released a ton of new gel liner colors and they are all on sale today only (ends at midnight). Check them out here.

One more thing I'd like to note is how the CS Gel Liner worked with the CS Hot Pot. If you take a look at the pictures of my eyes again, you'll notice that the color of the gel liner (Truffle) stayed much more true on the eye with the CS Hot Pot. In other words, I noticed that the color of the liner changed when I applied it to the eye wearing MAC Satin Taupe. The true color of "Truffle" gel liner is what you see on the eye wearing CS Hot Pot S35. This is a lovely, rich chocolate brown but the color seemed to morph and change when used with the MAC shadow. On the eye with the CS Hot Pot, the color of this liner remained vivid and rich all day long.

In conclusion, I would say that CS Hot Pots are a good alternative to pricey MAC shadows. If you're going for a similar look and feel of a MAC shadow, this is a good low-cost alternative. Obviously you're not going to get an exact dupe of Satin Taupe with S35, but nonetheless I think it makes a great addition to the smokey-eye family. And as for the CS Gel Liner, I could not be more pleased with its color and performance. Whether you're a gel liner girl or not, I think these might be a great addition to your liner arsenal.

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and gratis samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.