Review: New Maybelline EyeStudio products

Some of you may recall that I was beyond excited to finally see the new Maybelline EyeStudio displays at my local CVS a little while ago, so of course I had to purchase a Color Plush Eyeshadow Quad (retail: $9.99 at CVS) and Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (retail: $9.99 at CVS) for review. Besides, there was a BOGO going on at the time at CVS so how could I resist??

I've been using both products off and on for a few weeks now so here's my review! Let's start with the quad:

Maybelline EyeStudio Color Plush Eyeshadow Quad in Irresistibly Ivy

The first thing I noticed about this gorgeous quad (and I do mean gorgeous, but then again if you're a fan of this blog you know I have a thing for bronzes and teals) is that the largest pan in the quad is the shade I'm LEAST likely to use on a regular basis. I mentioned this before, but I've got to say, the lightest shade in any quad is the one that gets the least amount of action for me, so I'm kind of bummed that Maybelline chose to give us more of this shade than the others. I would have loved to have gotten a larger pan of the copper shade, which I can see myself using as an all-over color when I need something quick before I head out the door.

The next thing I discovered about this quad is that the shimmery appearance of each color disappears when you swipe the product. If you look closely at the pic above, you'll see that right in the middle of the lightest shade, I swiped it with the sponge-tip applicator and the shimmery appearance is gone. Sort of a bummer. Here are some swatches:

What I found very interesting is that this quad definitely contains different textures and finishes. That kind of shocked me as I was expecting the texture and finish of each shade to be identical given how they look in the pan! The light beige is almost a straight up matte. To me, both the copper and bronze shades are nearly identical in texture to MAC frost eyeshadows. The teal is, in my opinion, a matte base loaded with very fine gold micro-glitter (but don't worry--I had no fallout with this one). So you really get more than you bargained for in this little quad, that's for sure!

Here's a quick eye look I did using all four shades (light beige from lash line to brow bone, copper on my lid, bronze in the crease and teal just in the corners of my eyes for a little pop (and of course I used the EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner, which I'm also reviewing here today):

Now I did not use an eyeshadow primer, so I'm sure things would look much more vivid if I did. Also, I went nuts with my blender blush before I snapped these photos, so I kind of removed some eyeshadow while blending (I think I need to go to over-blenders anonymous).

Funny story: I suck at doing the "pop of color" thing but I really wanted to use that teal for these photos. When my boyfriend saw me, he said:

"That looks really good, but you need to do that thing with the turquoise color."

I said, "What thing?"

And he said, "You know, smooth it out."

And I said, "Do you mean BLEND?"

And he said, "Yeah! Blend it! It looks like you just put it in the corners of your eyes and walked away."

And I said, "I DID blend it! How dare you accuse me of NOT blending! I'm a blending freak, I tell you! But this teal is a pop of color and you're not supposed to blend it out!"

So this is why, dear friends, I over-blended the shadows in these pics. :)

Anyway, my final analysis of EyeStudio Color Plush Quads: They're nice and fun to play around with. The colors blend easily (obviously!) and I was very happy with the pigmentation of three out of the four shades in this particular palette (the light beige being the weakest of the four). I love that there is a variety of textures and finishes in each quad and I can see myself reaching for the copper shade quite often when I want a quick wash of color. The staying power is decent for drugstore eyeshadow, but most of you already use primer so I don't even need to tell you that primer will help keep these shades looking great throughout the day, right? All in all, I'd wait for a BOGO and pick up a couple. They're beautiful and think you'll have fun with them.

Next we have the EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner:

The color I purchased is Brown, which turned out to be a pretty standard, muddy, matte brown. Nothing to write home about, but it'll definitely get the job done.

What I like about this product is that it comes with a decent brush. The size of the brush isn't quite full-size but it's double the size of most brushes that come with drugstore gel liners. I'd say it's the size of a deluxe travel brush that you'd get from a high-end brand like Bobbi Brown.

One of my lovely readers told me that this particular gel liner is rumored to be the #1 selling eyeliner in Japan. While I can't confirm that, I can tell you why I think it's so popular.

First of all, the name is misleading. To me, this is much more of a creme eyeliner than a gel. When I think of gel liners, I think of a feather-light consistency and a product that literally glides across your lids. This liner has a thicker, drier consistency than other gel liners I've used, and it doesn't glide across your lids like a gel does. But for what it is, it's pretty darn good!

Here are some swatches on the back of my hand. As you can see, the first two lines were made when the brush was loaded with product (too much product) but by the third line, I was able to get the amount just right for optimum texture, appearance and staying power. Less is DEFINITELY more with this product, and like with most gel/creme liners, the thinner the layer, the better the staying power (especially if you have oily skin like me).

When I use a thin layer on my upper lid, and then just take what's remaining on my brush to line my lower lid (in other words, I do NOT dip my brush back into the pot for more liner after I've lined my upper lid), it gives me just the right amount of product to make this liner last all darn day with no running or smudging. Honestly, if I use this method, I am good to go for the rest of the day. So if you were to ask me, I'd guess that that's why this might be the #1 selling eyeliner in Japan at the moment. It truly lasts....if you apply it correctly.

But that said, I can't say this liner is perfection. If you like a razor-sharp, thin line, you might have a hard time getting one with Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. The thickness and consistency just do not lend themselves to creating a very fine line. Also, the brush, while quite good in comparison to brushes that normally accompany drugstore gel liners, isn't as good as my beloved e.l.f. smudge brush, which I strongly recommend to any of you if you're looking for a good liner brush (scroll all the way down to my weheartthis reviews at the bottom of this page for more info). In case you're curious, here's a pic for comparison:

The top line in this pic was drawn with my e.l.f. smudge brush, while the bottom line was drawn using the brush that comes with the Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. As you can see, the e.l.f. brush just gives a cleaner, more consistent line, and I find that I have much more control over my line when I'm using the e.l.f. brush. But of course, this picture is an extreme close-up and to the naked eye, you probably can't really tell much of a difference. But for any of you gel or creme liner connoisseurs out there, I think you know what I'm talking about!

My final analysis on Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner: While it's not really a gel, it can be a true workhorse in your beauty arsenal. For a no-fuss liner that has fantastic staying power (if used sparingly), it comes with a very decent brush, which makes it a pretty good value for $9.99. If you have yet to try a gel or creme eyeliner, I think this would be a very worthy investment because it's quite forgiving, not overly dramatic, and darn close to mistake-proof. If you're a gel/creme liner fanatic, I don't think you need this product, but you might still want to try it if you tend to like liners that have a drier consistency.

Oh I almost forgot! The smudge test! Here are the lines on my hand before:

And here are the same lines after I took my index finger and smudged furiously for about 10 seconds:

Pretty darn good, right? Sorry for the difference in lighting but my camera had a mind of its own and used the flash even though I turned it off.

I hope these reviews help you to better determine whether or not these products may be right for you, and of course I'd love to hear your thoughts! And please stay tuned because a very dear girlfriend of mine just sent me one of the new EyeStudio Baked Eyeshadow Singles (how sweet is she??) so I will definitely review that soon!