Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe

I recently purchased one of the new Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadows in Tough as Taupe, and now that I've used it several times, I'd love to share my thoughts with you.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe

(retail: around $7, 0.14 oz)

I've heard many people compare these to MAC Paint Pots. It's been a long time since I've owned a MAC Paint Pot, so I don't feel comfortable comparing the two. But if you're curious, I've heard everything from that they're "nearly identical", to that they're "almost as good" and I've even heard a few people say they "prefer Color Tattoo to Paint Pots".  If you own both, I'd love to hear YOUR take on how they compare.

Tough as Taupe appears to be a nice, medium-toned true taupe in the pot.

When viewed at an angle, it looks like there MIGHT be a slight sheen to this shadow but, once on the skin, it's actually a true matte with no visible sheen or sparkle.

As Elvira pointed out in her review of this very same shade, there's a little surprise to this product. Once you "break the seal" on the surface, you'll find that the true color of Tough as Taupe is actually darker than how it appears when untouched:

So instead of a true, medium-toned taupe, this actually becomes more of a darker greige matte. This wasn't a big disappointment to me, because I find the color to be the eyeshadow version of the ever-popular greige creme nail colors we've seen for the past few years. Seriously, if you love Revlon Stormy on your nails, then you just might love Tough as Taupe on your eyes.

The above swatch was taken after patting my finger on the surface of Tough as Taupe (I find it better to pat than swirl with this product given its thick, tacky and dry consistency) and gently running it along my arm.

Since this product sets (dries) pretty quickly, I thought I'd show you what it looked like when I tried to blend this color after it had set for about 30 seconds. The color becomes spotty and inconsistent, so my biggest advice is to blend IMMEDIATELY after application. Do not wait.

Next, some before-and-afters:

The above three photos were taken just minutes after I applied my makeup. I used nothing else on my lids other than Tough as Taupe, applied to my lids and blended (quickly) upward with my finger. I did NOT use an eyeshadow primer before applying Tough as Taupe.

The following photos were taken after eight hours of wear:

There is some visible fading, but I didn't find it terribly dramatic. I checked in the mirror a few hours after these photos were taken and there was a bit more fading and creasing, so even though this product didn't pass the 24HR test, it was still impressive for a drugstore cream shadow--especially on my super-oily skin.

Even though I can definitely wear this product on its own for a subtle, matte look, I've found that my favorite way to use Tough as Tough is to "beef up" my weaker taupe eyeshadows (and I have a lot of those). Check it out:

In the above photo, I wanted to show you what the taupe shade in the Physicians Formula Nude palette looks like on its own. But look what happens when I apply it over Tough as Taupe. I LOVE how intense this shadow becomes using Tough as Taupe as a base.

In the above photo, I layered the taupe shade from the new Revlon Siren Quad on top of Tough as Taupe, and I love how it intensifies this color and really brings out its cool tones. In fact, I wore this combo on my eyes for 12 hours the other day and my shadow looked vibrant and crease-free for the entire day and well into the night.

Texture, Pigmentation and Blendability: as mentioned, I find the texture of this product to be thick, sticky and a bit on the dry side (is it not one of those slick and creamy shadows). You must work quickly to blend this once it's on your lids, otherwise you'll run the risk of spotty and inconsistent color. I find it better to pat your fingers on the surface of the shadow rather than swirling your finger to pick up color. Also, blending with quick strokes seems to yield the best results. This product feels sticky/tacky once on my eyes, making it ideal as a base for powder shadows (it really grabs and adheres to powders). The pigmentation of Tough as Taupe is quite good, although over time (eight hours for me) it does lose its vibrancy a bit. One more thing: I haven't tried this shadow with an eyeshadow brush yet, because I've been pleased with using my fingers so far.

Staying Power: As illustrated in my photos above, the staying power of this product is impressive for a drugstore cream shadow--especially on my super-oily lids. When worn alone, I can go about eight hours before I start to see fading and creasing, so it does not live up to its 24 hour claim for me. However, when used as a base for my powder shadows, I think I could probably get 24 hours of wear from this product (I've gone as long as 12 without seeing any major fading or creasing).

FINAL VERDICT: Tough as Taupe is a keeper for me. I like the look of it when worn alone, but I REALLY love using it to intensify the look of my weaker taupe powder shadows. It really seems to bring out the best in some of my existing shadows, and I'm very impressed with the staying power when worn as a primer. I would definitely consider picking up the white shade to use as a base for many of my powder shadows.

Do you already own any Maybelline Color Tattoo shadows? If so, what shades do you own and how do you like them? Do you think they compare to MAC Paint Pots?