Review: Maybelline Limited Edition Fall 2012 Fashion Week Eyestudio Quad in Olive Martini

I don't think I've ever done this before, but because this palette is limited edition and there are only two of it in each display (click here to see the display), I'm starting this review with the following message: 

If the colors in this palette appeal to you, GET IT the minute you see it. 

Don't wait for a sale, don't scramble for coupons--just get it. I am so in love with this palette that I would hate to see anyone miss out on it while it's still available. I know it's just now showing up in stores for many of you, so I want to get this review out there ASAP so that those who want it have the very best chance at getting it.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's take a closer look:

 Maybelline Limited Edition Fall 2012 Fashion Week Eyestudio Quad in Olive Martini

(retail: $9.49 at Rite Aid, .09 oz)

I purchased this quad at my local Rite Aid for $9.49, but as with all things drugstore, prices can vary from store to store and region to region.

(click to enlarge for a better view of the ingredients) 

This quad has a beautifully edited selection of colors that work together to create soft, ethereal eye looks. In fact, I'll be creating two eye looks for you in a post I'm doing next week, so please check back for that if you're interested. In the meantime, let's take a close look at these colors:

IMPORTANT: if you look at the pic above, you'll see that the pink shade, as well as the two brown shades, all appear to have some sparkle to them. But the sparkle is just an over-spray, meaning that once you break the top layer, there is no sparkle running through the shadows themselves. I know that sparkle is a deal-breaking for some of you, so I want you to be aware that the more you use these shadows, the less sparkle you will see on your eyes. Also, the seafoam shade does not have a sparkle over-spray, so it reveal its soft, satin-shimmer finish on the first swipe.

The first two shades in the quad:

For all of my swatches, the first swatch was done on bare skin and the second was done over Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden. Looking at the light pink shade, you can see above that this color is so close to my actual skin color that it almost looks like nothing on my bare skin. But please note that the color of UDPP Eden interfered with the pink shade on the second swatch, and in real life this color has more pink to it. Here is it at a different angle--I hope you can see the pink tone a bit better here:

As you can see, the seafoam shade is quite pigmented on its own (unusual for a shade like this from the drugstore) and really doesn't become that much more intense over primer. I also love that, unlike some other pastel shimmers I own, these two shades don't come off as chalky when on the the eye.

The second two shades in the quad:

As I had hoped when I first showed you pics of this quad, the third shade in the Olive Martini quad is a dupe for MAC Club/Too Faced Label Whore, etc. etc. (more on that in a moment). The fourth shade in the palette was a complete surprise. It's a little difficult to see in my pics, but this is a rich brown that contains very fine red shimmer. Sound familiar?

If a "rich brown with red shimmer" does sound familiar to you, then you might be thinking of my Fall 2012 Fashion Week Limited Edition Color Tattoo review! Yep, the brown shade in the Olive Martini quad is like the powder version of the LE Color Tattoo shade, Rich Mahogany! Check it out:

Let me tell you, wearing this brown shade over Rich Mahogany creates such a rich, beautiful look that I can hardly stand it!  

But now, back to the MAC Club/Too Faced Label Whore dupe. Since the Wet n Wild shade in the Limited Edition Night Elf palette from 2010 is a confirmed dupe for MAC Club, etc., I wanted to show you what it looks like next to the third shade in the Olive Martini quad:

The ONLY difference here is that the teal shimmer in the Maybelline shadow gives off a slightly less intense duochrome effect. It's a sheerer shadow than the Wet n Wild version, but you can easily build for more intensity (and of course wear it over primer to pump up the intensity as well).

In these pics, I think you can see a little bit better that the duochrome effect is a bit more subdued in the Maybelline shadow but, on the eye, you definitely don't have to strain to notice it.

The texture of the shadows in the Maybelline quad is very impressive. All four colors are buttery, soft but not crumbly, and the blend beautifully. Staying power is impressive even without primer (6 hours for me before I start to see minor fading/creasing) and these shadows last all day and into the night when I apply primer first.

I honestly can't think of a single negative thing to say about these shadows, other than the fact that I wish the pans themselves were a bit bigger for the price. But since I rarely hit pan on my shadows to begin with, I'm willing to work with small pans when the colors are this gorgeous.

FINAL VERDICT: Once again, if the colors in this palette appeal to you, then run, don't walk, to your nearest drugstore and look for this one. The colors are beautifully edited and work so well with each other that I don't even think about reaching for another shadow when I'm using this quad. The light pink shade, which seems like the least exciting color in the quad, can not only work as a base color, but it can also double as a "I need to tone down this bright color" type of shade. The seafoam shade and the MAC Club dupe work so well together (seafoam on the lid, Club dupe in the crease) that it almost brings me to tears. The seafoam really brings out the duochrome in the Club dupe so that when you blend them together the effect appears ethereal and mermaid-like. And if you loved the Color Tattoo in Rich Mahogany but didn't like the texture (the one I bought was dry and patchy), then you simply need its powder counterpart in this quad. I honestly haven't been this in love with an eyeshadow quad in quite some time and I give it my highest recommendation.

Do you own any products from the Maybelline Fall 2012 Fashion Week Collection? If so, I'd love to hear how they're working for you! Please check back next week if you'd like to see my eye looks I've created using the Olive Martini quad.