July 20, 2011

N.Y.C. New York Color Cosmetics City Mono Eyeshadow Review, Swatches, Photos

Good morning!

It’s a busy one today.

How is yours going? I’m crawling up the hump and making my way to the looming weekend ahead and I’m seeing things in mono, City Mono Eyeshadow from N.Y.C. New York Color Cosmetics that is.

This line of cheap as chips eyeshadows are available for $2.99 each in array of lovely colors that won’t kill your Summer budget.

Check ’em!


A budget friendly single shadow shade selection from N.Y.C. New York Color Cosmetics.


I dunno if you need to inject some color into your shadow wardrobe but these might be a good place to start particularly for those on a budget. At $2.99 a pop they feature a slim, black casing with a small sponge applicator that travels and stores easily. The line up is pretty much all matte aside from I Love New York which is a shimmering shade of white.

For matte shadow they have a fairly decent formula that blends easily and has a smooth texture. Color pay off is very good here but the aid of a shadow or cream base will really make colors pop. Shades are a mixed bag here thought as some come across a tad chalky where as others have a smoother, buttery formula but overall, most are fairly good. There are ten shades total to choose from so you are getting a good deal of variety with the cheaper price tag.

The shades I tried were:

  • Luxury Reborn (burnished bronze-y brown with a buttery, smooth formula)
  • Manhattan Gaze (bright, true blue bit of a chalky formula)
  • In Vogue (purple with a smooth formula)
  • 5th Avenue (chartreuse, bit chalky but blends out nicely)
  • High Street (turquoise, a little chalky and needs extra attention during application as can apply a tad patchy)
  • Broadway Look (charcoal, applies patchy and works best over a cream shadow to avoid issues with blending)
  • I Love New York (pearly white with a heavy shimmer, frosty finish)
  • Buzz List (deep pink, beautiful formula with intense color payoff and an easy to blend formula)

I’m not a particular fan of matte finishes but I found alot of these easy enough to use and felt they blended out decently without any harsh lines however….


It does prove difficult to contrast in some cases if you’re using a few various shades as colors become a tad muddy during the blending process.

I recommend them for wearing alone if possible or over a cream eyeshadow. Adding a bit of pigment or shimmer on top is a nice option to add further sizzle to the shades!

  • Those who enjoy working with matte eyeshadow.
  • Those on a budget looking for basic eyeshadows that apply easily alone but not as well when combined with other shades.

  • Those who like a bit of sparkle and shimmer in their shadows.
  • Makeup snobs (if you’re not a budget girl you might not feel the love here).
  • Those who like using several shades of shadow for complex looks (I find these go a bit muddy if you try anything too dramatic with them).


Worn alone I’d say that City Mono Eyeshadows offer a nice, basic eye look however for more complex eye looks you might want look elsewhere as they do tend to muddy up a bit when blending together. I think they might appeal to matte eyeshadow users however the formulas are a mixed bag so you have to nail just the right shade as some are a tad chalky. At $2.99, they are a rather great deal for budget beauty types or for back to school looks that are both vibrant and fun however you might find them a tad immature for daily use in an office environment. If you love matte finishes and don’t mind a formula that varies these may appeal!

Available now at drugstores.

Tried ’em?

Love ’em?

Share it!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

    • Courtney

      That pink does look amazing. I do have to admit, I’ve never worn a bright pink eyeshadow. I guess I’m worried it will bring out the red in my eyes, but for $3 I may as well give this one a try! Can someone give me ideas on a look? I’m uber pale, blonde hair, blue eyes and almost 30 so i wanna keep it somewhat age appropriate. What liner color goes well with hot pink, black? Or would you use the shadow as a liner with a more neutral all over color?

      • Lulee

        i have never worn bright pink either but i would do a thicker line of black on my upper lashline and then a thin line of the bright pink above it. i think it would look cool but not over the top. hope this helps!

  • Hannah

    You could do that bright pink as a liner and in the outer V/crease area, with a chocolate brown on the rest of your eye. Add a lighter pink for a highlight in the corner of your eye and browbone. Put some of the chocolate brown under your lower lash line with a pencil brush.

    Lash curler, and Mascara, of course 🙂

    For lips, you could do a lighter neutral or a berry to balance out the pink. Or if you’re okay with bright looks for summer, do a pink with a pop!

    • Courtney

      Thanks! I’ll have to give it a try! I actually have a really bright pink lipstick from MUFE that i havent used yet. I may have to give that a go. 🙂

  • Rachel

    I’ve never had much luck with NYC shadows in the past due to the reasons Muse mentioned here (chalkiness, spotty color application, etc), but I that white and pink do look really pretty. And if you get them at a place that offers cosmetic returns (like Rite Aid), you really don’t have anything to lose by giving them a shot!
    Thanks for the great swatches Muse!

    • the Muse

      rachel I THINK you might be ok and happy with both those shades, they have decent formula ;-D I’m not much of an NYC shadow girl either but some of these weren’t TOO bad ;_D my pleasure dear!

  • Lily

    *adds Buzz List, I love New York, Luxury Reborn, and In Vouge to GET list* Amazing, I wish I can depot them and put them all into a little palette – like the WnW trios!