September 1, 2011

Nuance Salma Hayek Eye Quad Review, Swatches, Photos

Props to Nuance Salma Hayek for ultra chic packaging on their eye quad. I was expecting it to be inscribed with “Open at the Close” somewhere but sadly, I didn’t see that. Did yours say it?

Dunno why but this also brought back my beginnings in blogging and one of my older posts about the Lancome Mystery Game Collection. Must be the packaging….!

Let’s take a look at the Nuance Salma Hayek Beautiful Blends Eye Quad and see if what’s inside is as cool as the outside.

Jump!


A selection of four shades of shadow in a tear drop blooming compact!


This is available in two shade selections and each is $8.99 so it does fit comfortably into the Beauty on a Budget slot. I’m personally always impressed with cool packaging and I’m shallow enough to admit that it is one of the first things that captures my eye when it comes to cosmetics. If the packaging is beautiful, my impression of the product goes up several notches and of course, I was not only impressed with the packaging here but intrigued as well. How did it work? How did it open? Did I have to wait for it to open at the close?

Well…it wasn’t as dramatic as opening at my close…the black tear drop design has small ridges set on either of the four sides and you can slip a nail or finger into these groves to open it or what I call have the compact “bloom” as it unfurls its “petals” like a flower.

Once open the quad lays flat with four shadows in their own separate tear shaped wells with a sponge applicator housed smack in the middle, standing up right. I got the Neutral shade selection which is perfect for me as I’m heavy into nudes lately.

The quad includes:

  • Toasted Almond (beige-y almond)
  • Shimmering Bronze (brownish bronze)
  • Champagne Gold (dirty gold)
  • Frosted Blush (soft white pink)

Unlike many palettes they actually put thought into the shades so this isn’t a quad of mismatched crazy. All the colors go together well and chances are you’ll easily use all four to create a look. You can combine, mix, match, or wear them anyway you choose however to make things easier they include a small instruction tutorial as well as a diagram. I thought this was very helpful and I appreciated the inclusion.

Formula…mmm…it’s interesting. First off it is fragrance and paraben free which is a plus if you desire such a formula. The shadows are a little hard presseed so a sponge applicator is the best application method as I find a brush doesn’t pick up color as easily as I would like however a sponge does the trick well. You may need to build the color up to get the best pay off but you will, indeed, see decent color pay off here. Mind you, not crazy pigment, but very good color overall so long as you build it up. The texture of the shadows isn’t particularly silky nor does it kick up alot of “dust” when you swipe a brush across them but as I said they are pretty densely packed in the wells here. All the shades have a soft shimmery finish outside of Toasted Almond which, to me, felt semi matte, it’s actually the least useful shade in the overall palette when it comes down to the nitty gritty and the worst in formula.

Nuance suggests highlighting with Frosted Blush, using Shimmering Bronze in the crease, Champagne Gold on the lid, and applying Toasted Almond on the bottom lash line. The shaded worked well together and they blend easily enough however…


They go an ickle muddy…Shimmering Bronze is a very nice chocolate-y bronze but it quickly goes muddy and gets darker as you blend in. I was slightly disappointed but the overall look in the end is quite nice and sophisticated, quite work friendly.

The sponge applicator included with the quad I like but it is useless. It’s good for under eye work but not application all over the eye as the dope, sponge tip is too dense to work on such areas.

The shadows are nice and I’ve read a few review stating that they are chalky…I didn’t think they were chalky in the least however the pay off is subtle but can be built up. What annoyed me most was the fact the colors fade a bit during blending and end up looking a tad too muddy but for $8.99, they are honestly NOT too bad to complain about at this price range.

Packaging is nifty but isn’t exactly the easiest to travel with but I never tote around shadow quads/palettes anyway so I’m not bothered.

  • Those who like neutral shades or work in an environment that requires friendly makeup!
  • Those who like interesting packaging.
  • Those looking for a decent performing eyeshadow quad for under $10.

  • Those who travel with makeup alot (this might be a bit bulky to tote around daily).
  • Those wanting a range of colorful shadows (this is available in two shade selections and both selections aren’t on the vibrant or bold side of the fence).
  • Those wanting a silky, pigmented formula (these are a bit hard but build up easy enough).


Overall, Nuance Salma Hayek Eye Quad is exactly what you would expect for a quad of shadows under $10, heck, even better than what you might expect. It’s not the most amazing set of eyeshadows I’ve ever used but it is impressive for something you’d purchase at the drugstore. The shades are particularly appealing to nude lovers, the packaging is pretty geek-tastic, and the overall performance wasn’t too bad here.

Please excuse the very unflattering eye look but as you can see the shades just went all kinds of muddy on me

Have you tried it?

Do share your thoughts!

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

  • Sarah S.

    I admit I bought it (weeks ago) for the packaging and haven’t even swatched it yet. But I’ve opened and closed it several times! Ha!

  • Quinctia

    The bronze color is really pretty, but my CVS decided to stock the Nuance skincare, but none of the makeup, so it doesn’t look like I’ll get a shot to grab this stuff, anyway.

  • Majick

    love the package but think I can pass on this one. THanks for the review! You’re always so helpful. 🙂

  • kiwikiwidragon

    I have the one in the smoky version and I like that its greens. I found that one to be hard packed as well. i would concur with everything you said here other than the packaging. It’s cool but kinda odd and hard to use. When you push down on a pan to pick up color the whole thing leans to that side. Plus, I don’t like that it’s big around the middle and thinner at the bottom which kinda makes it like a weeble-wooble when closed. Novel, but not the best for performance. A square that folded out and would lie flat would be better in my opinion. 🙂

  • LipstickChick

    Love that you reviewed this, but I seemingly got better results 😕

    My (nude) shadows applied with a brush like a dream (can’t bring myself to use sponge applicators lol), and blended seamlessly with one another! The pigmentation was fantastic, better than some more established brands that I own.

    I would hope that it’s a fluke that your palette shadows were hard to pick up … I also have 4 of her e/s duos, and so far, it’s been a nice ride, but IMHO, the palette trumps the duos 😉

    And less than $10 for 4 shadows? That are full of awesome LOL? DEAL! 😀

    • the Muse

      happy to hear it lipstickchick! DEF was loving the awesome bogo they had ;-D that helped the price big time ha! ;-D sadly def found the texture a little hard…but overall I liked! ;-D

  • projectviv

    i got this too but i didn’t actually like it. i’ve done a review myself. it was pretty pitiful on swatching, though it proved much better when it came to application and wear. i don’t know, maybe i was biased after swatching, but i’m still not thrilled with this palette. i think it’s boring and there are better, cheaper drugstore options.

  • Christina Smith

    I tried the eye quad in neutral and was pleased with the results. I used brushes and didn’t have any problem. I like the very natural look this color combination gave me-great for everyday wear.