June 14, 2013

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow

Good news for the piggy fans out there as Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow are launching for Fall 2013. Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow will prove a unique product for the drugstore market as I can probably name, on one hand, the brands that offer such a product.

Granted, the online world is filled with pigment eyeshadow options in an array of gorgeous colors but not many brands at your local drugstore are offering them are they? Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow ($7.99) will definitely be a big pull for the drugstore beauty babes out there. L’Oreal was the last brand to do HIP Pigments if anyone remembers those and I believe NYX still offers their loose pigments but outside of that I can’t think of many brands doing a similar product at the moment.

Take a look!

If you’re an internet user and you spend your online life on beauty blogs and discovering new Etsy Shops and Etailers you probably already have enough pigments to fill a train case or two or three… As a makeup lover I try to avoid Etailer Mineral companies as I have an addictive nature and with the array of colors they offer plus new collections often it would be hard to me to say no to hauling everything in sight.

That’s not to say I don’t have my fair share of pigments from a variety of online shops. I just tend to try NOT to follow these shops often as they are an addicting makeup habit to have.

Maybelline will offer their Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadows in twelve shades so you’ll have a good deal of variety but not so much that you’ll be overwhelmed nor will your addictive nature, I must collect them all disease kick in too hard. Each comes in a small screw top pot and has 0.05 oz per pot at $7.99 each. I don’t really see any sizes listed on many mineral sites…they just dub their shadows as being either sample or full size. I imagine they are the same size as Maybelline’s version or perhaps even a little bigger and most are cheaper as well ranging in at around $5-$6. Let’s not forget they also offer a bigger shade selection.

But…

You have to keep in mind not everyone is an online shopper so Maybelline’s version could potentially prove exciting for the drugstore shopper.

Now…

These are loose pigments that promise an intense color payoff with a blendable yet buildable formula. They come in a variety of finishes from what I tried so you’ll have mattes, shimmers, and satins to choose from.

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Black Mystery

Black Mystery

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Brash Blue

Brash Blue

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Buff & Tuff

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow FOTD

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eye Shadow FOTD

Barely Brazen

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Barely Brazen

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Buff & Tuff FOTD

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Buff & Tuff

Buff & Tuff

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Forest Fatale

Forest Fatale

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Never Fade Jade

Never Fade Jade

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Pink Rebel

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Pink Rebel FOTD

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Pink Rebel

Pink Rebel

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Potent Purple

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Potent Purple FOTD

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Potent Purple

Potent Purple

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigments Eye Shadow Wild Gold

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Forest Fatale

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Wild Gold FOTD

Wild Gold (Forest Fatale outer lid)

My personal experience with them varied. Some shades I loved and felt applied great and others weren’t as great and applied crummy. Some of the satin/semi-matte formulas such as Brash Blue, Potent Purple, Never Fade Jade, and Black Mystery proved difficult to blend. These shades applied drier and sometimes patchy. They needed extra TLC to get onto my lid correctly so I recommend a cream base of some sort so they apply smoothly.

I think all the colors vary in terms of pigment. Some had fairly decent pigment and others just seemed to swipe away easily. For example, Pink Rebel appeared pigmented in the pot but it applied sheerer unless I used a sponge applicator to build the shade, Potent Purple had the same issues. Ironically the semi-matte finishes which I had the most problem applying were the most pigmented however, they along with a few other shades stained my lids (see my swatch below after removing with eye makeup remover and washing my arm with oil cleanser for an example of the staining effect).

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow staining

Some of the shades had a faded out look so the entire “Color Boost Technology” that “offers superior color intensity” wasn’t happening here. It just depends on the shade really…some you’ll find are more pigmented than others. I find they are best built up with a sponge tipped eyeshadow applicator to get the best intensity and color pay off and also this aids in avoiding fall out. With a regular eyeshadow brush you’ll find they have a sheerer finish.

I liked some of the shimmer colors a lot like Barely Brazen and Buff & Tuff but these were also sheer.

Without primer they didn’t crease on my lid but lost their intensity rather quickly at around four hours. They just have a knack for fading fast. With primer I had a better experience and color remained fresher for an hour or so more. Again, no creasing issues just the shade looked faded out after wear.

I think they make fairly nice companion pieces to Maybelline Color Tattoo Gel Eyeshadows. You can use the cream shadows as a base and top with powder for a more intense look. They actually wear fairly nicely on top of those eyeshadows and remain fairly intense through the wear. BUT that is because the gel shadows already pack a good deal of pigment which in turn amps these up!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eye Shadow Swatches

Pink Purple and Wild Gold

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Swatches

Never Fade Jade, Brash Blue, Black Mystery

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Swatches

Forest Fatale and Barely Brazen

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow Swatches

Buff & Tuff and Potent Purple

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment Eyeshadow are an interesting product for the drugstore world. They corner a market that hasn’t really been tapped yet offline and that makes them exciting. I can’t not seeing these evoke some excitement for the beauty drugstore babe….however, the formula isn’t quite on par with what is offered online and this will potentially lose some of the market of experienced minerals and loose powder pigments users and collectors. There are shades here I’d definitely purchase but others I’d avoid because the quality simply isn’t there. Out of the nine colors I tried I’d give a green light to three of them and a thumbs down to the others unfortunately.

Oh well!

I still think they are worth exploring and experiencing for yourself when they hit drugstores for Fall 2013 in July.

What do you think?

Want to try them?

Do share!

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

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‘.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  • AnniLau

    I’m usually a neutrals girl, but I randomly want the Never Fade Jade…which, I’m sorry, doesn’t look remotely jade to me.

  • Christina

    I’m not a lover of loose pigments, but Pink Rebel and Potent Purple are my kind of colors — and they do look great on you. Would you recommend buying those two or passing?

    • the Muse

      passing Christina….if you are going to indulge go with the more natural ones like t&b and barely brazen, I thought those had the nicest texture. I had issues with PR and PP, both were kinda patchy and a dry and a pain in the arse to apply :-/ maybe if they are on sale…harmons prob will have them for a fiver, in that case they might be worth exploring. Also sometimes we last VASTLY different things so you might love ’em 😀 if you do get them I’d be VERY curious to hear your thoughts sis!

  • Kimmwc03

    Forest Fatale looks awesome. I’m sure I’ll pick up some of these to go with my Color Tattoos.

  • Peachy

    Oh gosh, I keep hearing good things about these types of products, but I just can’t do the loose powder thing! I always end up with more product all over my sink and clothes than I do where I need it.

  • Christina

    I will probably make a small purchase when they show up in the stores. But I have to admit, staining the lids is a bit scary and not a good thing. Thanks so much for the input and answering my question so quickly!

    • the Muse

      my pleasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pink rebel and purple potent were fine for the lid staining, no issues thankfully. the aquatic shades/blues/and also buff and tuff were the worst for staining.

  • charlotte

    Wow, not much worse than taking off your makeup and having blue stains all over your eyes for the rest of the night. Not cute.

    Shame you had problems with the purple.. it looks AMAZING on you.

    Nice to see a user friendly package that includes a sifter, bonus points for that.

    IDK, I have all the NYC pigments (gorgeous), a bunch of Jessies Girl pigments (also gorgeous), and I’ve seen swatches of the Hard Candy pigments that were really nice and I’m pretty sure they have all the colors offered here.. they are all less expensive too… probably a pass for me.

    • the Muse

      aw thanks charlotte. they do take a little more work to remove :-/ the HC ones were nice but I disliked the packaging in such a major way! I had forget about the NYC ones, those are rather stunning and friendly packaging 😀

  • amy

    These are a pass for me. They just don’t seem as rich & intense as they could. I’ve been spoiled by the HiP pigments, and even the loose shadows I’ve tried from health food stores seem richer.

  • Jackie

    I know you like the neutrals but the pink and especially the purple, both looked gorgeous on your big brown eyes!

  • Paris B

    3 years ago, I’d have been all over these. Now, I’d prefer to just go for the pressed ones like the L’Oreal Infallible and GA Eyes to Kill or just a cream shadow. Can’t be fussed to mess around with pigments anymore but I have to admit, they’re cool! Just look at Forest Fatale!

  • Shelby

    I’ve seen them around in Canada for a few weeks now. I’m going to pass on them though

  • Michelle

    Do you think brash blue is a dupe for urban decay chaos that was in the vice palette? I’m still kicking myself for not getting it!!! Ugh

  • evo

    I just saw these at Shoppers Drug Mart (Canada) last week! They’re $9.99Cdn.

    I’m glad I waited for a review on these before purchasing. They’re a pass!

  • Danii

    Eh… I don’t know about these now. Rather disappointed! I do, however, have many sources for loose pigments at better prices. Plus I can get samples from these sources.

  • Jaz

    Barely brazen would be pretty as a diy highlighter. In fact , I may buy just that one to mix it in with my moisturizer to give a nice glowy look. HMMM.

  • ns510

    Love the lip shades! What colours are you wearing??

    As for the shadows, i think potent purple and forest fatale look gorge!

  • vanessa

    oy. why? so many companies do this really, really well. why get in on the game when the colors are so eh? inglot, geek chic and occ kick their butts in this dept. why not just keep rolling out the creams? i own them all and worship them, but there are tons more colors to make. will def be skipping these.

  • Cindy Ramirez

    As light purple as that color came out, purple looks sooooo purdy on your big brown eyes! Also I’m loving Forest Fatale. What a pretty color!

  • Kim

    Do you think they would go on better and wear longer if nyx milk pencil was used under them?

  • Adrienne

    Great Review. You saved me some money this time. Did you see the rest of the items in the display? I picked up 3 of the Master Studio Smoky Mechanical pencils in smoking charcoal,blue blaze and smolderin violet. However, I did not open them yet because I bought them at my grocery store which does not allow returns on opened cosmetics so I am eagerly awaiting your review. I grabbed them because there were only 2 of each color on the display. I think there was a brown, green and another black.

  • Annie

    Found a full display at my Bay Area CVS, BOGO50% on eye/lip 🙂 there was another shade called Breaking Bronze.

  • Inatay02

    I actually found these about a week ago in my local grocery store. I got barely brazen and love it as a nice neutral all over the lid. i didn’t branch out into the bright colors and glad I didn’t splurge as the payoff doesn’t seem worth it. Oh we’ll I still love all my color tattoos!

  • BooBooNinja

    Is Barely Brazen similar to Barely Branded/Barely Beige Color Tattoos?

  • Fiona

    Wow some of these look like good dupes for Sugarpill pigments… (the jade and pink and blue) I think I’ll definitely be checking them out cos these are cheaper!

    • Danii

      Not really. You’re looking to dupe Royal Sugar, I’m guessing June Bug and Dollypop, Birthday Girl or one of the other few pinks Sugarpill carries. Brash Blue is MUCH lighter than Royal Sugar and Pink Purple is nowhere near Dollypop or Birthday Girl or any pink by Sugarpill; Pink Purple is a pink with a purple irridescence, which I generally call a “flash.” It’s more like Urban Decay’s Fishnet than any pink by Sugarpill. June Bug is also darker/greener than Never Fade Jade. Btw, why not buy Sugarpill from Beautylish? Free shipping on all orders $35+, they have the whole line and some products are in stock more often than Sugarpill sometimes. Yes, you have to sign up but it gives access to brands at decent prices and who can really say no to free shipping on orders $35+?

  • Ellen

    Are either Barely Brazen or Buff & Tuff dupes for MAC Naked pigment? That’s the first thing I thought when I saw these pics!

  • Supriya

    You are soo pretty…. I have like olive – medium skin color and I love barely branded and buff and tuff. They both looked lovely on you and I was wondering which one would you suggest for me. Im little darker than Aishwarya Rai. Please could you help?

    • the Muse

      hi supriya! aw you’re too kind! thank you! any would look GREAT on your skin tone!

  • Genevieve

    Hey Muse! What’s your favorite taupe eye shadow? I used to use Mary Kay Granite and am currently using the taupe shade from the Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette in the Nude. I’m really want to try UB eye shadow, if you have any suggestions (any color really).
    Thanks!

    • the Muse

      I don’t really have one genevieve…the color doesn’t really work for me well :-/

  • Teasha

    I just saw these in my local rite aid last week, but as I went to make a purchase, they wouldn’t take my money. I only had a $50 with me. My rite aid said they do not take anything larger than a $20. I could not use my $50, they didn’t even look at it, just said ‘nope new policy nothing larger than a 20’. Is this happening in other rite aids? What kind-of pharmacy only takes up to a $20? Is it me, or does something seem strange about this?

  • Jean

    How does one use the shaker type container? I bought the product but am not sure how to get the product out?? Thanks!

  • Traci

    I bought the potent purple before looking at reviews online and was disappointed at first. But today I found that applying with a damp shadow brush left VIBRANT crease free color! I haven’t taken it off yet so I’m not sure about staining.

  • kellly

    Thanks for swatching these. I know they’ve been in the stores for a while but their packaging makes it kind of hard to see the actual colors. I was curious about the Forest Fatale, and your swatch really helped me see the color. I may try it out.