I was looking for a company that cared about customer service and also about how they made and tested their products.
I first discovered SHANY cosmetics. I like this company. The eyeshadows are quite dusty and have some kick off, but I liked that they were cruelty-free. I liked the palette that I got from them. I think it is a great starter kit for people who want to experiment with colours outside of their comfort zone. Using the SHANY palette gave me a better idea of what colours I gravitated towards. It was fun experimenting with colours and different finishes without breaking the bank.
These are some looks I were able to achieve using the SHANY eyeshadow palette. I used my Innisfree eye primer (consistency is similar to the urban decay eye primer poition) before using the eyeshadows.
I did want to have an eyeshadow collection of colours that I could use to blend and also still have some pop of colours that I like to use often.
This is when I discovered MAKEUP GEEK. I have always been a fan of Marlena, the CEO of MAKEUP GEEK. Her Youtube Channel has a lot of helpful and creative tips to wear your makeup either it is for a fun get up or a daily look.
I was looking for some makeup eyeshadows that I could gift to a friend because she has very sensitive lids. Unfortunately, after she got the MAKEUP GEEK eyeshadows, she could confirm that it is the powder form of the eyeshadow formula that she is allergic to. She is using liquid eyeshadows now. She gave me her shadows to me because she couldn't use them anymore.
In general, I do like the MAKEUP GEEK eyeshadows. The pigment is usually pretty good, not too chalky, and they don't aggravate my lids.
This is my MAKEUP GEEK eyeshadow collection.
Letters in the parenthesis stands for the different kinds of finishes. M stands for matte, S stands for satin/shimmers, DC stands for duo chrome and F stands for foiled. I have a total of 32 eyeshadows. Standard pan costs $6 and the foiled ones are $10.
You do need to purchase a magnetic palette to house all of these pans.
These are my swatches. My foundation shade is somewhere between a MAC NC20-NC25, NARS Sheer Glow Medium 1 Punjab - Medium 1.5 Vallauris.
WHITE LIES is a matte pure white, but to be honest it isn't very pigmented. Not my favourite, but I do use it everyday. It is a basic white matte shade.
SHIMMA SHIMMA is a metallic champagne. Beautiful as an inner corner eye or brow bone highlight. MAC's SHROOM is similar.
BEACHES AND CREAM is a creamy matte natural beige with just a hint of peach. MAC's BISQUE is similar.
PEACH SMOOTHIE is a soft peachy orange with a matte finish. You don't need both BEACHES AND CREAM and PEACH SMOOTHIE. Either one is fine. MAC's SAMOA SILK is similar to this one.
CREME BRULE is a medium sand colour with a soft matte finish. I love this colour. One of my favourite crease transition shades. MAC's TETE A TINT or SOFT BROWN is similar.
FRAPPE is a medium maple brown with a demo-matte finish. It does have micro-sparkles but when applied to the skin it is not visible hence why this functions as a matte. I love using this one with COCO BEAR.
COCO BEAR is a matte reddish brown. It is such a beautiful rusty brown. The texture on this one is amazing for a matte shadow. I see why so many people say this is a must-have MAKEUP GEEK eye shadow. MAC's BROWN SCRIPT is very similar.
MOCHA is a deep matte brown. This one is a bit stiff and to be honest there are better standard matte browns in the market. I prefer MAC's GROUND BROWN than this one.
CONFECTION is a matte blush pink with very subtle grey undertones. I love using this as a transition shade when I am working with pinks and purples.
SORBET is a pastel melon pink with a matte finish. It is surprisingly pigmented for such a light shade. I love using this even as an all over eyelid colour on days when I don't want to use a shimmer eyeshadow but still look awake. I love this one.
CUPCAKE is a matte medium pink. It is super pigmented. It is not too warm like some other pinks can be. Another favourite of mine.
TUSCAN SUN is a medium salmon pink with a matte finish. This one is a bit more yellow compared to MANGO TANGO. I love this one, too.
MANGO TANGO is a peachy pink with flecks of gold. I was looking forward to this one so much, but I was a bit disappointed. The formula on this one is a bit more dry and the gold flecks in this shadow makes it very crumbly. I love the colour, but I hate the formula. I get crazy fall out with this one.
VINTAGE is a medium brown with mauve undertones in a matte finish. I use this when I want to smoke out my plummy looks. Glides on beautifully.
BITTEN is an earthy maroon with a matte finish. It is a deep red colour that is great for the fall. It is very creamy and pigmented!
AMERICANO is a dark brown with subtle purple undertones in a matte finish. I didn't care for the formula on this one. It was quite gritty and the colour pay off wasn't as deep as I thought it would be. MAC's HANDWRITTEN is similar.
CINDERELLA is a pale shimmery pink. This is quite a beautiful shadow, but the hue on this one is kind of strange. It is a murky browny pink with shimmers in it. It was kind of a let down for me. Whenever I use this, people ask me if I'm tired. I think the colour just isn't for me.
COSMOPOLITAN is a rose gold with gold flecks in a shimmery finish. This colour and pigmentation on this one blew me away! It is very buttery smooth. The colour is very unique. People always ask me what I have on my lids when I am wearing this shade. Depending on the light, it can look pink or orange. I love this one! I prefer this one over MAC's EXPENSIVE PINK.
CHICKADEE is a tangerine orange with yellow undertones in a matte finish. I adore this colour. It is pigmented and buttery. I love using this one to instantly warm up any look.
LEMON DROP is a shimmery bright lemon yellow. I love using this as an under eye liner shade. I really wish MAKEUP GEEK would come up with a matte yellow eyeshadow. It is beautiful! I prefer this than MAC's BRIGHT FUTURE.
GLAMOROUS is a shimmery bronze gold. This one was kind of a let down for me. It is more bronze than gold. The texture isn't the best. It is a dupe for MAC's AMBERLIGHTS.
SENSUOUS is a shimmery purple with flecks of silver. This is a nice subtle and soft purple. I love this one, but I don't use it as often as I'd like. I need to remember to use this one more.
TABOO is an ultra-deep raisin purple in a matte finish. This one was dry and had so much fall-out. I like the colour, but not how it gets everywhere overtime I use it. I wish they reformulated this one.
CORRUPT is an intense matte black with very subtle sparkles. In the pan, you can see the sparkles, but on your eye or skin you can't see them. It is very black. This one has fall out so be careful when you use it. I like using this wet as an eyeliner.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT is a soft pink with coral undertones in a foiled finish. This is my favourite foiled eyeshadow. If you like SHIMMA SHIMMA, you will love this one. It glides on like butter~
FLAME THROWER is a true brightened warm copper with a foiled finish. This is extremely sparkly and the texture is even more buttery than IN THE SPOTLIGHT, which I thought was impossible. If you like rusty looks, you have to get this one. It isn't too orange or too red. The perfect rusty sparkly foiled eyeshadow~
MASQUERADE is a bright medium plum with warm undertones in a foiled finish. I was a bit surprised when I switched this because it is more of an electric purple yet the pigmentation isn't quite there like the other foiled eyeshadows. I do like it, but I wish they will reformulate this one to make the quality of the rest of the foiled shadows.
HAVOC is a warm red-brown base with teal reflects. I love this duo chrome eyeshadow. I usually don't like the duo chrome eyeshadows, but I had to have this one. I love green and brown. This has both reflects which is super cool. It isn't as pigmented as the foiled ones, but it still has a beautiful look to them.
PEACOCK is a matte deep teal blue. I like the colour, but I wish the texture on this one was a bit less dry and more creamier. It is chalky and it doesn't blend as well as I'd like it to. Kind of a disappointing eyeshadow.
MERMAID is a metallic teal with gold reflects. This shade is beautiful and great for summer. It is pigmented and so creamy. It has interesting reflects and can look like a greenish teal from different angles. I love this one! MAC's STEAMY has more yellow in it than MUG's MERMAID.
EPIC is an emerald green with a metallic foiled finish. This one glides on like butter. I LOVE THIS GREEN! I love using this.
HOUDINI is a deep emerald teal green with a foiled finish. Depending on the lighting, it can look a bit bluish. I love this one, too. It is quite deep so I do like using it more in the fall/winter season.
I am planning on recreating famous eyeshadow palettes using MUG eyeshadows. If you are interested in any recreations, please leave suggestions. Hope you found this helpful! =)
