Review + Swatches: Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Eyeshadow

Top Left to Right: 05 Too Cool, 45 Bold Gold, 35 Tough as Taupe

Bottom Left to Right: 25 Bad to the Bronze, 30 Pomegranate Punk, 15 Audacious Asphalt

The Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel eyeshadows* have received quite a lot of attention in the blogging sphere, but I was hesitant on testing them because I have oily lids. I'm so glad that I tried these because they definitely changed my mind about drugstore products. Budget beauty brands have come a long way and now offer better quality, while still maintaining a friendly price. =)

Top Left to Right: 05 Too Cool, 45 Bold Gold, 35 Tough as Taupe

Bottom Left to Right: 25 Bad to the Bronze, 30 Pomegranate Punk, 15 Audacious Asphalt

Pros:

• texture feels creamy
• blends easily
• good color payoff
• doesn't crease or fade
• lasts at least 16 hours
• no fallouts during blending (matte shade)
• applies smoothly and doesn't tug the skin during application
• no chunky glitter
• affordable price

Cons:

• minor fallouts during blending (Too Cool, Bold Gold, Pomegranate Punk & Audacious Asphalt)
• Too Cool, Bold Gold, Pomegranate Punk & Audacious Asphalt contain tiny specks of sparkles

Left to Right: 05 Too Cool, 45 Bold Gold, 35 Tough as Taupe

Too Cool is a shimmery bright white shade with tiny specks of sparkles.

Bold Gold is a shimmery antique gold shade with tiny specks of sparkles. The color is too yellow and dirty looking for my NC30/35 skin tone. However, if you found MAC Woodwinked or Urban Decay Half Baked to be too orange on your skin tone, then I recommend using Bold Gold as a base because it makes both colors appear less warm.

Tough as Taupe is a mauvey grey shade with a matte finish.

Left to Right: 25 Bad to the Bronze, 30 Pomegranate Punk, 15 Audacious Asphalt

Bad to the Bronze has a shimmery taupey sheen with a bronze base shade. This is my favorite shade of the bunch because it compliments my skin tone very well when worn alone or as a base for powder eyeshadows. Also, it's perfect for an "everyday, neutral eye look."

Pomegranate Punk is a shimmery burgundy shade with tiny specks of sparkles.

Audacious Asphalt is a shimmery silver grey shade that leans a little blue on my NC30/35 skin tone. It also has tiny specks of sparkles.

Packaging: Each eyeshadow is sealed with a plastic wrapper and is packaged in a glass jar, which is sturdy and not cheap-looking at all, even though the black screw-top lids are made of plastic. The jars are transparent and give a clear view of the product inside, which makes them distinctive from one another when you store them upside down. (Also, when you store them upside down, the moisture settles towards the surface. So, the product doesn't dry out as quickly.) The only "mistake" that Maybelline did was labeling the name of the shades on the lid instead of the bottom of the jar, which could cause the lids to be mismatched, especially if you bought all 10 shades. However, it was very easy to guess the color and it didn't take me long to figure out which lid goes where.

Application: None of these eyeshadows tug the skin during application; however, the matte shade applies the smoothest, regardless of the type of tool that is used. The shimmery shades apply less smooth when used with a synthetic brush, such as the Royal & Langnickel BC411 brush (mini review). I find that they apply more smoothly and evenly when used with a finger, but the pigmentation is not as intense as when used with a brush. I still prefer to use a synthetic brush because it's more sanitary, it gives me better control and I get better color payoff. (I don't recommend using a brush with natural bristles to apply the cream eyeshadows because they will apply very patchy. Also, do not over apply them or they will "cake and crack.")

These eyeshadows give me ample time to blend before they completely dry and set. Here are the following steps that I take to ensure a perfect application:

1. apply product on left eye (using a synthetic brush)
2. apply product on right eye (using a synthetic brush)
3. blend left eye
4. blend right eye

It's not rocket science, but I find that when I blend immediately after applying, the product fades away and if I wait too long, it becomes really difficult to blend. So, just follow those 4 simple steps that I mentioned above and blending will be a breeze. Unfortunately, there will be some minor fallouts when you start blending Too Cool, Bold Gold, Pomegranate Punk & Audacious Asphalt because they contain tiny specks of sparkles. However, the mess can be easily wiped away if you apply your eye makeup before your foundation. .

As for lasting power, I don't dare to test these eyeshadows for 24 hours because it may irritate my skin. However, I did test them on my oily lids for 16 hours and they didn't fade or crease when used with a primer, without a primer or with powder eyeshadows over them.

Bottom Line: Too Cool, Bold Gold, Pomegranate Punk & Audacious Asphalt have tiny specks of sparkles; however, I don't mind them because they are not gritty, chunky glitters. Although they may not be appropriate for the office, I would still wear them at the club, mall, or even at the park. I highly recommend checking them out, especially if you plan on using them as a base because they intensify the color of powder eyeshadows and the lasting power is amazing. Hopefully, Maybelline has plans to expand their color range and will release some more neutral matte shades in the future.

Note: Each Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel eyeshadow contains 4g of product and is available at Ulta, Target and drugstore.com for around $6. 

Which Maybelline cream eyeshadow is your favorite?

*This post contains affiliate links. None of the products mentioned are sponsored.