I found out about Makeup Geek last year via Marlena's YouTube channel (the founder of the brand). Her products became an online sensation, being hyped up by absolutely everyone so I decided I was gonna give it a try. Although I have not blogged about them YET, I have fallen in love with Makeup Geek's classic eyeshadows. They are extremely good (I'd say even better than Mac). So obviously when I heard about the NEW Foiled Eyeshadows I knew I had to grab at least some of them.
L to R: Grandstand, Mesmerized and Showtime |
They come as individual pans (no packaging) and I store mine in my Z Palette. There are 10 shades available at the moment, varying from neutrals to bright purples and blues. I'm a sucker for neutral colours so I picked up Grandstand (a beautiful peach / rose gold), Mesmerized (a taupe - a bit like Mac Satin Taupe but I lot more metallic) and Showtime (a rusty brown with warm undertones). They are stunning as you can see in the swatches below. My favourite is Grandstand. Such a gorgeous lid colour. Been wearing it a lot and I think it'll also be amazing for Spring / Summer.
L to R: Grandstand, Mesmerized and Showtime (Dry Swatches) |
Unfortunately I found the formula of Showtime (the reddish brown shade) a bit inconsistent, as it's not as "foiled" as the other two shadows, which was a bit disappointing. It looks more like a matte colour with some slight golden shimmer here and there. Once applied to the lid, it doesn't look very metallic either. Don't get me wrong, it's still a beautiful colour and very pigmented so I'm happy with it but I'm not sure I'd call it foiled. I personally prefer the formula and finish of the other 2 shadows, Grandstand and Mesmerized. But all in all I'm absolutely in love with these eyeshadows. They are amazing and I recommend them 100%.
They retail for $9.99, which is more expensive than the original MG's shadows, but worth it, as they have a fantastic quality. You can order Makeup Geek's products online via their website (here). They offer 1st Class International shipping to the UK at only $6.22, which I think is a pretty fair price (just over £4).
For those in the UK and scared of customs charges (like me), the trick is to make purchases up to £30 only (including shipping). Although HM & Revenue's website says £15 (read more here), I have noticed that whenever I keep my orders under £30, I'm ok. I also read it somewhere that we are allowed to place orders up to £30 but unfortunately I can't find this information online anymore. Considering the low shipping price, it's a better deal to make multiple orders than to make one big order and pay fees (which are 20%VAT + £8 handling fee). I bought these 3 eyeshadows and didn't have to pay anything because my order was just under £24. I hope this helps a bit. Shopping online from the US is something I usually avoid but in this case the risk has payed off. Just stick to the rules. :)
Have you tried any of the Makeup Geek's eyeshadows before? If so, what do you think of them? X
Hello, these look great! I really want to order from the website but am just so nervous of import and duty fees! How many times have you ordered from US under £30 and haven't been charged? I've seen other cases where even a s order seems to have been charged import taxes. Thank you in advance!! xx
ReplyDeleteThis iis a great blog
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