This is a review for one of my oldest makeup items; I got it sometime junior year, and for a long time it was my only regularly-used eyeshadow. It's since been replaced for the most part by other shadows, but I wanted to evaluate it and share my thoughts!
mark shadows, left to right: Tiki, Minx, Retro Peacock, Night Owl, in the Mezzo Custom Color Palette
Here's the dealio on Mark eyeshadows: they come in little plastic casings, so if you want to have a secure case (for travel, or safety's sake) you have to buy it separately. The upside of this is that you can build your own palette, with the colors of your choice. The downside is that you have to pay extra for any kind of secure casing. Here's links to all the shades, reviewed individually:
Night Owl: Very dark royal blue-black
Arm swatches of each shade (inverse order of listing above; top swatches over primer, bottom swatches on bare skin):
I recommend going and reading the full review for each product if you haven't yet, or want to revisit them, because they differ somewhat in quality. The grade for the entire palette is (mostly) an average of all the individuals, but the more detailed review part will remain in each of the separate posts. So, onward!
Overview
$26 ($5 per eyeshadow plus $6 for palette [though it seems that they've discontinued the larger palette sizes, so now in order to get secure packaging for 4 eyeshadows you have to get two of the $4 duos, making this $28...]) for 0.32 oz, available from Mark
Pros: Customizable, decent color selection, individual eyeshadows are reasonably affordable, good way to get into makeup
Cons: Eyeshadows not always of great quality, having to buy separate packaging is a pain, full palette ends up expensive
Quality: 7.75 (rounded up, you're welcome, mark.)
Effectiveness: 4
Ease of Use: 4
Senses: 5 (no irritation)
Pigmentation: 4
Duration: 5 (over primer!)
Consistency: 4 (rounded up here, too...does that make me a bad person?)
Price: 2 (this rating isn't an average of the individual scores)
Value: 4.25 (this one isn't, either, because the added cost of the packaging brings the value down)
Packaging: +1 (the individual shades all lost points for this, but once you've bought the palette, it's very nice and sturdy, and I do like that you can customize what shades you want in it––when I bought it, I didn't know my makeup preferences as well as I do now, so I included two bright colors, but in theory you should be able to create a palette that has only colors you like!)
Grade: B-
Phewf! One thing reviewing this palette has done for me is show just how much my tastes have changed (or how more aware of them I've become). I wouldn't buy these again, but this palette did serve me well for a long time, and it will always have a special spot in my heart for that. Doesn't mean I won't still relegate it to my bottom drawer, though!
Arm swatches of each shade (inverse order of listing above; top swatches over primer, bottom swatches on bare skin):
I recommend going and reading the full review for each product if you haven't yet, or want to revisit them, because they differ somewhat in quality. The grade for the entire palette is (mostly) an average of all the individuals, but the more detailed review part will remain in each of the separate posts. So, onward!
Overview
$26 ($5 per eyeshadow plus $6 for palette [though it seems that they've discontinued the larger palette sizes, so now in order to get secure packaging for 4 eyeshadows you have to get two of the $4 duos, making this $28...]) for 0.32 oz, available from Mark
Pros: Customizable, decent color selection, individual eyeshadows are reasonably affordable, good way to get into makeup
Cons: Eyeshadows not always of great quality, having to buy separate packaging is a pain, full palette ends up expensive
Quality: 7.75 (rounded up, you're welcome, mark.)
Effectiveness: 4
Ease of Use: 4
Senses: 5 (no irritation)
Pigmentation: 4
Duration: 5 (over primer!)
Consistency: 4 (rounded up here, too...does that make me a bad person?)
Price: 2 (this rating isn't an average of the individual scores)
Value: 4.25 (this one isn't, either, because the added cost of the packaging brings the value down)
Packaging: +1 (the individual shades all lost points for this, but once you've bought the palette, it's very nice and sturdy, and I do like that you can customize what shades you want in it––when I bought it, I didn't know my makeup preferences as well as I do now, so I included two bright colors, but in theory you should be able to create a palette that has only colors you like!)
Grade: B-
Phewf! One thing reviewing this palette has done for me is show just how much my tastes have changed (or how more aware of them I've become). I wouldn't buy these again, but this palette did serve me well for a long time, and it will always have a special spot in my heart for that. Doesn't mean I won't still relegate it to my bottom drawer, though!
