Monday, August 1, 2011

mark. I-Mark Custom Pick Eye Shadow in Minx Review and Swatches

I'm starting my review of Mark eyeshadows with the one I've clearly used the most: Minx.  
L to R: Tiki, Minx, Retro Peacock, Night Owl
While Minx looks like a very cool-toned lavender-grey in the picture above, it's actually a neutral brown-leaning taupe.
Minx over primer (top) and bare skin (bottom)
It's one of those colors you can just sweep on your lid, add some eyeliner and mascara, and you're good to go––though the formula makes more than a sweep necessary (more on that in a bit).  It's subtle, which is part of its appeal, though I do sometimes find myself wishing it showed up on my lids the way it looks in the pan.  It works much better over primer than alone, as the swatches above show (each is one swipe), which is a drawback if you don't normally wear primer.  The shimmer is quite subtle on the lid, but it makes the shadow easier to apply and blend than a matte shadow would be and illuminates the eye a bit.  It's a bit hard, so I find I have to do a few layers to get decent coverage (kind of like MAC Antiqued), and blending can be more difficult than it should be.  It does last all day over primer without creasing or fading, so that's good!  And the pans are quite generously sized at 0.08 oz, also a bonus.

As I mentioned in the master post, mark eyeshadows come in plastic casings, and if you want a more secure package you have to buy it separately.  The palettes can accommodate 2, 4, or 8 eyeshadows (and 1, 2 or 4 blushes, or a combination of blushes and eyeshadows), but I'll be evaluating the individual eyeshadows assuming no palette purchase.  

Also: I've decided to allow negative points for packaging instead of just positives; the default score is 0 points, but exceptional or dismal packaging will warrant a +/- score (I've also gone back and changed this for the Jordana Easyshines), because packaging, I've come to learn, does matter.  But again, most products will have a null score for packaging, because it doesn't matter that much.  The mark eyeshadows, however, get a negative score because I hate having to purchase something extra just to keep my shadows travel-worthy.

With that out of the way, here's the overview!

Overview
$5 for 0.08 oz, from Mark

Pros: Versatile shade, slight shimmer, generous size
Cons: Flimsy packaging, needs primer, sheer

Price: 8
Value: 9
Quality: 7.5
Ease of Use: 4.5
Pigmentation: 4 (good over primer, less than good by itself)
Duration: 5 (over primer)
Consistency: 3.75
Packaging: -1
Grade: B-

What do you think of Minx?  Have you used any Mark eyeshadows?
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...