The last time I wrote a Product Smackdown was months ago and so I brought another one here today :) I've been sitting on this one for a while and am so ready to talk about these now. I'm discussing the Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream, Tarte emphasEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow, and the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in this post. If you're a fan of cream eyeshadows, you won't want to miss this one!
⇥ THE BREAKDOWN ⇤
➢The MUFE Aqua Cream is an ultra-pigmented, long lasting, waterproof cream eyeshadow that is easy to blend yet will not crease or budge under extreme conditions. Available in 27 shades, the finish varies from matte to glitter. Shade 16 is described as a pinky beige shimmer. It retails for $23 USD for 0.21 oz ($109.52 USD per oz).
➢The Tarte emphasaEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow (woo--long a$$ name there) is a long lasting cream eyeshadow that glides on smoothly to form a layer that is impenetrable by sweat, tears, flaking and creasing for hours on end. The range includes 4 shades: Seashell Pink, Plum Smoke, Shimmering Moss, and Shimmering Bronze. Each shadow contains 0.10 o for $11 USD ($110 USD per oz).
➢The Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow is a cream gel eyeshadow that glides on without creasing for a long lasting, shimmery metallic payoff. They claim to last 24 hours, though I haven't tested that claim. The Metals range consists of 5 shades: Inked in Pink, Barely Branded, Silver Strike, Gold Rush and Electric Blue. This shadow varies in price depending on what retailer you decide to purchase from. Using the lowest price I could find online, each shadow retails for $5.69 USD for 0.14 oz ($40.64 USD per oz).
⇥ PACKAGING ⇤
Starting off with packaging, each of these shades come in a similar jar packaging with a twist off cap. However, the MUFE comes in a plastic jar; the Tarte and Maybelline come in a glass jar. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your preference. The MUFE is very light, making it a good travel companion but the heaviness of the Tarte and Maybelline glass lends added protection and security to the product.
Tarte always has such cute packaging. As you can see, the lid has a very nice fern motif on the front with a matching color sticker. MUFE has a very sleek and simple design while the Maybelline looks a bit cluttered.
My Tarte jar is a deluxe size from a kit a couple years back as the one on the website has a square base that looks like a lot of bulky packaging. I much prefer the design on the one I have.
WINNER: A draw
⇥ FORMULA & FEEL ⇤
All of the shadows are very creamy. The MUFE and Tarte have a very similar feel, on the thinner side. I'm not sure if it's because I've had the Maybelline for a longer time but it has a heavier texture. Nevertheless, I find that all three blend very easily with my finger.
As you will see in the picture below, the MUFE applies a bit patchy--I find that I have to build up the pigment and smooth things over with my finger. I have the same problem with the Maybelline. While it is quite opaque, I have to go in with my fingers to smooth and even out the color. In this respect, the Tarte has the superior formula in terms of smoothness and evenness.
WINNER: Tarte
⇥ PIGMENTATION & FINISH ⇤
There's no question to this one; Maybelline has the best pigmentation for me. I'm not sure if it's because it's heavier and thicker than the other two but I don't need to grab as much product to produce a very opaque and metallic finish. I have to layer the other two products a bit to achieve my desired opacity.
All three are quite shimmery. However, the Maybelline is on the metallic side. It can be too much if I'm going for a subtle day look. Tarte and MUFE look more refined and elegant. If I'm in a rush, the Maybelline is easiest to get on and go.
WINNER: Maybelline
⇥ COLOR ⇤
I'm going to keep this section short and sweet: MUFE has the largest color range out of the three. Even counting the ones from the permanent range, Maybelline only has 20 shades. Some of MUFE can also be used on the lips and cheeks. While there's no warning about using the Maybelline and Tarte on the lips, I'm more assured that MUFE states that their products can be used so rather than blindly applying the others in such a manner.
These colors aren't exactly dupes of one another. MUFE and Maybelline are very close but MUFE is a tad bit lighter. Maybelline has a slightly more metallic finish that MUFE. Tarte is much lighter than these two and has a more refined shimmer. Maybelline has a darker reddish-pink color, MUFE has a pink color, and Tarte has a ballet slipper pink hue to it. Maybelline can make my eyes look swollen if applied heavily so I like to use a taupe color to contour the eye to reduce the contrast.
WINNER: MUFE
⇥ APPLICATION ⇤
Application varies with instrument. Using my fingers, all apply very easily and blend well. If I use a flat synthetic brush, however, that's where I notice the most difference. Tarte applies the smoothest and blends best with a brush out of these three. However, Maybelline packs the most pigment in one go. MUFE is at the most disadvantageous here; it lacks both the evenness of color application of the Tarte and the pigmentation of the Maybelline.
WINNER: Tarte & Maybelline
⇥ WEAR TIME ⇤
This is the deciding factor for me. I can work with products to make them look good, but it's up to them to stay put. In this respect, Maybelline has the longest staying power for me. All of these shadows were tested without primer to give a more accurate longevity testing. After 8 hours of wear, I have very minor creasing towards the inner corner of my lid and that was on a hot day outside. Tarte had minor creasing around hour 4 and pretty bad creasing at hour 6. Smoothing it back out solved the issue but it eventually creased again at hour 8 and looked very patchy to boot. MUFE performed the worse for me. I know a lot of people swear by this product but it just did not work out for me at all. I noticed creasing at hour 4 and it was patchy by hour 8.
Adding eyeshadow on top, Maybelline came out the victor once again with no visible creasing at all even after 8+ hours of wear. Tarte fard a bit better but still creased at hour 6. MUFE actually did much better with eyeshadow on top. To keep quality control, I used the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette when testing it out. I avoided primer, eyeliner, mascara, and concealer around the eyes so I could minimize the effects of those products on the eyeshadow. Powder might have gotten on the eye from touch ups but I did my best to avoid confounding factors :D
WINNER: Maybelline
⇥ OTHER THOUGHTS ⇤
I'm a huge fan of pink eyeshadow. When I first started out, all I did was pink and gold eye looks. I've veered away from gold these days but pink is still my go-to look when I want a pop of color. I like adding a colored base underneath to make my shadows look more vibrant and stay put for a long time. All of these definitely helped my powder eyeshadows last a lot longer but it's nothing that a good eye primer won't already provide. Often times, I like to use these alone for a quick eye look, so that was my biggest concern when testing these.
⇥ BOTTOM LINE ⇤
If It wasn't already clear from above, my winner is the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow. The price is just right and the formula is long lasting, pigmented, and smooth. It is a bit harder to blend out compared to the Tarte and MUFE but it may be due to the fact that I've had it for a longer amount of time. I've had some of my Color Tattoos for almost 2 years now but I haven't noticed any significant change in the formula and application. I do love the extended range of the MUFE but the Maybelline's performance keeps my eyes from wandering too far. I'm definitely a huge fan of the Color Tattoos and will definitely keep my eyes peeled for new releases!
⇥ WHERE TO BUY ⇤
MUFE|| BUYTarte|| BUY (individual shadow) |BUY (two cream shadows + 2 liners + double ended brush)
Maybelline|| BUY
This was a very exciting post for me. I have very sensitive eyes and most products from the drugstore make my eyes red, dry and irritated but I'm pleased to report that I don't have that problem with the Maybelline Color Tattoos. I think it's also pertinent to mention that the MUFE Aqua Creams and the Tarte Cream Eyeshadow also do not leave my eyes irritated. Nevertheless, I'm a drugstore girl at heart and so am very pleased to give two bunny hops of joy for the Maybelline Color Tattoos. I hope they release more shades that are permanent!
If you have any cream eyeshadow favorites, please let me know them down below!
I'm always on the lookout for good ones to try next. :)
XOXO,
MWAH ♥
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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. I cannot guarantee that the product(s) will work for you. I do not approve or endorse the products or information available on these sites. Proceed at your own risk.
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