Review: Maybelline Shadow Stylist Loose Eye Shadow - Trendy Blue

While shopping at a local beauty store, I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a great sale going on...buy one particular product (which I wanted), and get another product of equal or lesser value free. I decided that for my free item, I would try Maybelline Shadow Stylist Loose Eye Shadow in Trendy Blue. The product usually retails for around $6.00.

This product comes in a bottle that looks very much like some liquid eyeliner bottles. The part holding the product is approximately one inch tall, and is round. The wand is approximately three inches tall and forms a thin cone shape. The color of the bottle corresponds with the color of the eye shadow. Mine is a light, sky-blue color. The applicator wand looks like a black, pointy pencil eraser. I was so excited as this looked like it was going to be pretty fun.

Instructions are to shake the bottle, tap off excess powder, and apply one layer for a basic look. Apply more pressure for higher intensity.

I shook the bottle and promptly heard those little balls they still put in some nail polishes shaking around in there. I removed the wand, tapped it lightly into the sink, then using a very light touch (as I wanted just a little color), applied one stroke across my top lid right at the lash line. Whoa! Here's what I got...a color intensity that I cannot imagine could get any more intense, and a color that had a little more of a greenish hue to it making it look almost aquamarine. The other lovely thing I got was tiny speckles of powder below my eyes. The package said "mess-free"! I used a clean brush to sweep under my eyes and ended up with a light bluish shimmer right under my eyes. I finally had to put some foundation on a makeup sponge and run it rather harshly under my eye to remove all the sprinkled product. Now what to do about this intense intensity! I took a cotton swab and started lightly going over the stroke of color to try to tone it down a notch. It worked okay except for right at my lash line...the color was just as intense. No problem, I'll just put some eyeliner over it. That knocked off more product, which resulted in more sprinkling. (I should have held a folded tissue under my eye). I was able to cover most of it at my lash line with a very dark liner, however, it was clearly evident that I now had some of the powder between my eyelashes. Because I needed to get going so I could get my errands done, I went ahead and did the other eye (holding a folded tissue under my eye to catch excess product).

I tried it again on makeup-free eyes before getting into the shower one night. I not only tapped the wand to remove excess, I ran the wand over a tissue as well. Then, holding a folded tissue under my eye with one hand, I swept the wand lightly over my top lid. The extra swipe on the tissue helped some, but it was still intense. Just to make sure, I applied on the other eye using the same method except I applied more pressure as that's what they say to do for more intensity. I hardly saw a difference. And, yes, there were little sprinkles of product on the tissue under my eye. And it was still more green than blue.

Unless you want green-blue eyeshadow that is certainly labor-intensive, steer clear. I normally don't mind a bold look at all, but this was too much for me...and that's saying something.