image from maybelline.com
Maybelline has entered the cream eyeshadow competition with their Color Tattoo line. This consists of 10 shadows in mostly very vibrant shades. There appear to be 3 finishes to these and 2 types of shades. The shades are either neutrals or brights. The finishes are matte, satin or metallic.
display at CVS
Neutrals include: Too Cool –metallic white; Tough as Taupe – matte taupe; Audacious Asphalt – gray with brown undertone; Bad to the Bronze – golden bronze; and Bold Gold – shimmery medium gold
Brights include: Fierce and Tangy – hot orange; Painted Purple – bright purple with blue undertones; Pomegranate Punk – shimmery raisin; Tenacious Teal – vivid shimmery teal; and Edgy Emerald – green that’s got teal undertones
Maybelline says: Dare to wear our longest-lasting shadow.
Our ink technology creates super-saturated color.
Cream gel smoothes on for vibrant color that does not fade.
Tough as Taupe and Bad to the Bronze
After falling in love with L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadows I couldn’t wait to try these Maybelline ones. When I saw the mostly bright colors though I played it safe and bought Tough as Taupe and Bad to the Bronze. Both are the types of shades I like best.
With Tough as Taupe I was expecting a true taupe since it swatched that way, I find though that it runs very gray on me. When I first apply it, it looks like it has some brown undertones to it but as the day goes on it morphs more and more gray and more and more matte. When I applied it, it was instantly opaque. I had to work pretty fast to blend it on my eye though since it’s on the dry side even though it’s a cream eyeshadow. I’ve mostly worn this alone for a quick eye. While I like it, I don’t love it. It lasts well during the day even without a primer but like I said, the color morphed on me making it less flattering by day’s end.
Tough as Taupe
Tough as Taupe
Maybelline Color Tattoo Bad to the Bronze
Maybelline Color Tattoo Bad to the Bronze
If I’d only bought Tough as Taupe I’d probably never have bought more but I also bought Bad to the Bronze at the same time and that’s the one I’d recommend. The color stays true on me and I like the metallic finish of it. It’s more golden than L’Oreal Infallible’s Bronzed Taupe. It looks pretty on its own and it also looks good as a base for powder eyeshadows. Maybelline was right when they said it’s color saturated and doesn’t fade.
Bad to the Bronze
Tough as Taupe; Bad to the Bronze
What’s on most people’s minds is how similar are these to L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow?. I don’t find them similar at all.
-The texture of Color Tattoo is very creamy, more like MAC Paint Pots.
-The texture of L’Oreal Infallible is a hybrid that’s a little bit cream and a little bit powder.
-Color Tattoo lasts longer and is much more difficult to remove. I absolutely need a good eye makeup remover with the Maybelline. Even swatching these I have to really work to get them off my arm.
-Color Tattoo dries faster and behaves like a tattoo, it doesn’t want to budge on my lids!
Maybelline Color Tattoo Bronze and L'Oreal Infallible Bronzed Taupe
Color Tattoo Bad to the Bronze and Infallible Bronzed Taupe swatches
If I wear to give these a letter grade I’d go with B since there are more positive aspects to Color Tattoo than negative. Since I love the finds in a drugstore haul lately I’m glad I tried these. The price is right and you can almost always find a sale or extra reward dollars. I paid around $7.50 for mine and I got back $5 for buying two at CVS. There is only one other shade that appeals to me (and I’ve already picked it up and am plotting a review!) so unless Maybelline comes out with new shades I’m probably done buying these. — Marcia
For some great swatches of all ten shades see Makeup and Beauty Blog.
Thanks for the review, Marcia. I am finally getting around to trying the Revlon Colorburst butter lipsticks, so I don’t feel like I am too far behind in not having tried Maybelline’s Tattoo eyeshadow yet. Audacious Asphalt really appeals to me, but I’d also try the Taupe one–especially it it leans more grey. That’s definitely a plus for me.
Given how bulletproof they were, you didn’t find they made your lids crinkly? BB cream shadows can do that to me.
I like the color of the Maybelline bronze better than the L’Oreal one I bought so maybe I’ll pick it up. I need to branch out of my color comfort zone–I have 12,972 taupe/bronze/bronze shadows!
UMMMMM AWESOME!
I like the swatch of the taupe but if it turns too gray then I wouldn’t like that.
They weren’t kidding about the 24 hours!~ I did a 24 hour challenge: http://wp.me/p1DFOc-oB
I’ll have to try the bronze one. These sound terrific for my super oily eyelids. Most everything creases and fades on me.
Thanks for the review, I was curious as to what your thoughts would be about these. I’m also really exited to read your review of the L’Oreal Infallible, which I haven’t gotten to yet since I’m a bit behind on my reading.
Did you have any trouble with creasing? I am surprised the only colors are either really bright or dark, I wish they had done something like a champagne, pale gold, or even a pastel pink or lavender, just something a bit lighter (I saw your mention of the white, I just wonder if it would be too stark). Thanks for the post! 
I feel the same way about the color on Tough as Taupe; nice color but more gray than taupe on my NC20 skin. Since I don’t think grays are flattering on my blue eyes, I will use this as a base and add some sort of powder over it (at least in the inner corners) to make it work better on my skin. Hopefully they will add a few more “usable” colors. A smokey lavender/plum would rock my world!