EYES Part 3:
Ok, phew - i can't believe i can crank out this many words about these damn shadows, but they are truly very special. Here's info on the last major texture and some of the potential down sides (since I need to be somewhat objective).
The last texture has glitter. Let's get that out of the way, right up front. In the case of Quartz Fusion, it is big glitter. White glitter, yes, but still big. Quartz Fusion has the roughest texture of all the colors and the biggest glitter. The color is sexy as hell - it made my eyes look amazing applied in the crease. I wore it all day long and I DID have fallout by the end of the day. I had 2 or 3 other colors on, but I knew Quartz Fusion was the culprit. Can a good strong eye primer get control of this? Maybe - I will have to experiment, because this also is one of the best colors in the collection for subtle, sexy and stealthy. Just perfect for green eyes. Again you can control how much pink or peach tones you want in it, for the perfect effect for your coloring, but you cannot avoid the glitter. It's there. It exists. Deal with it or be glad you have one less color on your gigantically long list of doom.
I stuck Mineral Mode in the previous category, since it's a lot easier to control, but it does also have a mix of larger and smaller glitter, just not as overt as Quartz Fusion. However,
Clarity belongs in this third category for glittery-ness except it's not rough and chunky like QF. Instead, it's one of the most beautiful colors in this collection and honestly one of the most beautiful eye shadow colors I have ever seen in my life. Sorry for the superlatives, but this is a color I've seen in nature but have only dreamed about in makeup. I know it looks blue with pink and copper and green etc. in the pan. Applied, it goes on like a perfectly soft, clear, neutral beige with the most beautiful, multicolored opalescence. Yes opalescent like a butterfly wing or like a shimmer of oil on water, but not harsh or bright or garish in any way - just beautiful beautiful color and sparkle. I am going to hit pan on this one eventually. I didn't get to try it over a Big Bounce, but I can't wait to see what color it magically transforms into - it could be anything! It's like fairy wings. I'm in love.
This brings us back to the downside of all of these shadows - pretty much every single one of them. They are STILL mineral shadows. The formula is greatly improved, but it is what it is. You are going to be dealing with fussing around with bases and/or wetting the brush if you want maximum color impact. No way around this, otherwise they are sheer and/or subdued. If you are willing to take the time, you are going to get a color payoff that is as dense and rich as their most pigmented loose pigment, but I have a feeling traditional cream color bases and paint pots might give disappointing results. I worry that there will be something in their heavy texture that will react with the binders in the MESs and result in something weird and clunky - like how applying the Crush Metal pigments with a wet brush causes them to get all funky and crumbly. It's highly likely you are going to have to step outside the box if you want to get the maximum wow from these. I think the Big Bounce was so successful as a base because it dries down like a very thin and almost rubbery veil over the natural eye texture - it's weird stuff to be sure, but the very thing that makes it kind of strange and hard to use is also the same thing that makes it work so well under these weird new formulas - it does what it does and gets out of the way - it doesn't clash with the ingredients that hold the shadows together. I find they re-texturize the eyelid skin in a certain sort of way that must have a certain "grip" that allows these shadows to jump up and shout bloody murder. Are they are requirement for enjoyment? No. If there are other bases that will work as well, though, will take a lot of trial and error. Maybe an eye primer with some reflective quality to it - that might work. Or just use dry or wet. 'Just be prepared for a sheerer, smokier look in that case, rather than a vibrant bright jolt of color.
Also, all the shadows have the other same drawback of MES past - not the highest staying power. I wore Rare Find, Quartz Fusion, Smoked Ruby and Clarity all day (admittedly without a base or primer underneath) and they eventually faded and sort of merged together into one semi-indeterminate color after about 4 hours. That isn't the best staying power to be sure, but I think with a little experimentation with bases and
extreme care taken not to overblend the colors once applied to the eyes, I think we can improve the duration of the hold. Not that the faded color looked bad....in fact, it looked hella sexy, if you ask me, but this might not be ideal at work, lets say....
Overall, I am bowled over by the beauty and versatility of all of these shadows, but if you are not interested in difficult products, stick strictly to the first texture group of solid sheen, which are the simplest and easiest to use. If you want to play in a wonderland of eyeshadow fantasy, though - be brave and go for all the rest of them. I seriously am going to buy almost all of them - they are that amazing to me. I can't even believe how much money I am going to blow on these shadows and I feel like I will have very little excuse to buy any more after these But hey, these shimmery, sparkling, multi-faceted treasures are the sexiest jungle love goddesses of eye shadow compared to your basic, girl next door, powder shadow. I'd say try at least one of the second texture category and just go hog wild. If you loved Style Black or Venomous Villains MESs but wanted less black base and/or less glitter and/or more color, these are your products. If you loved the simple MES trios from last year better, a lot of these might be too wild and crazy - no harm done - you have just saved way more money than I have so be happy! I know I sure am, spending the retarded amount I know I will spend. At least I'm not my friend - I showed her swatches and she instantly had me reserve every single one for herself. Cha-ching!
Oh btw, my store is getting quite large quantities of most of the colors, but there are a few that very few are coming in for no apparent reason - Golden Glaze is one of those, which makes zero sense since it's the easiest to use and most obviously snazzy color, besides maybe Blue Sheen. Probably no reason to stampede your store in advance, but it won't hurt to get your butt down to a counter without a lot of delay. Hell, waiting 2 weeks to actually own and wear them all seems like way too long for me.
