I love eyeshadow, so I have a lot of love for Makeup Geek, a brand which has produced high-quality formulas and pigmented eyeshadows with an affordable price tag. And I've finally finished filling my Makeup Geek Palette. Now, it did take a little longer than expected to fill (an entire year to be precise), but it has quickly become the one eyeshadow palette I use most, as it now holds near enough every eyeshadow colour I need.
Overall, Makeup Geek eyeshadows (£6.00 - £9.25) are richly pigmented and blendable, especially the matte shades despite their powdery formula. The shadows are also very buildable and the majority have serious staying power, with the exception of the foiled shades which I find require the assistance of a primer to ensure they stay crease-free. They sweep onto the lids with opacity, yet can be sheered out and easily combine and blend together. The foiled shades, which BTW are beautiful, apply best with a flat-headed brush (Morphe's Oval Fluff Brush is a goodun) and if you're after a more intense, high pigment finish, wet your applicator before apply with a spritz of water, or if you have it to hand MAC Fix+ always does the trick.
A few of my favourite shades include Crème Brulee a soft brown with slightly warm undertone that's not only my holy grail transition shade, it's a standalone shade I wear every.single.day for a quick sweep of nude colour that I know will stay put. It's also a shade I highly recommend if you're just getting into eyeshadow and aren't sure where to start, along with Shimma Shimma and Vanilla Bean which are good workhorse shades for highlight and base. And when I want to go darker, I simply buff Cocoa Bear a deep matte rust-brown into the crease and below my water line. These two shades are the perfect pair. Another great all-over-the-lid shade is Barcelona Beach an ever so slightly grey toned matte neutral brown which I often wear with my favourite grey Zara knit. Legend and Flame Thrower bring my blue eyes into focus making them seriously pop and although it's not a shade I reach for often Secret Garden a strong shimmery teal with a burgundy base is perfect when I fancy experimenting with colour.
I house my Makeup Geek eyeshadow pans in a Large Z Palette, a blank, magnetic, slim and sleek palette. These blank palettes allow you to fill them up with your favourite shades and products from multiple brands without a throwaway shade in sight. And I already have an Extra Large Z Palette which is big enough to fit up to 35 standard round sized pans ready and waiting in my IKEA Alex Drawers patiently waiting to be filled. Any excuse to place another Beauty Bay order...
Shimma Shimma: a light, bright beige with a frosted sheen.
Vanilla Bean: a warm-toned beige with a matte finish with just the slightest sheen.
Peach Smoothie: a soft peachy orange with strong, warm undertones and a matte finish.
Crème Brulee: a warm brown, with a peachy undertone and matte finish.
Bake Sale: a muted, medium brown with warm undertones and a matte finish.
Barcelona Beach: a grey-toned medium brown with a satin finish.
Starry Eyed: a light champagne beige with slight pink undertones and a foiled finish.
In The Spotlight: a bright pinky, peach-orange with warm undertones and a frosted, metallic finish.
Glamorous: a golden shimmery copper with subtle hints of brown with a frosted finish.
Chickadee: a warm orange with yellow undertones and a matte finish.
Desert Sands: a medium camel brown with warm yellow undertones and a matte finish.
Pocket Change: a muted, medium golden brown with warm undertones and a frosted finish.
Homecoming: a medium brown with a gold sheen.
Grandstand: a medium rose gold with slight taupe undertones and a metallic finish.
Legend: a warm rich copper with a metallic finish.
Sidekick: a muted, medium brown with reddish undertones and matte finish.
Goddess: a pale coppery brown with a satin finish.
Cocoa Bear: a deep matte rust-brown with a matte finish.
Flame Thrower: a bright warm copper with a gold sparkle and metallic finish.
Roulette: a rosy copper with warm, orange undertones and a metallic finish.
Burlesque: a muted burgundy with warm undertones and a frost finish.
Bitten: a warm burgundy with a matte finish.
Lucky Penny: a warm brown with plummy undertones and a frost finish.
Mocha: a deep matte brown.
Mesmerized: a deep medium taupe with strong purple undertones and a foiled finish.
Secret Garden: a strong shimmery teal with a burgundy base with a subtle duo-chrome finish.
Corrupt: a intense matte black with a very fine multi-coloured sparkle.
