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Monday 5 January 2015

Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows for the Win!

Hi, everyone! To all of you struggling back into your regular post-holiday work schedules, I send bunches of my virtual strength and caffeine your way! To perk you up, I'm sharing a review of one of the very best products I tried in 2014. They came *so* close to making it to my Top 20 Products of 2014, which says a lot! In my opinion, the Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows were one of the biggest sleeper hits of last year. They didn't get tons of advertising, they didn't make it on every single '"Best of 2014" list, and yet, I have not heard a single bad thing about them! Being slowly, but surely convinced that these shadows were for real, I finally picked some up in November. Good move on my part, as these are they amazing! 


The Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows promise superior blendability, bold pigmentation, and a gel-powder, comfortable formula. They come in 6 finishes, ranging from matte to metallic. Each shadow is sold in a separate pan and are made to be used in conjunction with the customizable Artist Palette, which is a mere $1 extra when purchased alongside a shadow. Each shade is $24 CAD when solo, but are sold at a discount when you buy multiples. One shadow + palette is $25 CAD, two shadows + palette is $40 CAD, and three shadows + palette is $50 CAD. Yes, this does encourage you to buy a few at a time, but it really is a fab value if you take the plunge. The collection offers over 200 shades, so there are definitely plenty to choose from! 




The shadows and palettes come in glossy black cardboard packaging with white lettering. The shadow boxes contain a window that allows you to see the colour inside, which does come in handy. 

When removed from the box, the shadows are contained in clear plastic clam shells for extra protection. The palettes are made of sturdy plastic with a clear top that clicks shut firmly. It's very easy to open the shadows and nestle them into the palette, in which they are secured magnetically. 


Here is the end result- looks quite pretty! 


Also pretty? My silly cat, Sadie, who loves to be involved in photo shoots :)


When choosing my first lineup of shades, I opted for wearable, yet unique neutrals. Since the shade range is so massive, it took a serious amount of time (and a major swatch-a-thon) to narrow it down. In the end, I chose:

ME512 Golden Beige- a metallic pale yellow gold
ME612 Silver Brown- a warm tawny pink-tinged brown with a silvery metallic finish
ME624 Black Gold- a deep neutral to warm brown rich with metallic golden shimmer

Here they are swatched on my inner arm (MAC NC15 skin tone):

(L-R); Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows in ME512, ME612, and ME624

Here is an eye look I created with all three shades. I applied ME612 Silver Brown all over my lid, blending up to the crease. I them added definition with ME624 Black Gold on the outer corner and crease of my eye. I finished things off with ME512 Golden Beige as a highlight on my brow bones and inner corners of the eye. 


And here is a closeup of the eye look. As you can see, the shadows are beautifully pigmented, yet blend into one another effortlessly. The metallic finish adds a lovely glow to the lids, without looking frosty or heavy. It's truly beautiful!


Overall, I've completely been bitten by the Artist Shadow bug. These shadows really deliver on all of their promises. Rarely have I found an eye shadow that is so amazingly pigmented while also being blendable, lightweight, and sophisticated. The price point isn't budget, yet I still feel these are an excellent value when purchased in trios. Each shadow contains .07oz (MAC shadows are .05oz), so it should last for ages!  I am super eager to try more shades and finishes from the range, within the parameters of my 2015 Beauty Resolutions, of course :)

Have you tried any of the Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows? Digging any of the shades I picked? What brand makes your favourite shadows at the moment?

Have a wonderful week! xo

51 comments:

  1. The reviews I've read of these have been stellar! 200 shades certainly is impressive, and the ones you have are beautiful! I'd really love to give these a go - or a swatch at least! Too bad MUFE is only in Sephora in Sydney :(

    Tasha // shiwashiful.

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    Replies
    1. They're definitely worth trying out. Sorry they're not more readily available in your neck of the woods!

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  2. KITTYCAT! What a cutieeeeee. Also, 612 had me at hello -- that is one gorgeous colour.

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    Replies
    1. Heehee, yes Sadie loves the limelight :) And 612 is for sure super gorgeous!

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  3. I don't think I've read a single negative review of any of the shades in this line which is basically unheard of. I'd love to get some but there's so many choices I can't decide!

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    Replies
    1. It was definitely difficult to narrow my options down!

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  4. Sadie - what a doll! Love the colour combination, and yes, it does make sense to buy more in one go!

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  5. Those eyeshadows are so pretty!
    Melanie @ meandmr.com

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  6. the colors are so shimmery, love it! and your cat is adorable!

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    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks! She loves to be in front of the camera :)

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  7. Yes - and they're amazing! I definitely prefer them to the old formula, which I didn't love. I actually have Black Gold as well, though I went with different shades to round out the trio.

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  8. Love these shades and it looks stunning on you :)
    Loving your cat too hehe so cute!

    http://floralsandsmiles.blogspot.ca/
    Would you like to follow eachother other on twitter? We are: twitter.com/floralssmiles

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! Yes, Sadie loves the spotlight :)

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  9. Wow! another compelling post from you dear!. Hope you are enjoying the new year so far! ♥

    New fun post on the sweetie!
    http://michaelmacalos.com

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  10. Came for the shadow, stayed for the cat.
    Love these colour choices, btw.

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  11. the colors are SO gorgeous! Great job on this post. Happy 2015! :)

    xoxo;
    BEAUTYEDITER.COM
    LIKE BEAUTYEDITER.COM ON FACEBOOK
    FOLLOW BEAUTYEDITER.COM ON BLOGLOVIN

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  12. I do love these eyeshadows and should have put them in my favourites! I just don't wear a lot of eyeshadows anymore. Lovely look you created! I should get some mattes in these-more everyday shades, as the ones I had were all iridescent and metallic finishes.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Tracy! Yes, the range definitely does have some great matte options :)

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  13. First of all, I seriously love the eye makeup you created with the palette, stunning. I've never tried this eyeshadows before but after reading your oat, I will definitely will be picking some up to try. Thank you for such a well written review.

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Shireen! The shadows truly are worth checking out :)

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  14. I wish I could work eyeshadow as well as you!

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  15. Wow, stunning colors and your cat is so cute. ;-)
    Lovely greets Nessa

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  16. They're stunning! I'm pretty broke right now so meh. And your cat is really cute!

    xx Janelle
    Styles & Prints

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  17. Love your selection, these are so beautiful!

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  18. The colors are so gorgeous and that cat, so adorbs. Happy Wednesday! :)

    xoxo;
    WHATKENNYHEARTS.COM
    Like On Facebook
    Follow On Bloglovin

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  19. Oooh make up for ever the best!! Love it
    My Showroom

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  20. I haven't tried them! I suck at doing my eyeshadow ahhah Wish I was better. it looks great though

    francesca
    Frank Vinyl

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  21. those colors are so pretty! I so want to buy a new palette but I'm still trying to finish palettes from (what feels like) ages ago! hehe
    Happy 2015!
    xo,
    nancy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I hear ya! I definitely didn't need this one, but it's a winner nonetheless :) Happy 2015, Nancy!

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  22. That middle shade is absolutely stunning x

    Stefanie | Casualllyawkward | Bloglovin

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  23. OMG SADIE (she's too cute for words)! Black Gold! So much awesomeness in one post!!! Love the look you came up with, but I am not the least bit surprised by that! I know they have finally been released here, and there are several shades on my wish list: will have to check them out soon!

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    Replies
    1. Haha, thanks- Sadie loves the camera! And yes, Black Gold is a true stunner :)

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  24. Beautiful makeup :) xo

    http://shannenandco.blogspot.ie/

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  25. Beautiful! x
    MUFE eyeshadows are amazing! I think they get overlooked a lot because they're pricey and the shades don't have names so it's hard to remember which one you liked if you saw it online. Also, MUFE is not so readily available in a lot of countries.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I agree- several factors that prevented tons of hype, but they really are amazing! xo

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  26. I LOVE THAT MAKEUP!
    You are glowing, such a beautiful look.
    And your car looks sooo cute.

    xoxo
    Chidiogo

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  27. beautiful shades! I didn't know make up forever had these great shades! i recently got into the brand and am now exploring more of their lines! thanks for the review, looks great! will have to try!
    - Andrea
    www.phdfashionista.com

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    Replies
    1. You should definitely check them out- one of the best options from the brand :)

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  28. wooow, amazing look dear! Love the colors =)
    http://cherryfashion-k.blogspot.com/

    xx
    K.

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  29. Such beautiful colors! I keep seeing great reviews of these on blogs & Youtube.

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  30. Aren't the quality simply amazing for the price? I had to hold myself back from purchasing more since I had just bought the LORAC Mega pro late last year!

    Stephanie | theFantasia.com

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    Replies
    1. They really are! But I'm also tempted by the Lorac :)

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All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)