20151223

HUGE Makeup Geek Haul! | UK Stockist, Review & Swatches


After a long wait, Makeup Geek Cosmetics has landed in the UK via BeautyBay, so of course I had to place an order! Or two...or three... Now I've been trying these for a couple of weeks I'm ready to report back on whether they're worth the hype.

I couldn't write on these without mentioning the delivery disaster with my first order. MyHermes are the courier BeautyBay use and this isn't the first time I've had issues with them (this one showed up in a rubbish bag!) However BeautyBay took over a week to respond to my emails, didn't answer their phones during the times listed on their website and were overall very difficult to deal with. This is the first time I've had issues ordering from them but they don't seem to handle them very well or the high demand for Makeup Geek in general. Also, a week before my Morphe palette was left out in the pouring rain in a cardboard box that had totally disintegrated by the time I got to it.

Onto happier things: the products themselves. I had looked up swatches and had a vague idea of what I wanted but when I saw they were in stock I did go into a bit of a frenzy! All in all I ended up placing 3 orders over about 10 days, oops! The Eyeshadow Pans  are £4.95 each and the Foiled ones are £7.95. I also picked up a Small Z Palette for £8.95 for when I travel to go along with the £15.95 Large Z Palette I already had.

The standard eyeshadows are less than half the pice of MAC's and I honestly think the quality is as good, if not better (in some instances) than MAC. I would say they're similar in texture but they're actually creamier (though not as buttery as Urban Decay's) and seriously long-lasting. They're potentially the most durable eyeshadows I've ever tried and I have oily eyelids! There's not one dud in the shades I picked up and I honestly couldn't recommend them enough. I find that I always use custom palettes a lot more than my pre-made ones as I've put them together myself to be perfect for me. Now there's an affordable way to do this with an incredible selection of shades!

Highlighting shades



Shimma Shimma

This is kind of the only shade in the standard range that works as a highlight so I picked it up despite it being lighter and whiter than what I'd usually go for. It's almost like a very very pale gold. I liked this so much more than expected just in the inner-corner to brighten  and open up my eyes.

Starry Eyed (Foiled)

As I mentioned, the standard line is lacking a bit in highlight shades so I picked up a couple from the metallic, shimmery Foiled range. One of which is Starry Eyed, a gorgeous champagne shade. The colour payoff is incredible; it genuinely applies like silky smooth liquid metal! I wouldn't say it's quite as long-lasting as the shades I have from the regular line, but it looks amazing on the inner corner.

In the Spotlight (Foiled)

To be honest you probably don't need both this and Starry Eyed as they're pretty similar. In the Spotlight is more pink in tone but it still has that 'liquid metal' look and does wear similarly to Starry Eyed. The quality of the formula is pretty much identical too. I think that they do look different if you're wearing them right across the lid but if you're just after a highlight shade, I'd say go with one or the other.



Lid shades



Purely Naked

This is my go-to base shade. I usually would use a cream base with any other eyeshadows to give a soft, pigmented foundation for everything else, however with this I can just do a quick swipe across the lid and I'm sorted. It's a warm light-medium caramel brown with a slight sheen to it, though I think it looks fairly matte when applied. It's so creamy and has amazing colour payoff for this kind of shade. All in all, a winner!

Homecoming

This is my perfect shimmery lid shade that's sort of like MAC's Woodwinked mixed with Patina (without the iridescent sheen). It's a medium bronzy-brown shimmer that's not too cool or too warm so works perfectly with brown as well as taupe eye looks. It's so smooth and so pigmented it could easily work on its own as a nice simple wash of colour.

Grandstand (Foiled)

This is a gorgeous reddish-bronze-copper shade, which has the dewy metallic Foiled finish. It glides on beautifully and is so pigmented. I didn't notice that this was any less durable on my eyelids than the standard shades I have.

Pretentious

This is an unusual shade; it's more of a glittery shimmer than many of the others (which have more of a metallic sheen). It's a kind of bronze with golden shimmer that has slightly olive undertones when applied. This has such amazing wear-time and pigmentation. It applies beautifully as a lid shade.

Hipster

This is a slightly deeper, cooler alternative to Purely Naked for me. It's a mid-brown taupe tan colour with the most subtle shimmer. It isn't quite as creamy as Purely Naked but it's still one I use a lot.

Taupe Notch

This is another highlight of the bunch for me. It's a taupe-y brown medium-dark shade with a subtle shimmer to it. It's definitely not silvery or grey so it's the perfect way to wear taupe if you have a warmer skin tone. I love wearing this in the outer v when I have Homecoming on the lid. The pigmentation is absolutely amazing and again it applies so nicely.

Brown Sugar

This is a stunning reddish-brown, again with a fairly subtle shimmer. It's my go-to if I want to add a bit of smokiness to a warm brown eyeshadow. Again, I just love the texture of this.



Crease shades



Unexpected

I thought I was lacking a 'MAC Quarry' cooler taupe crease colour and Unexpected fits the bill. It's a mauve-taupe matte that's just a little bit deeper than Quarry. I find this a nice, soft texture that blends into the crease really easily. It's also more pigmented than Quarry for half the price!

Latte

This is half a step darker than Frappe. It's rare to get such a selection of crease colours so I did snap up a variety. This medium brown is slightly cooler in tone but I'd still say it's fairly warm-neutral. This is getting repetitive but honestly it's so creamy and lovely to use.

Frappe

This is probably the lightest of the warmer crease colours I picked. It's a nice warm medium caramel-brown that has a pretty matte finish. As you may have gathered, the Makeup Geek matte shades really are special and this is no exemption. I can't believe how amazing the formula is; it blends in effortlessly to add depth to a warm brown eye look.

Cocoa Bear

It took a few attempts to get my hands on this beauty guru favourite, however it's finally mine! It's a gorgeous warm chocolatey brown matte shade that's just soooo smooth and pigmented. I love this to deepen out the crease and create a brown smoky eye. This is another highlight of the bunch for me.

Mocha

Mocha is a deep matte brown which doesn't lean too much towards warm or cool undertones. The name definitely fits as this is very much a coffee-coloured shade. I love this to add some extra depth to the outer part of the crease. It isn't quite as creamy and pigmented as some of the others but it's still very easy to work with.



Dark and coloured shades



Roulette

The texture of this shade is just amazing, it's definitely a shimmer but it has more of a metallic glitter-free finish to it. It's a bright copper-red; quite daring for me. Personally I love it in the crease to make a brown eye look pop. The colour payoff is one of the best of the bunch.

Burlesque

Berry is my way of wearing a bit of colour on the eyes that isn't too scary! So I picked up this gorgeous burgundy shimmer. I love how pigmented it is and it has a gorgeous, metallic sheen. I did find this a bit trickier to blend in but I think that's more because it's a colour as opposed to a neutral, which you don't have to be quite so careful with.

Bitten

I picked this up as a crease shade to go with Burlesque; it's a really deep burgundy matte. It has a nice creamy texture and the colour pay off doesn't disappoint! I apply this to the outer part of my crease using a precise pointed brush (like Zoeva's Petit Crease). When I wore this in the crease with Burlesque on the outer v, it stayed in place all day.

Mesmerised (Foiled)

This is another metallic Foiled shade, this time a deeper, cooler brown-grey. As with the other Foiled eyeshadows, it goes on like liquid metal; it's just so shimmery yet smooth and pigmented. I love this on the outer part of my eyelid.

Bada Bing

I really wasn't expecting to like this massively and basically picked it up because I never use the straight black matte shade in a palette. It has a really dark brown base with flecks of gold glitter. I'm not normally into glitter but somehow it works in this shade. The payoff isn't as amazing as some of the other shades, however it's far better than I was expecting given my experience with glitter shades from more premium brands. It's much smoother in texture than you'd think and it's very long-lasting.



If, god forbid, I end up filling this up with the full 27 eyeshadows, I will definitely do an update post! Overall, as you can perhaps tell, Makeup Geek has not only met my very high expectations (given all the hype) but exceeded them. I'm officially obsessed.


Did you pick up anything from Makeup Geek? What shades do you recommend?

 


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36 comments

  1. These look such a great alternative to MAC! I love all the shades you've picked, I personally love bronze, brown, taupe and all the deeper type of shades. I'll definitely be checking them out on Beauty Bay! Xx

    Amanda - dreamingxpretty.blogspot.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. Yes definitely - if you've ever wanted a MAC palette but thought it was a bit pricey, this is perfect :) xx

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  2. All the heart eyed emojis! I ordered 4 a couple of nights ago and can't wait to get them! Mocha, Homecoming, Barcelona Beach and Taupe Notch were my picks but now I need Bada Bing, Pretentious and Hipster! Also may have ordered an unnecessary Zoeva eye brush set but hey it's Christmas :P

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

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  3. These look so lovely and I can't wait to pick some up myself. I have not had any bad experiences with Beauty Bay so far but having said that, I have only made one order. I think I will request for it to be sent to my office instead as there is always someone to pick up the mail so no excuses. Regardless, all the eyeshadows are absolutely worth it and I have a few on my wish list already. Thanks for the post and helpful swatches...xx

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  4. This is so helpful to me as I was about to place an order for some Makeup Geek shadows but had no idea where to start with the shades! They sound like really great quality, although it sucks that BeautyBay's customer service isn't very good, I'll keep that in mind.

    Lucy | www.foreverseptemberr.blogspot.co.uk

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  5. I literally need these shadows in my life! I spotted that Beauty Bay were selling Make Up Geek and I have added so many shades to my wishlist, roll on next year when I can actually purchase them haha! I love all of the shades you have bought and this post was great :) Thank you for sharing!xo

    Char | www.charslittleblog.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. You picked such gorgeous shades, I can't believe how many you have! I recently ordered Latte (just so I could qualify for free delivery on something else I ordered) but I really want to get a Z palette and start building up a collection!

    Katya | The Beauty Harbour


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    1. Once you start I bet you'll fill it in no time - seems to be the way it goes haha xx

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  7. Every single shade looks gorgeous both in the pan and swatched. How is that possible? I don't even think I can pick a favourite shade, but for the price I guess I don't need to! If you do fill this up, please do a post featuring all the lovely shades you own!

    Jodie, xo // Jodie Loue

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  8. Wow, such gorgeous shades! I especially love the highlighting and shimmery shades, they are so beautiful :D Love your blog, I'm now following on GFC! xx

    elizabeth ♡ ”Ice Cream” whispers Clara | (doing follow for follow on bloglovin or instagram)

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  9. Ahh, I've been eagerly waiting for this post! I'm glad someone else went as crazy as me haha. Such a shame about their delivery, they definitely weren't ready for the demand and I couldn't see anything but complaints on Twitter at one point, luckily I didn't have any issues with mine. You've picked some gorgeous shades, I'm definitely picking up Purely Naked and Bitten as part of my next order. I also want to try some of the duo chrome shades. x

    Megan | http://www.meganjean.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. I know right?! Your post definitely inspired me choosing some of these shades haha xx

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  10. I haven't tried any makeup geek eye shadows, i really want to, i've heard so many good things about them. The shades you picked look amazing :D

    Merry Christmas

    <3
    perfectfixations.blogspot.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. Definitely do :) and hope you had a great Christmas! xx

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  11. These all look so pretty! Your palette is absolutely stunning.

    xo, Liz
    http://lipstickandconfetti.com

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  12. Oh wow I really want to try out some of these very soon! They sound amazing! I've just finishes my Mac palette so I might wait a bit ;) the foiled eyeshadows sound amazing, those will definitely be the first ones I'll check out!

    Love, Charline | Charline Has a Blog

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  13. These look lovely! Very pigmented! I've been meaning to pick some up.

    ahintofbeauty.blogspot.com/

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  14. Eek - sorry to hear about your delivery experiences! All seems worth it though as these products are seriously stunning!! I definitely need 'Bitten' :)

    Merry Christmas lovely!!

    Style Sunrise☀

    :)
    x

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  15. Ive heard so many good things about these i think i might need to check them out the pigmentation has really impressed me

    www.beautyandtheboy.com

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  16. You picked up some really beautiful shadows! I am very tempted to order some but I have had trouble with my last 3 orders from Beautybay & find their customer service to be appalling so it really puts me off! xx

    Beautylymin

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    Replies
    1. Glad it's not just me - it's rubbish so many smaller/international brands only sell through them...xx

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  17. I've been thinking about purchasing a MAC palette for a while but after reading this and hearing that these are better and cheaper I think I may have to make an order! xo

    http://www.samanthasbeautyloves.com

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  18. These all look amazing, shame about the delivery issues but at least they were worth it in the end. They sound like great shadows so I'll definitely order some soon!

    The Makeup Directory

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  19. Wow you got some beautiful shades, I haven't tried anything from Makeup Geek so far but I plan to in future, it sounds like they're really good quality.

    Sad to hear you had some disappointing experiences with Beauty Bay, I guess I've been lucky that so far I've only had good experiences with their shopping and handling.

    www.thesundaymode.blogspot.com.au

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  20. I've been needing a matte purple/burgundy shade for ages and it looks like bitten would be perfect!
    Charlotte // charlottespicks.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. It's stunning and sounds perfect for what you're after :) xx

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  21. Your palette looks amazing, I absolutely love these shades! I can't believe the pigmentation for the price too, so glad they've started selling them on BeautyBay as I can now actually get my hands on some, wouldn't have known without your post either, haha thanks! :)

    Just Little Things xx

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  22. These shades are all so gorgeous! I have no idea why I haven't tried any of these yet, they sound so lovely! Though I'm forcing myself into a spending ban for quite a while I'm definitely going to have to pick some of these up soon!

    www.ashbam.com

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  23. Thank you for your comments. Hope this helped you choose some shades! xx

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  24. I've been really umming and aaahing over which shades to buy and this post has helped me SO much! Thank you xx
    Tori
    30 Plus and Beautiful

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  25. I love the shades you picked! I've only got 9 MUG shadows - I actually purchased the small Z palette to stop me from buying more haha! I have mostly crease shades/neutrals but next time I am definitely getting some foiled shadows next time around, they look so beautiful x

    Daniela | MissNewBeauty.net

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  26. These shades all look absolutely gorgeous!! I definitely need to make an order of my own very soon and see what the hype is all about! And that's so awful what Hermes did to your first delivery, some people have no manners

    Toni x
    www.clarkecouture.co.uk

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  27. Gorgeous picks, I particularly love the look of Roulette!

    Lilies and Lipbalm
    xx

    ReplyDelete

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