Review: Maybelline 'Striking Blue' EyeStudio Quad

Greetings from the Dark Side~! 

It is no secret that I love drugstore makeup. I particularly love limited edition and seasonal collections from the drugstore. Spring 2013 has been quite exciting, and I was especially thrilled with the Maybelline Color Goes Electric Collection. The collection included four limited edition EyeStudio quads, but I only picked up one: Striking Blue.

                                                                        Product Information                                                      

Product:	EyeStudio Quad in 'Striking Blue'
Brand:	Maybelline
Price:	$8-$10
Color:	The quad includes: a pale shimmery golden white, a shimmery bright bronze, a bright sky blue, and a dark navy.
Texture/Finish:	All four shadows in the quad are shimmery. They have a smooth texture and apply quite easily.The pale golden white is a bit powdery, but it blends in beautifully.
Pigmentation:	All colors are really pigmented, except the pale white which is meant to be a sheer highlighting shade.  The bright blue is pigmented, but it can blend out too easily, so be careful not too over-blend.
Application:	For the best color pay-off, I prefer to use a stiff, flat shader brush. Instead of swiping the color on, pack it on by patting the color onto the lid. For the pale golden white, I like to use a big fluffy brush to sweep the color on.
Wear (comfort):	I have very little fall-out with the shadows, and they wear very nicely on the lids.
Wear (time):	The shadows can last all day on my eyes without a problem. I do need to keep an eye on how the darker colors look on my lower lash line in case of any smudging (mostly because of my eyeliner, not the eyeshadows themselves).
Dupes? Similar products?:	These colors are not super unique, and I think they are quite dupable. But, I don't have any other quads/small palettes that have the same colors together.

                                                                               Review                                                                       

My favorite thing about this palette is that it offers you a four-color quad that you can use to create various looks. You have a light highlighting color which you can use alone or just to highlight the inner corner or the brow bone. The bronze color is a great neutral color and you could use it with the golden white for an everyday look. Or you can use the dark navy to amp up your look and make a dramatic smokey eye. The bright blue adds a nice pop of color for the days when you are feeling more adventurous.The blue-brown combination is also fantastic, and this quad offers you an easy way of achieving that combination.

The EyeStudio quads have really great pigmentation, and 'Striking Blue' is not exception. The eyeshadows are good quality and are comparable to MAC eyeshadows. I have not have many problems with fall-out (with the exception of the dark navy color, but even then it was not too bad).

The only complaint I have about this palette is that the bright blue eyeshadow blends out too easily.
When I first used this palette, I blended out the bright blue in with the dark navy blue, and I noticed how easily the bright blue faded out. If you want the blue to be super pigmented, then be careful not to over-blend.

                                                                      Products In Action                                                            

The look below if by far my favorite way to use this palette. I LOVE the dramatic lower lash line look!

Below, you can see what happens when you over-blend the bright sky blue eyeshadow. It's not pretty >_<"But, I do like this look because the bronze shade looks AMAZING on the lower lash line when you add black eyeliner on the waterline.

                                                                               Verdict                                                                      

Although I am sure these colors are easily dupable, it is a great quad and a convenient product to travel with. For drugstore eyeshadows, they are nicely pigmented and of very good quality. I think if you like the colors that come in the quads, they are definitely worth the $8-$10 price.

Rating: 9/10