Makeup By Mario Master Mattes™ Eyeshadow Review & Swatches

 

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I hadn't really planned on buying any more palettes because, Lord knows, I have more than enough! But when I saw the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes™ palette, I couldn't resist! I love matte shadows and I loved the palette he did, around four years ago, with Anastasia Beverly Hills (I still have it!), so it just seemed like I should buy it.  Because I've had it for a few weeks, I thought now would be a good time to share my thoughts with you......

When it arrived, it was a little smaller than I expected, but I didn't mind because I'm not a fan of palettes that look bigger, but only because they contain a brush! I like the monochrome packaging - it's simple and sleek and the palette itself is sturdy and wipeable - important when the palette is white! Inside the lid, is a decent sized mirror and the palette itself contains 12 shadows, which have numbers, rather than names, written on the back.

I will say straight up, that when I first swatched the palette, I was pretty disappointed - you'll see from the photos, that some of the swatches are pretty patchy. It wasn't what I expected at all, I thought that maybe I had received one from a bad batch because the description on the site is:

"These 12 universal matte shadows are incredibly buildable. They deliver smooth, highly blendable color, designed to create a soft, blended look."
- Mario

Hmm.... I agree with the universal colours as I think that everyone could enjoy this palette, but wasn't so sure about the rest of the claims. That said, you can't judge eyeshadows from swatches on your arms (although other palettes get me excited as soon as I swatch even one eyeshadow!), so I obviously proceeded to use the shadows on my eyes. I always, always use a primer, because my lids are oily and shadows tend to crease and fade otherwise. Thankfully, the shadows perform much better on the eyes - they don't all blend into one shade, the shadows are smooth, definitely buildable, rather than super-pigmented. That said, I got to thinking that buildable is better for most people than palettes where the shadows are too pigmented as they are more difficult to work with, as a novice. So, basically I'm saying, if you were to just look at my swatches, you'd assume this was a crappy, cheap palette from the days before mattes were non-powdery, but when they are actually worn on the eyes, it's like a different palette.

Here are the swatches:

Swatches are completely unedited.

Row 1: See what I mean about the swatches? They are a mess and I had to go over each one a few times, so yes - he got the buildable part right!

Matte 1: A light warm white - requires quite a bit of building.

Matte 2: I like this as a basic base shade - a warm sandy colour - but it may not show up on some skin tones.

Matte 3: A warm, peachy-toned cream.

Matte 4: A medium, peachy-brown.

Swatches are completely unedited.

Row 2: This row, I found particularly bad in terms of pigmentation.

Matte 5: A deep tan shade.

Matte 6: A medium, neutral brown.

Matte 7: A deep, warm terracotta.

Matte 8: A warm medium-deep brown.

Swatches are completely unedited.

Row 3: The best row in terms of pigmentation.

Matte 9: A rich red-toned brown.

Matte 10: A deep warm, brown.

Matte 11: A deep brown, with a hint of charcoal, which makes it cool-toned.

Matte 12: Black, but not the most pigmented with one swipe - buildable though.

What I have found through using the palette, is that you will need time and patience. This is not a one sweep wonder palette. Every shade is buildable, they apply smoothly (even on lids that aren't so firm), there is some fallout, which I expect from a palette of mattes, and the end result is a beautiful look. But can I say that it's worth the money? No - there are better all matte palettes out there. I was hoping for better, will keep it and make it work, but I can't help but feel that I perhaps got one from a bad batch - the swatches on his site couldn't be more different to mine! The reviews on Sephora are very mixed, so I can't help but think that there are some bad batches.

Have you bought this palette? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!

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All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated. Anything marked with a * has been kindly gifted, without obligation. I don't do sponsored posts. Opinion is always my own. Affiliate links may be used.