REVIEW: Maybelline Expertwear Luminous Lights Eyeshadow Collection in "Opal Lights"

so much makeup to buy in the states, but i only bought one eyeshadow: Maybelline's Expertwear Luminous Lights Eyeshadow Collection (4.8 g) in "75Q Opal Lights".

what attracted me to this was how different it was from all the colors i currently own. i do not have any pastels so the pastel pink, yellowy green and blue looked really gorgeous. and have you seen it on the model (click link above)? Maybelline claims the Luminous Lights collection contains the highest concentration of pearls compared to their other products.

the price was also pretty good - US$4.99 at Target. on Well.ca, they cost $8.99. unfortunately, there are 4 different Luminous Lights eyeshadow quads in the US but only 2 are available in Canada. why the limitations here?! if you are wondering, "Opal Lights" is 1 of the 2 that can be found here. 

so like their other Expertwear quads, Maybelline has designated a base, lid, crease and liner color. 

1. base: pastel pink

2. lid: pastel yellow-green

3. crease: pastel blue

4. liner: brown copper

the first 3 are definitely colors you'd find plastered all over in the baby department. all 4 are shimmery but i found the brown (liner) to be the most "luminous". the brown also feels smoother than the other shadows. 

the packaging is also similar to the other quads - same case, 2 applicators and the application guide on the back.

the pigmentation of these eyeshadows fall short of my expectations. it was difficult to swatch these for that particular reason - and to add to this, these were also a bit chalky. you can hardly tell that the first color is pink in the swatches. the blue is especially difficult to pick up with the velvet-tip applicator. makeup brushes are no use at all - in fact, just use your fingers. be careful of fallout underneath the eyes if you choose to use the applicator! and be careful when wiping it away because the shimmer will get everywhere!

when i first followed the guide on the back, it was hard to tell the colors apart from one another. i have a monolid so that did not help either - i need a defining crease color to help me fake a crease! instead, the whole thing looked frosty from my lash line to my eyebrow. wear time is not the greatest since within 6 hours, all you can see is the shimmer and the tiniest hint of color.

even though these are super pretty in the case, the pretty-ness doesn't translate onto the eye. primer doesn't help bring out the color but come to think of it, i should try my Pari Beauty Precious Glow Eyeshadow Primer & Intensifier! these eyeshadows need to be intensified.
since these are not really pigmented, i'd recommend using these colors for highlighting purposes such as under your eyebrow arch or the inner corner of your eyes. or if anything, just use them separately. they are all indeed luminous but you do not want to be a sparkly mess. :)