It is an eyeshadow quad or alien spacecraft?
Remember back in the day when beauty lovers never considered getting eyeshadow from drugstores? A lipliner, lipstick and blush…maybe. But many of us beauty snobs people rigidly judged drugstores and assumed that their eyeshadow selections just weren’t on par with what the higher-end and department stores. Welp. Those days are gone, y’all. I actually find myself drawn more to drugstore cosmetics than the ‘spensive higher-end stuff. Take this Nuance Salma Hayek Beautiful Blends Eye Quad for example…
…this CVS-exclusive alienesque piece of coolness not only has the packaging that would appeal to beauty lovers of all skill levels but its performance is stellar too. Oh! And it costs less than $9. Which rounds out to like $2 and some change per eyeshadow. Wicked.
Packaging alone is enough to warrant a passerby to be curious enough to pick this up. And why?
- It’s in a box.
- It’s got an “interesting” design.
- It’s in a box.
I’ve seen it all in the beauty world but I’ve never seen a quad in a box.
I love when beauty brands have the little “apply by number” diagrams. It’s SO helpful for beauty newbies. It’s also helpful for people like me who look at a palette and don’t know where to start.
When using this quad, I ended up not really paying attention to the diagram. I just applied whatever where ever. Because I’m a G like that. Ha! The quad itself is such an interesting little contraption.
I don’t necessarily love it but I don’t hate it either. I’m not sure how travel-friendly is since it packs a bit of bulk but it looks super cool on a vanity. I don’t think it’s practical for everyday display though because it’s easy to knock down and scoot over. More than anything, it is definitely a conversational starter. While I think it may be a bit bulky for tossing in a suitcase, it fits nicely in the hand.
Opening it up to reveal the shadows is a bit tricky but on each side of the quad, there is a little indention that makes popping it up open easy. See?
And bam – you’ve revealed the glorious shadows.
Pretty cool, uh? That little thingamajig in the middle is a little eyeshadow sponge.
It’s not something I’d use but I’m not taking it out because I find it to aesthetically pleasing. I know. I’m weird like that.
Swatches-wise, I found the shadows to be amazingly buttery and smooth. It appears that each shadow has the same formula (frost?) and while I like that formula, I would have loved to see a matte thrown up in there.
(L-R Toasted Almond, Shimmering Bronze, Champagne Gold, Frosted Blush)
Not too shabby, uh? I found Toast Almond to be a little too frosty for my liking but I managed to crank out a quick look using all 4 shadows anyway.
The next few times I use this quad, I’ll be sure to use a colored base underneath. I used just a simple primer and I think the look would have POPPED more if I used a gold eyeshadow base. There’s a lot of experimenting that I can do but overall, I’m pretty impressed with the quality and performance of the quad.
Way to go Nuance Salma Hayek! Another stellar product from the brand. I’ve also reviewed the Facial Cleansing Towelettes and the AMAZING Ulta-Defining mascara. I’m making my way around the Nuance goodies and I haven’t been too disappointed yet. Woot!
Where To Buy: CVS stores and CVS.com.
Cost: $8.49
Have you tried anything from the Nuance Salma Hayek line? How cool lookin’ is this quad?
Category: Eyes
wow! really interesting.
Jyoan recently blogged about T3 Body Scrub and Body Wash
I;ve always stared at these at CVS, but shied away from purchasing. I love that plummy colours, but the others look way too light for me. Perhaps next time I will take the time to review the selection and pick something up!
ahhhsoneo recently blogged about Foundation Sample Smorgasbord
I think the design, while unusual, is very clunky for storage. The shades are nicely pigmented but I agree with you, I think a matte or two would be nice (especially as a highlight instead of all that shimmer.
Phyrra recently blogged about Fyrinnae Sleepy Hollow Lover Tutorial
I agree with you, maybe theres some way to depot them.
Adeline recently blogged about Review: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine
Funky packaging ahah, i love the shades too
Sophierosehearts x
sophie recently blogged about A Little L’Oreal Haul!
The packaging is so cool, even if quite bulky. And the shades are lovely too.
gio recently blogged about QOTW: What’s The Best Volumizing Mascara?
What a fun looking quad. I really like the colors, too! I will keep an eye out for this next time I’m in CVS
beautyscraps recently blogged about ELF Sale Haul: Skincare, Nail Care, Makeup and Free Nail Polish!
That’s pretty neat! I might have to check it out next time I am at CVS! Thanks for the review!
Rosie Means recently blogged about How to keep your Summer Glow after Summer
You make me want everything! definitely going to check out that mascara!!! My eyes are tiny so small wands are amazing for me!
The mascara will change your life. It’s amazing stuff!
wow that looks cool! it’s sooo different, i like it!
theMissPretty recently blogged about “Pretty Natural”: What Natural Oils do I use in my hair routeine?
Matte shades are a must for me lol. I haven’t yet picked up anything from the Salma Hayek line..
[...] Post-Partum Recovery Kit. Brittany from Clumps of Mascara checks out the space ship eyeshadow from Nuance by Salma Hayek. Jacqueline from A Brilliant Brunette shares her Fall 2012 Beauty Trends. Love the [...]
[...] of Mascara – has found the world’s most interesting eyeshadow quad. It’s quite reminiscent of alien [...]
[...] of Mascara – has found the world’s most interesting eyeshadow quad. It’s quite reminiscent of alien [...]
[...] of Mascara – has found the world’s most interesting eyeshadow quad. It’s quite reminiscent of alien [...]
What nailpolish are you wearing? It’s beautiful!
I can’t remember.
What nail color are you wearing?
Uuuuh, don’t shoot me but I can’t remember.
I haven’t tried anything from her line, but after reading your post, I must go check out the quad!! Thank you!