In this look, all the shades I used are from Makeup Geek. Some of them are from their recent Soft Focus Colors (see swatches) release, which were just some lighter options to help round out their shadow selection. A few of them are also from their slightly less recent launch earlier this year. I have also swatched and reviewed those.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows Used:

• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner, brow bone
• Mint To Be – Inner lid, inner crease, inner lower lashline
• Cotton Candy – Outer crease, outer lower lashline
• Bitten – Outer lid
• Illuminaughty – Center of lid

The two newer shades in this look are Mint To Be and Cotton Candy. The pigmentation was good and they blended very easily without being prone to dusting away.

Base:

• NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer
• Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup in 1N1 Ivory Nude
• Too Faced Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer in Snow
• Physicians Formula The Healthy Powder in LC1 – I use this to add coverage to my dark circles and the inner corner where concealer doesn’t fully do the job on its own
• Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder

Brows + Lashes:

• Viseart Brow Palette – Two deepest powder shades in the bottom row
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Mascara

Here’s my amateur hour take on intentional motion blur using some of the new Makeup Geek Soft Focus Colors and a couple of Devinah Cosmetics Xploders pressed pigments. I just felt like messing around and doing something different than I normally do with my photos.

Makeup Geek Soft Focus Colors Used (see swatches):

• Lavender Dreams – Outer transition area
• Bellini – Inner transition area
• Code Blue – Outer lid, outer lower lashline
• Mint To Be – Inner lid, inner lower lashline

Devinah Cosmetics Xploders Pressed Pigments Used (see swatches):

• Everlasting Gobstoppers – Center of lid, applied over Too Faced Glitter Glue
• Marshmallow Pillows – Inner corner

The Makeup Geek shades worked out well and were very pigmented for being lighter, bordering-on-pastel shades. They blended easily and were very buildable. The Devinah Shades are very shiny and sparkly and make most other shimmers in my collection look dull and muted in comparison. They do have sparkle fallout and quite a bit of it. Just be aware before using them.

Base:

• NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer
• Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup in 1N1 Ivory Nude
• Too Faced Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer in Snow
• Physicians Formula The Healthy Powder in LC1 – I use this to add coverage to my dark circles and the inner corner where concealer doesn’t fully do the job on its own
• Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder

Brows + Lashes:

• Viseart Brow Palette – Two deepest powder shades in the bottom row
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Mascara

These six shades are Makeup Geek’s most recent addition to their eyeshadow line. They are calling them their “Soft Focus” shades. I thought they would be more pastel when I first saw them online but they are a bit on the brighter side. I’m not mad about it. Looking forward to playing with these.

I threw in a photo comparing Bellini with Peach Smoothie at the bottom of the post in case anyone was wondering how similar they are. They are pretty close but Peach Smoothie is a bit more on the yellow side than Bellini.

• Mint To Be – Light green with yellow undertones and a matte finish.
• Lavender Dreams – Light pinkish purple with a matte finish.
• Code Blue – Bright sky blue with a matte finish. A “warmer” blue.

• Cotton Candy – Light peachy coral with a matte finish.
• Bellini – Light peach with a matte finish.
• Pretty In Pink – Bubble gum pink with a matte finish.

This review is for the Makeup Geek Matrix Mega Set ($220), which includes two magnetic palettes full of most of their single eyeshadows. I am also reviewing four additional single eyeshadows that were released as part of their recent rebrand but were not included in the palettes. The palettes can be purchased individually for $125 each. The individual matte shadows are $5.49 each while the foiled shadows are $7.99 each. Buying the whole set brings the price of the individual eyeshadows down to $3.93 each. Buying just one palette will bring the price down to $4.46 each. These are just rough calculations considering you also get the magnetic palettes. The point is, if you want a whole bunch of shades, it may be more cost effective to just get one or both palettes.

The magnetic palettes themselves feel like really nice quality. The back and sides are made of a rubberized material so they aren’t slippery in your hands. The lid can be positioned anywhere and has some tension to it so you can leave it halfway open and it will remain in that position. You can also lay it out completely flat. The lid is held shut magnetically as well. Now, I did see a review from Annette’s Makeup Corner, and she got one of the magnetic palettes that holds 9 eyeshadows. The magnetized sheet that was inside was warped in hers, so perhaps there is some variation in the quality of the palettes from size to size.

There is a gap between the pans in the palette when it is completely filled, meaning the pans don’t fit 100% perfectly in these palettes. This may be annoying for some people but for me I really don’t care. This gap makes it easier for me to take shades out if I want to without having to use some sort of tool to do so.

There are currently 10 foiled eyeshadows available. Three of them were slightly sheerer than the rest (Medieval, Day Dreamer, and Whimsical) but I had no problems building them up. They have a smooth, almost creamy texture that was neither too thin nor too thick. I was able to use a brush to apply them to the lid just fine but as with all shimmers, using my fingers did give me more intense color payoff and higher shine. There was some shimmer fallout but not so much that I feel the need to apply my foundation after my eyeshadow.

The formula of the mattes is different than most the mainstream brands I’ve tried. It took me a while to “get to know” this formula and how best to apply it. They are generally somewhat powdery, yet very pigmented. The majority of them adhere very well to the eyelid and don’t dust away (except for Prim and Proper, Blushing Beauty, Bitten, and Spilled Tea, which were slightly thinner and dustier than the rest but still workable). I can apply them either to a set or unset base. I appreciate this flexibility. I prefer to set my base as my eyelids can tend to get oily throughout the day.

Many of the deeper matte shades applied much more evenly with a flat shader brush, but this also caused the color to go on darker and made it more challenging to blend out the edges. A fluffy brush would sometimes cause the eyeshadows to lay on the lid in a patchy way that I was unable to smooth out with blending. The lighter matte shades generally applied fine with a fluffy brush.

The mattes have a similar texture across the board, although some of them are more loosely pressed and powdery while others are quite firmly pressed. The more firmly pressed ones formed a bit of hard pan during swatching but I don’t feel those ones performed any worse than any of the other shades.

The matte highlight shades (So Pale, Vanilla Bean, and Banana Split) are a smidge less pigmented than the rest but they still have plenty of color payoff. When blending the matte shades, sometimes I ran into issues with not being able to stretch the color out. Normally I am able to place a color in the crease and blend it fairly far upward into the transition area. There is a limit to how far some of them will move from where they are initially placed.

The four shades that are not included in the palettes are Peach Smoothie, Grandstand, Flame Thrower and Mystical. I like all of these and I’m glad I included them in my order. Personally I think peach smoothie is an essential transition shade to have, especially if you are fair and love warm toned and orange-y eyeshadow looks. There really isn’t a good substitute in the pre-made palettes. Grandstand is another one that I’d recommend. Being a bronze-y rose gold, it is the kind of shade that I think tends to be universally loved by most people.

Wear time was pretty average for me. I didn’t find that they lasted much longer than most other shadows I wear but I also didn’t think they creased on me super early in the day.

Pros:

• Very large selection of neutral eyeshadows with a wide variety of undertones.
• Pretty good selection of colorful eyeshadows. I would like to see an expansion on the greens/blues and lighter/brighter shade options.
• Great color payoff.
• Fallout during application was generally very minimal.
• Elimination of the analysis paralysis phenomenon. This set provides you with a large number of shadows across a variety of tones and depths without having to pick colors one by one on the website.
• The idea of having a gradient of shades organized this way does make it easy to pick out a select few shades to create your own palettes. However, this took me some getting used to. After having used this palette for over a month, I now feel I know what every color looks like, how dark each one is, what undertones they all have, etc. In the very beginning it was a little difficult for me to come up with color combinations but now I’m really happy with how it’s organized.

Cons:

• If you are accustomed to dustier formulas that are incredibly easy to blend, this formula may take some getting used to. The majority of the shades stay where I initially apply them, so I can go ham blending without worrying about them dusting away. However, this comes at the price of spending more time getting a smooth blend.
• I experienced a small degree of patchiness with several of the shades, especially the cooler tones and darker shades. It wasn’t terrible and wouldn’t deter me from using those shades. However, if you already have shades like those that you love and are extremely picky about how smoothly an eyeshadow lays on the lid, then you might want to skip the cooler tones and darker shades.
• Enough similar shades that buying the whole matrix set can feel like a waste. The deep browns in the neutral palette do have different undertones that are obvious when you look at them in the pans, however on the eye, they are all extremely similar to each other. It’s possible the difference may be more visible on someone with a deeper skintone than me.
• In the colorful palette, some of the columns don’t have enough difference in depth from light to dark, in my opinion. For example, creating a monochromatic look using the column that includes Current Obsession, Curfew, and Eternally Grateful does not end up looking balanced.

Shades that are extremely similar:

• Tuscan Sun and Pinky Promise
• Curfew and Eternally Grapeful
• Seas The Day and Time Travel
• Espresso Yourself and Deja Brew
• Dark Roasted and Coffee Before Talkee

Worth buying?

$220 for both palettes is definitely a hit to the wallet, but I feel like the price is fair for what you get. If you are a makeup artist and you need to have wide variety of shades in a relatively compact space, this is not a bad way to achieve that. If you enjoy playing with color and makeup is more of a creative outlet for you, I think you would like this set. Keep in mind that most of the colors are pretty muted and a large percentage of them are on the darker side. I can get some lighter looks out of these shadows but I feel like the overall range of colors combined with the formula make these eyeshadow more ideal for those that enjoy intense color and darker, smokier looks. It’s also going to be a better fit for those that don’t mind shadows that require more time and effort to blend out. If you prefer eyeshadows that are super quick and easy to work with, you might want to err on the side of caution and maybe just pick up a few shades to see how you like the formula.

Shades

So Pale: Very pale nude with subtle yellow undertones.
Vanilla Bean: Pale nude with peach undertones.
Shimma Shimma: Pale peachy nude with a subtle satin finish.
Banana Split: Light nude with yellow undertones.

Bedrock: Light taupe with very subtle red undertones.
Clean Slate: Medium taupe with red undertones.
Take For Granite: Deep taupe with very subtle red undertones.
Smoke Signal: Deep charcoal grey.

Beach Please: Soft, cool tan
Latte As Usual: Soft cool brown
Espresso Yourself: Cool, rich cocoa brown
Dark Roasted: Neutral, Deep true brown. Didn’t like this one.

Creme Brûlée: Light, warm brown
Honey Badger: Warm, soft reddish brown
Cheetah Bear: Warm, medium reddish brown
Chocolate Wasted: Warm, deep reddish brown

Prim and Proper: Cool, light muted pink.
Blushing Beauty: Muted cool pink
Vintage: Cool, muted grey purple
Americano: Cool, deep plum brown

Cupcake: Medium warm pink
Getting Figgy With It: Warm, rich plum brown
Bitten: Muted, warm burgundy
Give Me The Dirt: Warm, deep Swiss Chocolate

Had Me At Yellow: Warm, muted soft yellow
Tiki Hut: Warm, muted yellow brown
Deja Brew: Warm cocoa brown
Coffee Before Talkee: Neutral, deep cocoa brown

Illuminaughty: Light green with warm yellow undertone
Olive You: Soft, warm olive green
Spilled Tea: Cool, medium moss green
Enchanted Forest: Cool, deep ivy green

Medieval: Cool bright teal with a deep blue undertone
Blue Me Away: Muted, cool tropical blue
Seas The Day: Medium teal blue
Time Travel: Cool, deep teal

Day Dreamer: Cool Light Purple Lilac
Current Obsession: Cool bright lavender (slightly warmer toned than Curfew)
Curfew: Cool Medium True Purple (slightly cooler toned than Current Obsession)
Eternally Grapeful: Cool, deep true purple

Whimsical: Cool, pale pink silver
On Wednesdays: True cool pink
Back To The Fuchsia: True warm fuchsia pink
Wine and Dine: Rich, warm purple

Starry Eyed: Neutral, light beige champagne with a pink undertone
Tuscan Sun: Soft, neutral salmon pink
Pinky Promise: Medium, neutral salmon pink
Berry Shady: Neutral Rich Berry

In The Spotlight: Warm soft pink with coral undertone
Peach For The Stars: True warm peach
Staycation: True, warm coral pink
Hot Tamale: Warm, deep bright raspberry

Legend: Light green with warm yellow undertone
Chickadee: Warm medium orange
Morocco: Rich, warm medium orange
Brick House: Warm, deep burnt orange

Peach Smoothie: Warm, pale muted peach
Grandstand: Medium warm coppery brown
Flame Thrower: True warm copper
Mystical: Warm deep plum

Looks

Products and shades used:

• Nars Smudge Proof Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• So Pale – Brow bone
• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner
• Banana Split – Transition
• Bedrock – Lower lashline, fill in brows
• Smoke Signal – All over lid, blended into crease
• Olive you – Crease
• Illuminaughty – Center of lid
• NYX Skinny Black Liner
• Fenty Full Frontal Mascara

Products and shades used:

• Nars Smudge Proof Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• So Pale – Brow bone
• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner
• Chickadee – Crease, blended into transition area, lower lashline transition
• Getting Figgy With It – All over lid, blended into crease, lower lashline, close to the lashes
• Legend – Center of lid
• NYX Skinny Black Liner
• Fenty Full Frontal Mascara

Products and shades used:

• Nars Smudge Proof Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• So Pale – Brow bone, inner corner
• Peach Smoothie – Transition, lower lashline, inner lid
• Peach For The Stars – Crease
• Hot Tamale – Outer lid
• Staycation – Center of lid
• Starry Eyed – Inner lower lashline
• Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara in Black Brown – Lower lashes
• ColourPop Honeydude Creme Gel Liner
• Fenty Full Frontal Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette – Used lightest powder shade to fill in brows
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen – Just the liquid side
• Loreal Color Corrector Palette – I used the peachy shade to clean up around my brows
• Pixi Brow Gel

Products and shades used:

• Tarte Shape Tape in Light – Under eye concealer, clean up around brows
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder – Set concealer
• Elf Putty Eye Primer in Rose
• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner, brow bone
• Tuscan Sun – Inner lid, inner crease
• On Wednesdays – Outer lid, outer crease
• In The Spotlight – Center of lid
• Viseart Brow Palette – I used the two lightest powder shades to fill in my brows
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Products and shades used:

• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner, brow bone
• Cupcake – Transition, lower lashline transition
• Bitten – Crease, lower lashline
• Give Me The Dirt – Outer lid, blended into crease
• Mystical – Center of lid
• Whimsical – Inner lid
• Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 120
• Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer in 30NN
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder
• Viseart Brow Palette
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Products and shades used:

• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner, brow bone
• Prim and Proper – Transition, lower lashline transition
• Blushing Beauty – Crease
• Vintage – Lower in the crease
• Americano – Lower lashline, close to lashes, outer lid
• Granstand – Center of lid
• Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 120
• Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer in 30NN
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder
• Viseart Brow Palette
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Products and shades used:

• So Pale – Brow bone
• Banana Split – Transition 1, inner corner
• Had Me At Yellow – Transition 2, lower lashline transition
• Chocolate Wasted – Crease, lower lashline, close to lashes
• Spilled Tea – Center of lid
• Enchanted Forest – Outer lid
• Illuminaughty – Inner corner, went over top of Banana Split
• Nars Pro Prime Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Ulta Gel Eyeliner in Black Out – Waterline
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara – Top lashes
• Covergirl Lash Exact mascara in Black Brown – Lower lashes
• Loreal True Match Lumi Foundation in N1-2
• Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond
• Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder – Set foundation
• Hourglass Veil Translucent Powder – Touch up
• Viseart Structure Brow and Eyeshadow Palette – Lightest powder shade on bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brown Tint Pen – Liquid side only

Products and shades used:

• Shimma Shimma – Inner corner, brow bone
• Creme Brulee – Transition
• Cheetah Bear – Crease
• Honey Badger – Outer part of lower lashline
• Starry Eyed – Inner part of lower lashline/li>
• Wine and Dine – Outer lid
• Vanilla Bean – Inner lid
• Day Dreamer – Center of lid
• Nars Pro Prime Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• It Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50+ in Fair
• Laura Mercier Secret Camo Concealer in SC-1
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder – Set foundation
• Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder – Touch up
• Wander Beauty Powder Foundation – Add coverage
• Viseart Structure Brow and Eyeshadow Palette – Two lightest powder shades on the bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brown Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Products and shades used:

• Shimma Shimma – Inner corner, brow bone
• Creme Brulee – Transition
• Cheetah Bear – Crease
• Honey Badger – Outer part of lower lashline
• Starry Eyed – Inner part of lower lashline/li>
• Wine and Dine – Outer lid
• Vanilla Bean – Inner lid
• Day Dreamer – Center of lid
• Nars Pro Prime Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• It Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50+ in Fair
• Laura Mercier Secret Camo Concealer in SC-1
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder – Set foundation
• Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder – Touch up
• Wander Beauty Powder Foundation – Add coverage
• Viseart Structure Brow and Eyeshadow Palette – Two lightest powder shades on the bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brown Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara

Products and shades used:

• So Pale – Brow bone
• Banana Split – Transition 1, inner corner
• Had Me At Yellow – Transition 2, lower lashline transition
• Chocolate Wasted – Crease, lower lashline, close to lashes
• Spilled Tea – Center of lid
• Enchanted Forest – Outer lid
• Illuminaughty – Inner corner, went over top of Banana Split
• Nars Pro Prime Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• Ulta Gel Eyeliner in Black Out – Waterline
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara – Top lashes
• Covergirl Lash Exact mascara in Black Brown – Lower lashes
• Loreal True Match Lumi Foundation in N1-2
• Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Almond
• Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder – Set foundation
• Hourglass Veil Translucent Powder – Touch up
• Viseart Structure Brow and Eyeshadow Palette – Lightest powder shade on bottom row
• Mac Shape + Shade Brown Tint Pen – Liquid side only

Products and shades used:

• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner, brow bone
• Prim and Proper – Transition, lower lashline transition
• Blushing Beauty – Crease
• Vintage – Lower in the crease
• Americano – Lower lashline, close to lashes, outer lid
• Granstand – Center of lid
• Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 120
• Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer in 30NN
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder
• Viseart Brow Palette
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara
]]> 11662 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/makeup-geek-eyeshadow-look-5/ Tue, 25 Feb 2020 04:16:27 +0000 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/?p=11657



Products and shades used:

• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner, brow bone
• Cupcake – Transition, lower lashline transition
• Bitten – Crease, lower lashline
• Give Me The Dirt – Outer lid, blended into crease
• Mystical – Center of lid
• Whimsical – Inner lid
• Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 120
• Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer in 30NN
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder
• Viseart Brow Palette
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara
]]> 11657 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/makeup-geek-eyeshadow-look-4/ Fri, 14 Feb 2020 01:41:51 +0000 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/?p=11585



Products and shades used:

• Tarte Shape Tape in Light – Under eye concealer, clean up around brows
• Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder – Set concealer
• Elf Putty Eye Primer in Rose
• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner, brow bone
• Tuscan Sun – Inner lid, inner crease
• On Wednesdays – Outer lid, outer crease
• In The Spotlight – Center of lid
• Viseart Brow Palette – I used the two lightest powder shades to fill in my brows
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen in Taupe – Just the liquid side
• Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara
]]> 11585 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/makeup-geek-eyeshadow-look-3/ Sun, 09 Feb 2020 14:00:08 +0000 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/?p=11575



Products and shades used:

• Nars Smudge Proof Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• So Pale – Brow bone, inner corner
• Peach Smoothie – Transition, lower lashline, inner lid
• Peach For The Stars – Crease
• Hot Tamale – Outer lid
• Staycation – Center of lid
• Starry Eyed – Inner lower lashline
• Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara in Black Brown – Lower lashes
• ColourPop Honeydude Creme Gel Liner
• Fenty Full Frontal Mascara
• Viseart Brow Palette – Used lightest powder shade to fill in brows
• Mac Shape + Shade Brow Tint Pen – Just the liquid side
• Loreal Color Corrector Palette – I used the peachy shade to clean up around my brows
• Pixi Brow Gel
]]> 11575 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/makeup-geek-eyeshadow-look-2/ Sat, 08 Feb 2020 14:00:55 +0000 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/?p=11571

Products and shades used:

• Nars Smudge Proof Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• So Pale – Brow bone
• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner
• Chickadee – Crease, blended into transition area, lower lashline transition
• Getting Figgy With It – All over lid, blended into crease, lower lashline, close to the lashes
• Legend – Center of lid
• NYX Skinny Black Liner
• Fenty Full Frontal Mascara
]]> 11571 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/makeup-geek-eyeshadow-look-1/ Fri, 07 Feb 2020 14:00:36 +0000 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/?p=11566

Products and shades used:

• Nars Smudge Proof Tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light
• So Pale – Brow bone
• Vanilla Bean – Inner corner
• Banana Split – Transition
• Bedrock – Lower lashline, fill in brows
• Smoke Signal – All over lid, blended into crease
• Olive you – Crease
• Illuminaughty – Center of lid
• NYX Skinny Black Liner
• Fenty Full Frontal Mascara
]]> 11566 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/swatches-makeup-geek-eyeshadows/ Thu, 06 Feb 2020 14:00:07 +0000 https://coffeeandmakeup.com/?p=11545









The next four are not included in the matrix palettes but are available individually:

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