The world renowned celebrity makeup artist to Kim Kardashian, Mario Dedivanovic has come out with his very own beauty brand; Makeup by Mario. His first product to launch is the Master Metals Eyeshadow Palette. This palette consists of five metallic shades in Gold, Silver, Copper, Bronze, Rose Gold, which are said to be inspired by earth’s natural metals. We are told that these are intense, high coverage and packed with superfine iridescent pearls. Because these shadows are formulated with a gel-powder technology these will provide weightless color. You can apply these straight to your lids or purchase the Master Metal™ Manipulator™ and use these as liquid foils.
This palette retails for $48 USD (before tax) which works out to about $9.60 per shade. Each shade weights 1.5 g. In comparison to some of the other brands at Sephora such as Pat McGrath this seems in line with a higher end brand price. A Celestial Divinity Luxe Quad from Pat McGrath Labs consists of 4 shades (1.88-1.98 g per shade) and retails for $58. If you would like to use the Mario shadows as liquid foils you can add on the $14 Master Manipulator which brings your total to $62.
My first impression is that the shades are absolutely stunning and the pan sizes are large enough to dip your finger/brush into them and not get any fallout on the adjacent shades. I am a huge fan of metallics and I enjoy that the shade range compliments one another. I wore these for an 8 hour period and they were long lasting, minimal fall out, and looked flawless. The packaging is compact, looks sleek in all white and even has a mirror for application for on the go. I like the fact that these shades can be thrown onto the lid and you have yourself a nice eye look. However, in my opinion this palette is far from perfect.
There are several things that I do not enjoy in this palette. First, I don’t like that if you would like to try these shadows a liquid foils and use a scraping tool; you have to purchase these items separately. For $48 at least a mini version should be included. Second, the colors are pretty, but they are inconsistent. The “Gold” and “Rose Gold” shades are breath taking and show stoppers. However I found that “Silver” and “Copper” are not as pigmented and are not of the same pigmentation as “Gold” or “Rose Gold”. This is highly disappointing considering the price tag. Third, I found it virtually impossible the pack these shadows onto my lids with a brush, when the shadows are dry. I had a much better application with my finger and was able to blend them a lot better and pack on the pigment. Fourth, they seem overpriced and in comparison to the amazing metallic formula that you can find in a Pat McGrath eyeshadow or Natasha Denona formula, this was nothing that was super revolutionary. Finally, when I purchased the Master Metal™ Manipulator™, the shadows starting to crease on my lid, and this is not a problem that I have, as my lids are far from oily.
Final thoughts:
Overall, this eyeshadow palette is not my favorite. I feel that it is overpriced for what it is, and at this price point I expect near perfection. If you’re purchasing 5 shades, they should all be of the same formula, pigmentation and consistency. In addition, it would be very nice to at least include a mini Master Metal™ Manipulator™ so that a makeup enthusiast can try these as liquid foils. As a Pat McGrath fan I am more tempted to spend a few extra dollars and purchase the metallic, duo-chrome formula that packs a punch! If this palette goes on sale, then it might be more justifiable to invest.
Pros
Pigmented metallic shades
Suits different skin tones
Sleek and compact packaging
Includes a mirror
Easy to blend
Pigmented
Cruelty free, paraben free, gluten free and vegan
Cons
No mattes or transition shades
Price point is high
Shades are not consistent in pigmentation
Master Metal™ Manipulator™ and scraper must be bought separately
Difficult to use a brush with these
Creased on me using the Master Metal™ Manipulator™