When Marc Jacobs Beauty came marching in, all the pom-pom cheerleaders were raving over the Gel Foundation and the Style Eye-Con eyeshadow palette. Hmm… far be it for me to always be the Debbie Downer, the gel foundation did not make its way to my “most used foundation” list and now that I’ve given the Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow palette its chance over several uses, neither does it get a thumbs up from me.
Sorry folks! Let’s cut to the chase. I am not wow-ed.
Sure, we could wax lyrical about the packaging. The long slim palette is certainly different from other palettes we get out there. It is sleek, but sleekly impractical if you want to take it on your travels. Well, unless you have a large makeup bag which I don’t. I like to keep things compact when I travel.
It comes sheathed in a pouch with a button to keep it closed. Again, something different from the velvet pouches we’re used to seeing from other luxury brands. But you know what? Velvet gives the impression of luxury. Polyester doesn’t. But I digress. Some people like it, I don’t because I don’t see the point.
My final gripe with packaging comes hot on the heels of the sponge tip applicator that seems to have been tossed into the pouch almost as if it was an afterthought. It was like someone said “Oh we forgot to provide an applicator. Let’s just buy one of those cheap sponge things and toss it in. No one will notice” Seriously, Marc Jacobs, you would have been better off not including an applicator at all. The included one is a cheap and horrible item that you’d immediately bin and I did. Bah.
Ok that said, the quality of the shadows aren’t too bad and that would be their redeeming point. I don’t have the very popular neutral Lolita palette but mine’s the rather more exciting looking The Vamp 208 palette.
There are 7 good sized eyeshadows laid out in a row. If you use the burgundy shade as a mid-point, you may notice how the shades on the left are cool toned while the shades on the right have a warmer tone. The Vamp palette is therefore one of the more interesting palettes available in the collection as it will suit a variety of eyeshadow looks.
I notice some fall out with the deep shades – the dark blue and black in particular tend to not stay put. The other shades seem to be of better quality. They are fairly smooth to the touch and soft, so colour is quite easily picked up. I did these swatches on my arm using my finger and just 1 swipe of colour (except for the dark blue-grey that took 2 swipes) so it is pretty well pigmented.
- Dark Blue-Grey : Satin texture with some silver glitter. It took 2 swipes to get it to this intensity and I experience fall out when using a brush.
- Shimmer medium-grey : A medium grey with shimmer and a warm base that was quite interesting. It can be used as a lid colour or as a highlight and is pretty wearable.
- Satin warm white : The colour with the poorest colour pay off. A brush kicks up a lot of powder and dust, but it does not translate into much on skin. Best use as a brow bone colour or to blend.
- Shimmer burgundy : The most interesting colour in the palette. Satin smooth, pigmented, intense and all with 1 swipe of the finger. I struggle using this colour but then I’m not very adventurous.
- Shimmer Emerald green : A colour I eyed up immediately as it’s been a long time since I wore emerald green on eyes. Like the burgundy, it is satin smooth, pigmented and intense.
- Shimmer Khaki Brown: A warm brown with shimmer that is like the burgundy and emerald green, smooth, intense and pigmented but prone to muddy on lids.
- Matte black with silver glitter: A normal black with silver glitter and has a tendency to generate fall out.
The thing is this. While I get lovely swatches using my finger to swipe the product, I found that it did not quite translate to the same sort of loveliness and intensity when I used a brush. I use the MAC 239 to pick up colour and usually with this brush, I have little trouble packing the colour on. However, I found that while it picked up the colour well enough, I never got the same metallic intensity that I see in the pan and in my swatches.
I also found that the colours, when blended together, had a tendency to look muddy, which was frustrating. However, I attribute that more to my skills as I’m not that great at doing my eye makeup. I keep things very simple and I found that I got the best results when using 2 colours max. 3 colours and I end up with a muddy looking eye.
In this very simple eye, I applied the emerald green all over, using the khaki to blend and shade and on the lower lash line, with the silver as a touch of highlight over the green. It turns out a little less exciting than it looks in the swatch right?
One more note – wear a primer with these shadows. I don’t wear primer on a daily basis but I usually have little to no trouble with most eyeshadows. There are exceptions of course, and this happens to be the exception. On my non-oily lids, these Marc Jacob eyeshadows fade after a few hours. The only other brand I’ve experienced this is with MAC shadows which means I’m a little less enamoured with this than most people. With a primer, you get slightly better intensity of colour and longer wear time.
All said and done folks, I’m glad I had the chance to experience the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con eyeshadow palette, but I have no desire to get another, or to use this very much. It doesn’t live up to my expectations, and for the asking price of RM207 I’d top up a little more money and get myself a Guerlain Ecrin 6 couleurs eyeshadow palette. 6 shadows of beautiful, amazing quality that stays put and looks good all day. I wasn’t crazy about it initially, but I’ve since fallen in love with it. It’s not as exciting as the Marc Jacobs one, but it performs beautifully and that is ultimately what I want. Or I’d get a palette from Inglot for a smaller price tag or even MAC. I find them to be similar in quality anyway.
In a nutshell
The Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con eyeshadow palette is a sleek, long eyeshadow palette that houses 7 shades. It comes in a pouch and a useless sponge tip applicator that should be binned. Based on the Vamp palette, I found the quality of the shadows average at best. They swatched well with fingers, but were less impressive when I use a brush. I also found that when blending, the colours tend to muddy but that could be attributed to my lack of skills. You could quite easily wear this palette in an adventurous manner, thanks to the burgundy and emerald shades, but you could just as easily wear it in a neutral manner as there are sufficient neutral shades in there. On my non-oily lids, I found that they faded after a few hours, a problem I don’t have with many brands. Using a primer helps with intensity and longevity. But I ultimately do not think this worth the asking price as I find it far too average in quality to merit the raves.
Pros: Compact and sleek palette, Pigmented colours
Cons: Dark colours were prone to fall out, Useless applicator included, Colours appear less intense on lid applied with a brush, Quality is average
Who will like this: Fans of sleek and unique packaging, Anyone who regularly uses an eyelid primer
Here’s one more thing. I found the quality of the shadows quite similar to that of Sleek Makeup palettes. I hate to say it but it does remind me of them. A lot. Sorry, fans 😛
Do you like the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con palettes? Has anything from MJB wowed you?
I’m afraid I haven’t yet had my socks knocked off by anything from the brand. Perhaps it’s because I hold them to a very high standards, since they are setting very high prices. Perhaps I’m a little jaded. Perhaps it’s a little of both. I shall plod on with the brand, in search of something to like. Maybe you could tell me what you like? 🙂
p/s To mark a personal milestone, this rather grinchy post marks Post #3000 here on MWS! Oh my! 😀
Paris B
Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Eyeshadow Palette comes in 4 permanent shades – The Starlet, The Lolita, The Vamp and The Tease Price: RM207 Availability: Sephora stores
Wow!! Yay to Post #3000!!! 😀 Tee~hee!!!
Thanks AnT! And you’ve been there all this time! 😀 Thanks!
You are most welcome dearest Paris B! 😀 You have always been around for us here, I don’t know how to express how grateful I am for your sincere time and efforts, it’s just so PRICELESS~ xoxo Thank you dear xoxo 😀
I was thinking~ I bumped into your blog and got to know you like even before I committed myself to getting my master done. Now that it’s over (sharks~), time flies so very “the” fast LOL! I am sorry for being sentimental sometimes but still~ I want to say it “again” 😀 ~ Thank you for everything you have done. You are truly an amazing person xoxo
Wow! You’re done with your Masters! Yay 😀 Yeah, there are some names I see that have been around for years and I’m so thankful to have everyone with me on my journey and it’s so amazing “seeing” people grow you know. There are people I’ve “known” from college and uni and they’re now working! Now, I’m making me feel old LOL! Thanks for being there and “chatting” to me in the comments ever so often <3
Oh congrats to post num 3000!! Its certainly an achievement to be celebrated 🙂
On to the MJ palette, it was a no for me too. I could get 4-5 single shadows which of far more superior quality from another brand. Oh well, MJ needs to work a little harder.
Thanks Shasha! Can’t believe it myself that I’ve had THAT much to talk about haha! 😀 You’re right, MJ has to work A LOT harder. The eyeliner is quite nice, but as for the eyeshadow palettes, I’d get something else. Next! 🙂
Too bad you didn’t like it, Paris! I have The Starlet and I love it! The shadows are metallic and very pigmented, but blendable and easy to use. The palette has gorgeous taupe-y shades and some unique shades like a copper and a pale yellow/chartreuse-y gold. I usually like more elegant, non-metallic shimmer but I love this 😀 have you tried his Lip Gels and lipglosses? They’re nice!
Thanks for sharing Attika! 🙂 Maybe it was the palette or maybe I just had too high expectations 😀 From youre description Starlet does sound like a very lovely palette! Happy that it works for you 🙂 I haven’t tried the Lip Gels. I have to confess, I wasn’t taken by the texture nor the colours. But who knows, maybe one day I will 😉
I’m giving this brand a meh too. I’ll jump for Guerlain in a heartbeat at this kind of prices. Yay for the Guerlain Ecrin 6 couleurs eyeshadow palette! I’m moving on from Marc Jacobs to Tory Burch. Let’s see whether the Tory Burch ones that seems to be out there somewhere will live up to the expectations. And since it’s under Estee Lauder, I’m expecting quality no less.
Haha Tory Burch just doesn’t grab me somehow. Maybe it’s because I have a pair of the shoes and they pinch my feet like crazy even after all this while so I’m not even willing to give the makeup a go 😛 I hear the lipsticks are very sheer and I have to admit the packaging doesn’t grab me, but still, how are you liking it then? 😀
Yeah, I just haven’t bought one of these eye shadow palettes either. They swatch nice enough, but they’re so darn shimmery looking and the colour combos look rather off to me for some reason. And they’re so expensive!
Yes, yes and YES! They’re ok, just not ok when they’re at those prices. I honestly think that anyone who has the budget for an MJ eyeshadow palette can do better.
I just tried The Lolita, and I LOVE it! They look great in person and phenomenal on camera! I am so amazed. I just shot a Youtube video of myself today, and the MJ Lolita eyeshadows stand out so much without even half trying. I mean, I was just doing my usual strokes, usual brushes, but the results looks so photoshopped in the video!
I bought The Vamp too, but have yet to try it.
Do try the MJ lipsticks soon. They are amazing. Actually, MJ lipsticks are cheaper than many departmental stores brands in Singapore.
Good to know Lolita works for you Jyoan 🙂 I’m guessing it’s his most popular palette for a reason and why it’s always sold out 🙂 I probably won’t be getting it though, simply because I’m just not wowed by the brand as far as the eyeshadows go. But I may check out the lipsticks at the next Sephora sale. At this moment, I’m clearing out a lot of stuff so once I’m settled in, there may be room for more lipstick! 😉
I had the MJ Tease palette when it first came out in the US, and I felt pretty much the same about it. The materials were incredibly sub-par compared to other palettes in the same price range, and the shadows themselves were distinctly unimpressive. It ended up going back to Sephora. Congrats on #3000!
Thanks Nicci 😀 In many ways, I’m glad to know I’m not alone in feeling meh about the MJ palettes! I think the hype precedes it, definitely and in this instance, I think you were perfectly justified in sending it back! 😀
Given that the Marc Jacobs is heaps more expensive than Sleek, that’s not a glowing recommendation!!! I’ll have a look when we go to the US but probably won’t be purchasing. Thanks for helping me save some money
You are right, unfortunately it isn’t LOL! There’s no harm taking a look (window shopping is free!) and I’m told that other palettes like Lolita or Starlet have better quality but I still think you can do better with other brands. Happy (window) shopping! 😉
To be honest, the colours are not very exciting, although the packaging is very sleek. Oh well… I have reached a level that I no longer am getting excited by the sight of eyeshadows. Although I still WANT that Lorac Pro palette. Or Pro 2? HAAHAHA
Oh hey! Congratulations on your Post 3k! 😀 😀 😀 I hope you went out to celebrate, or sneak a sneaky bubbly drink during lunch? 😀
Eh, I’m keen on the Lorac palette too! A brand that is impossible to get online gah! 😛 I didn’t celebrate except in a self-thrill sort of way for lasting past 3k posts LOL So much to talk about 😛
Hey if you are getting that Lorac Pro anytime soon please can I “tumpang” order? I have a friend in the US whom I have used as a middle-man to get some stuff for me before. But I am trying to wait a bit longer to collect a list of other things I want from the US before asking him for a favour. 🙂 Anyway, postage from US for only 1 palette is not worth it, don’t you think so? Will definitely let you know if I decide to ask him to get Lorac Pro for me. 😀
If I ever find it, I’ll be sure to let you know! They’ve come out with a Lorac Pro 2 now too! And we haven’t even tried Lorac Pro 1 yet LOL!
Oh wow Paris, you are a tough one to please !
Great review. Guess I’ll stick to my Sleek palettes then. I think I might have one with similar shades.
*hangs head* Yes unfortunately, I am 😛 Sleek is good for the price. Not necessarily great, but good for the price. This one wasn’t LOL!