Hello there!
Here’s the time when I get caught in a trap of my own fantasies and mistook a wish for reality.
Meet the Maybelline - Lemonade Craze Eyeshadow Palette:
I was dreaming of having this palette since the moment it was released. Everything about it was tempting me - the design, warm-toned shades and of course all those swatches saturated with color.
And this is exactly the palette which made me believe that swatches on the web can be so misleading. This failure made me change my way of swatching eyeshadows and from now on I swatch them both with an eyeshadow brush and my fingers. Because, you know, it’s so easy to rub in the product with fingers to the intense color payoff. I guess that all those swatches which I saw before purchasing were done this way.
In action, the palette turned out to be not so pigmented as I’d like it to be. To top it off, there are two shades which are too dry texture-wise and difficult to use. And here are the most interesting ones - pink and yellow.
I want to note that maybe I’ve got a flaw palette because recently I swatched it in other stores and these pink and yellow shades seemed to be much softer and pliant rather than what I’ve got in mine.
I want to draw your attention to the quality of the packaging.
The plastic is cheap, the inside palette with refill pans plays free and rattles as though it’s about to fall out. I have another palette from the brand which is 24K Nudes and its quality is much better, while here I can see how cheap the entire product is.
The palette offers 12 eyeshadow shades, which are so different in quality.
There are mattes, satins and one metallic shade here. By the way, the metallic one turned out to be the best quality-wise here.
The palette’s main issue for me is its characterless shades. I can remember those rubbed in swatches where the color payoff was dazzling and three times better to what I see in reality.
And it’s still possible to apply these shades with my fingers more or less good, but the brush application shows lightweight veil coverage, which is barely visible.
But I think I’d better describe my impressions of each shade separately.
All the products were applied with a primer.
(the first quad) on the left -the swatch with my finger and on the right the swatch with a brush
Old Fashioned - it’s a success (if we speak about only this palette) matte shade. Uncommon cocoa shade with vinous notes.
Ice Pop - this is my pain and dismay. The shade is as dry as a Sahara desert. It’s tricky to apply with my finger or with a brush. Potentially pleasant matte ash rose shade.
Strawberry Lemonade - a very beautiful beaming shade. Such a bright color of pink champagne. I think it can work great as a highlighter.
Berry Ice - matte beige shade with a pink undertone of warm temperature. It’s a good option for setting the primer and smoothing out the skin texture.
(the second quad) on the left -the swatch with my finger and on the right the swatch with a brush
Citrus - alluring shimmer shade which is pastel peach pink of golden shine. It’s difficult to pick up with a brush and this is a very shimmer shade which falls out to my under eye skin during the day. You can get a good color payoff like in the pan and a staying power from it only if you apply it with a damp brush, sprayed with a makeup spray.
Sweet - neutrally toned matte beige shade. It’s good for setting the primer and smoothing out the skin color.
Sweet Tea - warm matte dark beige hue. It’s a worthy transition shade, as well as a crease color.
Main Squeeze - a shimmering golden shade which is the same as the Citrus color in terms of their characteristics.
(the third quad) on the left -the swatch with my finger and on the right the swatch with a brush
Sugar Coated - copper bright metallic color. It’s nice to apply with a brush as well as with my finger. It doesn’t crumble but it can crease on my eyelids, even though I wear it over a primer.
Coral Punch - red-peach a little bit whitening shade. It’s a tad dry. I don’t use it frequently in my makeup but the color is okay and I think I’ll use it as a transition shade from now on.
Lemonade Craze - matte yellow shade. In general, it’s okay but I can’t say that it’s packed with a lot of pigment. Like all the other matte colors, this one is also a little dry.
Sunnies - a really pleasant fair matte shade with a lemon-yellow undertone. It’s good for setting the base and highlighting brow bones. I can also find a use for it as a transition shade.
The shade which I use the most, you can see it from the dent in the pan.
And here’s how the dry pink shade looks in the pan. The yellow one looks the same.
Overall, in the end, we have a palette full of blending and transition shades, which are okay for everyday makeup.
They blend out well, though they pack differently. Some shades are better, while others are terrible.
The staying power is okay over a primer. But some shades can crease a little by the end of the day since my eyelids are oily.
They are dusty to some extent, like many other affordable eyeshadows, I think. But if you wipe off the excess amount of powder from the brush before application, then I believe you won’t face any problems.
Some of my makeup looks with this palette:
I’m still carrying on using this palette for the stated above reasons. It’s a really good option for quick and easy makeup looks for everyday wear. Besides, I actively use it for setting my eyeshadow primer and for transition colors. Some refill pans already have small dents in them.
But would I buy it for me now? I don’t think so. Especially considering the fact that I already have a palette which is way cheaper and better, starting from the design of the palette and finishing with the quality of the eyeshadows themselves.
Everything is relative and this palette is a miss in all respects.
It doesn’t at all mean that it’s so awful that it deserves a trash bin. No, I can still use it, though judging from the promo campaign, I expected some better quality to what I received in the end.
I can recommend it for purchasing only in case you definitely know the reason you need it and only if you find it discounted. It isn’t ever worth the full price at all.
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And that’s it 
Stay beautiful and buy only the best products! :)
