NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Eyeshadow Review/Swatches – Glam Radar

NYX Cosmetics are pretty much THE brand to check out when it comes to ridiculously cheap makeup items…and I do mean ridiculously cheap! Where else could you buy a decent quality eye-shadow for less than $5? Sure, the packaging might not be great and there are sometimes slight formulation inconsistencies between shades but the items are so affordable and many of the shades are pretty damn good!

The Pearl Mania shadows are NYX Cosmetic’s answer to the shimmering loose eye-shadow category ala Mac pigments or the Barry M Dazzle Dusts. I’ll say upfront that they don’t even compare to the Mac pigments…just so we’re clear. But everything with NYX needs to be judged against the price, obviously they’re not going to be as good as a product which costs 10 times the amount. However, for that you pay they certainly do the job.

The product:

Loose eye-shadows with a moderate amount of pigment and PLENTY of shimmer; this stuff is pretty much Fairy Dust! The product itself is finely milled and requires a little layering to achieve full coverage of pigment, but when you do the result is quite impressive! There are a large variety of shades to choose from including both neutrals and brights, however all of the shades are sparkley so if shimmer is not your thing you can probably stop reading here.

These shadows need a base in much the same way that I need a coffee in the mornings (it might seem trivial, but it’s not…trust me) otherwise you get more frosty shimmer than colour. I recommend a heavy base like the matte Mac Paintpots (Painterly is my personal favourite.) They also work best when paired with a matte or satin finish show for contrast and depth, two of these shades together is just too much shimmer.

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L-R: Black, Silver, Mocha, Baby Pink, Pearl (above and below)

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    • Black – Soft black base with multi-coloured shimmer, one of the more highly pigmented shades.
    • Silver – Grey-ish silver shade with tonal silver shimmer, medium to sheer pigmentation.
    • Mocha – This is more of a golden brown/bronze than what colour I imagine mocha to be, my top pick.
    • Baby Pink – Light, rosy pink shade with white shimmer – low on pigment.
    • Pearl – A frosty white shade with a pink sheen, appears to look more shimmery than other shades.

Packaging:

This is where the Pearl Mania shadows fall down. These little bottles are a great size but the opening is tiny!! The hole isn’t big enough to get your brush into, meaning they need to be tipped out before application…for anyone who has used loose shadow you’ll know what a disaster that spells! I also don’t think the lids screw on 100% tight, meaning they’re not the best travel items. It would almost be worth decanting them into a jar with a sifter and a better lid.

Price:

Here’s the big plus, the Pearl Mania shadows retail for between $2-4 each depending on where you purchase them. I bought mine from Shop Craze (which appears to no longer be in business) but Cherry Culture and Crush Cosmetics both stock them.

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