Make Up Store Swatches and Review

I was recently invited to sample some products from a Swedish cosmetic brand called Make Up Store. The brand is not available in all countries yet, but in a few select cities in Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, USA, Denmark, Mexico, Indonesia, and several others. You can see where the brand is available on their website; however, some of the locations are not accurately listed, which is a bit disappointing. I briefly browsed through their store on my last trip in Berlin at the Alexa mall, but I was short on time so didn't have the opportunity to really check it out thoroughly.

Their cosmetic range is wide, including an entire makeup line in a plethora of bright and neutral colors, and they also offer skincare, nail polish, and hair products. Their makeup line is sold in free standing stores, and the prices are mid- to higher-end for European department store standards. For example, the suggested retail price for an eyeshadow is 13 Euros, a lipstick 17 euros.

I find their website a bit incomplete, as some prices are listed, others are not. There is currently no online shop for international delivery, so the only way to purchase their products is if you have a location nearby. I'm unsure if an online shop is in the works.

Here are some product pictures of what I have.

Clockwise from left: Microshadows in Diva, Ruby, Varieté, Sunrise, Satin

My first impression of the eyeshadows is good, they are well pigmented and the colors are very pretty. The ones above all have a shimmery finish. You get 3.5 grams of product per eyeshadow. What I dislike about them is the packaging, it's incredibly flimsy and the hinge is poorly constructed, so poorly that the lids easily pop off, as you can see in the first shadow on the lower left. They also look tricky to depot, and if you're more of a palette user like me, these shadows are quite bulky to store.

Left to right: Cybershadows in Ginger Leaf, Babydoll

I have no idea what the difference is between the Cybershadows and the Microshadows, and I wasn't provided with any PR pamphlets to teach me about the products, so my guess is as good as yours. The Cybershadows are smaller in size and offer 2 grams of products each, and have a frosty finish. The pigmentation seems nice again, but the packaging is again flimsy and poorly hinged.

Clockwise from Left: Eyedust in Paragon, Glitter in Luna, Eyedust in Hectic, Eyedust in Darkness

These are the Make Up Store's version of glitters and pigments, and I honestly can say I would not purchase these because the packaging is abysmal. I honestly think this is some of the worst packaging I have ever experienced with a cosmetic product. The lid opens, underneath which is a second lid that has a "stopper" to prevent the pigment from spilling. What seems as a great idea is actually so badly implemented, because you have to apply so much force to open the second stopper that by doing so, you spill the product all over your hands, your working space, and the pigment gets all over the lid. It is by far one of the messiest endeavors I have ever undertaken, that I can honestly say I will probably never use these because I don't appreciate having to clean up the entire area and wash my hands after each use. It's a shame really, because the colors look quite pretty. The only way to improve these is by completely changing the packaging, as is they are just unusable on a practical level.

Left to Right: Lipsticks in Yarn (metallic), Pout, Dare (matte)

The lipsticks were the stand-outs to me! They are incredibly pigmented, long-lasting and the colors are some of the brightest I have ever seen. The lipsticks go on very smoothly without feathering and are opaque in one swipe. Yarn is a slightly sheer mango color, Pout is a blend of hot pink and cherry red, and Dare is an almost neon orange that definitely lives up to its name. There was some staining of the lips with Pout and Dare upon removal, because the colors are so intense and pigmented. The packaging is sleek and elegant, and I had no issues with it. Here are some quick swatches on my lips.

Pout

Yarn

Dare

Left to right: Pout, Dare, Yarn

Swatches of all the eyeshadows and the lipsticks, without a base.

I also have one of the cream highlighters, known as the High Tech Lighter in the shade Venus. This cream product is reminiscent of MAC's Cream Color Base in Hush. It is a peach shade with a pearlescent golden finish, very flattering as a cheekbone highlight, and a little goes a long way.

Lastly I have two nailpolishes to show you, neither of which I have worn yet so I can't give you a review yet. To be honest I am not crazy about either color, but here is a bottle picture to start. They are both from their Hologram range, but neither one looks particularly holographic to me. Aqua Fix is a pale white cream color, and Greta looks like a silver with multi-tonal sparkle.

(Update: I've been told the white is a base coat for holographic polishes, and that Greta is actually extremely holographic when applied. I will have to try it out and post a swatch later, as I'm pretty intrigued now!)

Left to Right: Aqua Fix, Greta

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

I have mixed feelings about this brand judged on the products I was sent. I think their range offers some really exciting and unique colors, and I remember feeling very impressed when I briefly visited the store in Berlin. The line reminds me of bold brands like MAC, Makeup Forever and Inglot, and if you enjoy bright colors, Make Up Store is definitely worth having a peek into.

The packaging on the shadows and pigments is sub-par, the technical issues especially on the pigments to me is unacceptable for the price point. Packaging should be user friendly on the first instance, and the pigments failed on this account completely. The eyeshadow hinges are flimsy and easily come apart.

Since this was a press send out, I wasn't able to pick my own colors, and some of the things I received just weren't my personal taste. I think that if I was in the store and was able to pick out my own products, my experience would be a lot different. The lipsticks and some of the eyeshadow colors are certainly very promising, and the quality of the actual products also seems very good. I am very interested to hear more from this brand, and I can only hope they seriously think about repackaging their products to make them more user friendly and sturdy. I'm really looking forward to incorporating these products in my videos.

For further information about Make Up Store and where to buy their products, please go their website: http://www.makeupstore.se/