Review: Maybelline "Dare To Go Nude" Color Tattoos

I'm reviewing the limited edition Color Tattoo eyeshadows from Maybelline's "Dare To Go Nude" collection that was released about a month ago. This collection started popping up in early February for some people. I live in the Northern part of the West Coast and I didn't see it around here until mid-February. The rest of the USA didn't see it until March. I'm still seeing displays pop up around here, mostly in CVS stores. It seems like CVS was the last to get this collection and a lot of people were saying they found big end cap displays in Walgreens, but I never found any.

(Feel free to skip to the very bottom of the post to read the Final Verdict and skip the details.)

I personally found the entire collection untouched (lucky me, I know) at Rite Aid. I picked up all 6 limited edition Color Tattoo eyeshadows and I was lucky enough to score it on a week when it was Buy 1/Get 1 50% off. I also picked up 2 of the limited edition Lip Elixirs that I'll be reviewing later. I passed on the limited edition lipsticks and the limited edition eyeshadow quads; I'm not a fan of Maybelline's powder shadows and the only solid lipsticks I've enjoyed from them are the Vivid's collection.

The shades in the picture starting from left-to-right and from top-to-bottom are:

• #80 Pure Nude
• #85 Beige-ing Beauty
• #90 Nude Compliment
• #95 Sleek & Spice
• #100 Caramel Cool
• #105 Stroke of Midnight

Here are swatches for the first 3 shadows. From left-to-right:

• #80 "Pure Nude" -this is a shimmery light peachy pink color. My skin tone is a medium-to-tan shade and when I wear this it looks very light on me, almost more on the white side. My undertone also really brings out the peach in it. I only state of all of this, because most of the swatches I've seen on other blogs make it appear more pink, because the authors of those bloggers have a lighter skin tone than myself.
• #85 "Beige-ing Beauty" -this is a shimmery nude color with gold glitter in it. If you're not a fan of gold then you'll want to stay clear of this one, but the glitter is pretty subtle due to the colors complimenting each other well. This color almost blends into my skin. It applies very sheer and takes a few layers if you're trying to get am opaque look out of it.
• #90 "Nude Compliment" -this is a cool shimmery brown color. It's a tiny bit streaky when first applied, but is easy to work with and not hard to smooth out. You hardly notice the streaky part.

Here are the swatches of the last 3 colors. From left-to-right:

• #95 "Sleek & Spice" -this is a warm toned brown with a red tone. This is a metallic. I'm not sure if it was just my pot, because I've not heard anyone else mention this, but this is the smoothest Color Tattoo I've ever purchased. The formula of this shadow is so creamy and smooth, it's like butter. Hands down, the best Color Tattoo ever.
• #100 "Caramel Cool" -this is a metallic-frost orange-copper color. This was the most sought out color from what I read when this collection came out. I personally am not a huge fan of these kind of colors, but I will say this is a nice color and it applies, blends, and performs well.
• #105 "Stroke of Midnight" -this is a matte black with silver glitter. Again, if you're not a fan of glitter, you definitely want to stay away from this, as the glitter almost appears chunky because of the matte black contrast. This color was another highly sought color, until people saw swatches. It is true that this color is patchy and streaky. It's not smooth sailing when applied, but it's not something you can't work with for certain looks. I'm not sure if Maybelline intended for this to be more of a finishing shadow than one to be for an opaque look, but I would use it as a finish/top layer. I would also suggest putting it over a black liner too.

Here is a macro view of "Stroke of Midnight". You can see it's matte and the pieces you are seeing are the silver sparkles. It's quite pretty too look at in the pot.

Final Verdict

#80 "Pure Nude" - I give this shade a 9/10. This is a very nice color that performs well. It is smooth and creamy and lasts throughout the day. It blends so well and easy.

#85 "Beige-ing Beauty" - I give this a 8/10. This color looks good blended with others. The glitter might turn some people away, but I personally feel the gold glitter compliments the base color. It's a bit on the sheer side, but that's nothing an additional layer or 2 cannot help. It's not a color to be used on its own.

#90 "Nude Compliment" - I give this a 9/10. This shade performs well and blends nicely. The only reason I took a point away is because at first it is a bit streaky/chunky, but it levels out well.

#95 "Sleek And Spice" - I give this a 10/10. This particular shadow is rated more on the formula than the actual color. As I stated before, I have never purchased a Color Tattoo that has formula that feels so smooth and creamy as this one does. This is like butter for the eyes! Still great color payoff and amazing staying power!

#100 "Caramel Cool" - I give this a 10/10. Another great performing shade that blends like a dream and gives great color payoff! The saying power is also amazing! Nothing to complain about here.

#105 "Stroke Of Midnight" - I give this a 6/10. This shade is streaky and patchy. Since Maybelline has not stated this was just a finishing/top coat shadow, I have to grade it based on a regular eyeshadow. While pretty in the pot, it is not that easy to make opaque and it takes a lot of work and effort to get even and a smooth layer by itself. It does work well over other colors and liner.