Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Shades of Taupe

I first heard about Maybelline EyeStudio Mono in Silken Taupe from Cherie, who pointed out that it's been compared to MAC Satin Taupe, notwithstanding the almost identical name. (I recently also came across this post which swatches it alongside Burberry Pale Barley, and the two look remarkably similar.) Being on a perpetual quest for the perfect taupe eyeshadow (if it exists), when I saw Silken Taupe on sale at Priceline, naturally I found myself hastily bringing it to the counter while ignoring the sane protestations of my friend who questioned whether I really needed more makeup.

When I first swatched it on my hand, I was a little alarmed at how much it looked like a sheer sandy beige and not the purple-grey-tan concoction I was after. It took several swipes to achieve something resembling the colour in the pan, but I was fairly pleased that it was buildable and therefore not completely a lost cause, as so many light taupes turn out to be in my experience. I've worn it a couple of times now, first applying a cream base and using my Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush to apply a wash over the lid, then adding some more depth and definition with the dark purple in my Electrified L'Oréal HiP Metallic Shadow Duo closer to the upper lashline. Although Silken Taupe is on the light side and takes several layers to build up (and even then, it's still relatively sheer on my lids), it's much more wearable than some other lighter taupes in my collection. I thought to compare it with some possible dupes, steering clear of darker tan/brown shades (like NYX Iced Mocha or Revlon Polished Bronze), instead concentrating on more purpleish, light grey taupes like it.






The colour at the top right hand corner (the "crease colour") in Maybelline ExpertWear eyeshadow quad in Exotic Earth is probably the most similar to Silken Taupe, the main difference being it has a lot more silver shimmer. Although I really do like the colour, it's nearly impossible to wear because the pigmentation is non-existent and extremely difficult to build up.


The second colour in Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour eyeshadow quad in Attitude (previously reviewed here) is noticeably lighter and cooler than Silken Taupe, which appears to be more tan and warmer in comparison. I really wanted to love the taupe in Attitude, but it didn't work for me. It's very sheer, cool-toned and light, and lacked pigmentation compared to the other shades in the quad.


Pillow Talk from the Too Faced Naked Eye palette was very much the same story as the Revlon Attitude. I've already bemoaned the fact Pillow Talk is too sheer to work as a wash of colour over the lid, though I was hoping to use it specifically for that purpose. Swatching it alongside Silken Taupe, it does look much lighter, less pigmented, cooler and more grey.


l-r: Silken Taupe, #2 in Attitude, Pillow Talk, crease colour in Exotic Earth

Swatching the four together, it's apparent that Silken Taupe is quite a bit darker than the two middle colours and a lot more brown. The shade from the Exotic Earth palette is the closest (perhaps a touch warmer), but the silver shimmer is too obvious and it's a laborious task to get it to a decent level of pigmentation. Even though it appears to be more of a tan in the swatch, Silken Taupe still applies like a cool, purplish light grey to my lids. This is a good everyday shadow if you're looking for something that's soft and silvery, with a hint of purple and satin finish, but not too cool that it's jarring against warmer skin tones. A quality primer/base and eyeshadow brush can overcome issues with pigmentation.

40 comments:

  1. I got excited when I saw a picture of this on my dashboard haha, I love me a good eyeshadow.
    I got Satin Taupe for my b'day off of a friend and I loove it, so nice.
    I love the look of the two faced palette, shame it hasn't got much pay off though :(
    They are all gorgeous colours though :)
    I think attitude may be my favourite :)
    xoxo

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  2. I can totally understand you!It's not an easy task to find the perfect taupe shade. my favourite so far has been 'teased' from Naked2 and 'Permanent Taupe' from Maybelline Color Tattoo. Only 'permanent taupe' looks a bit too greyish and ashy if you apply it too much.
    I've swatched Burberry Pale Bailey direct at the burberry counter, and it's so pretty I almost broke my self control lol. only I think it's a bit too expensive for a single eye shadow :/

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  3. I've never bought a maybelline mono but I think I may give it a try! I love neutral Shakespeare and taupe is one of my fave colors ever.

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    1. eyeshadow, not shakespeare. I don't know what's wrong with my iPad

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  4. Ive never tried a maybelline eyeshadow. This looks like a shade I could wear everyday! :)

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  5. Yes, a good silky taupe color is so hard to find. I prefer a lighter taupe as I find it easier to apply and rather it be built up rather than a darker. I like the Revlon Color Stay in Attitude.

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  6. How nice does Silken Taupe look?! That is a beautiful shade, it looks much lighter in the packaging than it does on your wrist.

    Amy xx

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  7. That's such a pretty shade. It looks super wearable too, I personally tend to go for lighter shadows.

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  8. thanks for the comparison and clear swatches!
    i love taupe shades especially ones with purple hues.
    silken taupe looks surprisingly pretty once swatched! ;)

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  9. I love taupe. It's such a great colour to work with either on it's own or as a base and I love the great variety of shades of taupe you can get nowadays :) xo

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  10. I wish I would use a bit more eyeshadow :( I have loads but dont really have the habit of using it.

    GREAT BLOG :) Following you now!

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  11. I like the crease color from the Exotic Earth palette best!
    And yeah, very disappointing this greasy something from the ColorIcon palette. But for 3$ i'll find something to do with it ;)

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  12. No matter how some people think browns are blah...a good taupe and a nice bunch of taupey shades never fails to work on a regular day. love your descriptions, I can definitely see the slight variations...a primer does the job all the time, that's key, i find light shades tend to be more chalky or have more fall out but they're so light and lovely!

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  13. I love taupe eyeshadows. If I could only wear one shade of eyeshadow for the rest of my life, I'd definitely pick a good taupey one! Gorgeous photos x

    http://wewereraisedbywolves.blogspot.co.uk/

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  14. I can understand your need for a perfect taupe eyeshadow. A LOOOOONG time ago I had this Revlon eyeshadow quad (I believe it was a wet and dry formula) and it had THE PERFECT TAUPE! And when it hit the pan I was devastated because the quad had been discontinued. It was a beautiful shade, highly pigmented (even without primer) and had good lasting power. I love your thorough post and will have to give your recommendations a try :)

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  15. Great colours
    Kisses from spain

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  16. Great post! I like how you compared the different colours from differnt brands.
    I love taupe eyeshadows :)

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  17. You tracked it down! Aww, thanks for the mention! Great post, and lovely photos as always- I love this eyeshadow, though the pigmentation is lacking. xx

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  18. Great post! I heard Wet n' Wild's single eyeshadow in Nutty is a really close dupe to satin taupe and I think the pigmentation is probably better than the ones you've shown but I'm not entirely sure cause I haven't bought it myself :P I think i'll always be on the hunt for the perfect taupe shade....or maybe I should just get satin taupe itself and save myself the trouble hahaha

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  19. hahaha i love it! the quest for the perfect taupe eyeshadow hehe. i remember going on that same quest several years ago but eventually giving up...lol

    ah! i agree with the maybelline eyeshadow...i bought the EXACT same one back in high school (4 years ago?) and i was ridiculously disappointed...i'm surprised they haven't improved the formula :(

    but it's hard to find the perfect one! lots of these palates tend to be on the cold side which doesn't look as good on asian skin. but i wish you the best on the quest~~~ ^o^

    alex @ carouselstreet.com

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  20. I love how detailed your posts are!! Very informative, really helpful!

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  21. Oh snap you had me at Taupe. LOL. Love the post. I love Wet N Wild's Nutty as all as there 3 pan palette which I can't remember the name...go figure. You should check out Michele1218's video on youtube called battle of the taupes! I think it may help you a bit!
    Michele1218's vid:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwjJmaWz9jY

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  22. Haha now i want to do a make up with taupe color but ... I don't have this shade xD

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  23. Great review :)
    http://xtheperfectmess.blogspot.com.au

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  24. So informative! I'll check this out tomorrow x

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  25. I love Silken Taupe, the shimmer in that color looks great on you!! :)

    Evani

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  26. you have the best nude palettes. you pretty much dont need the naked palette! i love the toofaced palette

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  27. You do like taupe colors! ;) Silken Taupe is pretty! I like its brown tinge and that it's buildable to a darker color. :-)

    ~ Yun

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  28. Great review! This post is so helpful. I think it's so hard to find a nice taupe that looks good on my yellow undertone skin.

    I don't find the Revlon Lip butters to be very moisturising either. I am not a big fan of glitters in lipsticks too because I find that glitters can sometimes make the texture a little gritty. To be honest, I think that lip products that don't dry out my lips are good enough since my lips peel quite easily.

    Liz
    chewylove.blogspot.com

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  29. Ohhh so many taupes! It's interesting how the name can describe such a wide variety of shades, from warm brown to light and grey and purple-ish. I actually have Satin Taupe in a holiday palette but haven't used it too often. Thanks for all the swatches and comparisons!

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  30. I don't think I have taupe colour yet.

    http://initialed.blogspot.com

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  31. thank you for your nice comment on my blog! Do follow me back at dramaticyaduthedramaqueen.blogspot.com

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  32. Love the colors!! :) Following u now.. :D

    www.cutedumpling.blogspot.com

    xoxo

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  33. I love the taupey shades for everyday wear - so easy to use & great to wear with other colours as well. Thanks for sharing!

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  34. I am liking the looks of Pillow Talk and Attitude - like that they have a cooler base. Taupe e/s are my go-to for everyday, natural yet slightly sultry eye look. I find that I reach for taupe shades with a cooler base. My favourite 4 taupe shades in my collection are from the Lancome Color Focus palette in #205, Chanel Quatuor Boutons palette, Bare Minerals e/s in Celestine and Inglot's e/s in #402.

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  35. thanks for the review. i think it is a nice alternative for the price, but i am so picky with these things that dupes (is that how you spell it? lol i have only ever heard the word from youtube makeup gurus) never seem to satisfy me cos they are always just a bit different and therefore not what i am looking for. btw, have you heard of the 20 dollar makeup challenge? i think it would be really fun for you to do it and make a blog of it!

    xx rae

    http://www.loveforschoolgirl.net/

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  36. haha how awesome are the names of the shades in the Too Faced palette? xD thanks for sharing this review, I'm fairly new to the eyeshadow game so I've only tried light pink shades and gold/brown for everyday wear. might give taupe a go!

    thanks again for the lovely comment on my blog too...you are always too kind :)

    metallicpaws.blogspot.com

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  37. Such a detailed comparison post, thank you!! I have looked at this a few times but often wondered about pigmentation as well.

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