Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette: The Review!

Is a palette solely containing matte eyeshadows ever a good idea? Money-making strategy or best thing since sliced bread? Only one way to find out! Plus, see the matte black + brown smokey eye I created using this palette!

Celebrity makeup artist to the stars, Mario Dedivanovic – best known for his high-profile, long-standing creative partnership lasting over a decade with Kim Kardashian. Since the pivotal meeting in 2008, Mario Dedivanovic has become a household name in his own right. Rapidly, the more viral Kim Kardashian became – ‘breaking the internet’ (don’t google that term, you can’t unsee it), organically the man behind her infamous beauty and dramatic contoured face began to come out of the shadows… Haha see what I did there? Anyhoo..

Fast forward to October 2020, Mario Dedivanovic launched his makeup line – By Mario. After constantly flying off the shelves, and everyone chipping in their two cents regarding the master mattes, it’s the marmite of the makeup world. Sitting on the fence is unheard of with this product so I had to get my hands on it!

Pros and cons are down below if you’d like to skip the detailed review!

Price: £55.00 ($48.00).

Click to buy: By MARIO Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette

Packaging: Simple, matte black cardboard with embossed detailing including the brand name on front, ingredients to the back. Clean, not overwhelming if you’re looking for gifting ideas. Personalise it with a white sharpie and take note from Banksy!

Unboxing: Shiny, glossy, white sturdy plastic is what makes up the palette’s exterior which I actually like. If you love glitz and glam, or crave excitement from how your palettes look on your dresser, this isn’t that. It’s very understated, almost suiting how I’d imagine a minimalist’s vanity room to be. I love it as it’s quite different to other palettes I own, which is rare. Is it weird that I like basic? That’s the first and last time that sentence is being said, trust me. Downside is that it will look dirty quickly, especially as it’s glossy white. Personal preference.

Palette: Upon opening, the range of colours is noting short of gorgeous. Rich, earthy tones. Aesthetically pleasing and almost calming? 12 eyeshadows, 8 of which are different tones of brown. Brown can sometimes be mistaken as a muted, almost forgotten shade when it comes to clothing, decor etc even cars! But in makeup, we all commonly use browns, to varying degrees. Until this palette, we ignored how significant the colour brown was and is, to make it the forefront of a palette is nothing short of genius. An all matte palette, is bold, rare in the beauty market, and not one I would usually gravitate to as I’m a lover of all things sparkle. But I must say, this is unalike, almost groundbreaking.

Eyeshadow payoff: Buildable, not instantly pigmented. On days when I want faster colour pay off, I’d probably use a different palette. This palette is more for everyday, light, eyeshadow look or on those days where you want intense high drama and you have more time to increase the dial. With that, it’s one of the most blendable eyeshadow palettes I’ve ever used. Ultra creamy, smooth, takes seconds to blend. Reason for this is going back to the shadows having buildable payoff. If you used an instantly highly pigmented eyeshadow, there’s more risk of fallout and stark lines that can take longer to blend. Added bonus, pretty much no fallout with this palette. I do tap and blow all eyeshadows I use before applying to the eyelid, once they’re on my brush, as I hate fallout, so keep that in mind.

But creating a black + brown smokey eye, was very easy using this palette. Black eyeshadows in general can sometimes be a nightmare, either not dark enough, patchy, too stiff or maybe even impossible to blend out. This was a dreamy, silky, matte black which I was firmly in control of, and that’s how it should be. Perfect for using as eyeliners also. Easy to layer without looking muddy. Makeup shouldn’t dictate the artist at work! But they do say, ‘a bad workman always blames his tools’. I cannot agree with that saying.. Back to the two lighter shades, they do have slightly more kickback (fallout/dust), and are more powdery. I haven’t come across many white/cream/peach shades that don’t have that negative so it’s nothing new.

Pros: Slick, glossy palette. Eyeshadows are buildable you can go from a neutral look to an intense black smokey eye. Pigmented shadows. Blends out easily. Wide variety of shades. All shades in this palette will be your go-to at some point.

Cons: Price is on the higher side – definitely a considered purchase. All matte shades which means you’d have to walk with an individual eyeshadow or palette if you’d like a shimmer or glitter when travelling. Eyeshadow pans may be smaller than you’d expect. If you don’t like brown shades, this might not be the best palette for you.

Final thoughts: One of my favourite palettes which I use regularly, can’t imagine not having this beauty in my collection!

What do you think? Do you already own this product? Have you tried the ‘Makeup by Mario’ range? Are you interested in trying it? Comment below!

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