Holy crap with the super long product name right? Henceforth, Make Up For Ever (can we just take a moment for me to rant about how it really bugs me that it isn’t Makeup Forever? Is that weird?) shall be referred to as MUFE and the Aqua Matic Waterproof Glide-On Eyeshadows…I’m not sure yet. Aquamatics? Pencils? Shade name? Doodads?! We’ll see how this goes.

I purchased two of the Aqua Matic’s almost a year ago but after I initially tried them, I didn’t really use them again until recently. Partially this is because even though I think I am going to love all the things as pencils, I don’t. Mostly, it’s because I just didn’t love the formula of these pencils as much as I thought I would. First things first (ha! First things?! After that long ass intro?), let’s take a look at what exactly constitutes an Aqua Matic Glide-On Eyeshadow:

Packaging and Product Format: Aqua Matics come in a convenient twist up pencil format. I do love that these require no sharpening, it makes them convenient for tossing in your gym bag makeup bag or for travel. On the other hand, you lose any chance of having a precision application once the initial tip is worn smooth. The pencils have a nice weight to them, they feel nice and sturdy. The lids fit on securely and click into place. The product scores high in the packaging department.

ME-50 Metallic Golden Taupe:

These swatch beautifully! As you can see, the single swipe swatch is just as pigmented as the swatch that has been built up with a few passes.

 

When worn as a stand alone eyeshadow on my lid, ME-50 felt really tacky all day long. It started creasing eventually throughout the day but it FELT like it was creasing ALL. DAY. LONG.

In the waterline however, I-30 lasted basically forever. (Please note that these are not marketed as being eyeliners, I’m not sure that they are actually ok to use in the waterline so maybe don’t try this at home? Or at least do so at your own risk Mmkay?)

I tried using ME-50 as an eyeshadow base with powder shadow on top, but it still felt tacky! And as you can see, it did actually crease a bit by the end of the day even after being set with a powder eyeshadow.

I-30 Iridescent Lime Green:

Now I know you need a moment to just take in the beauty of my mad swatching skillzzz this particular eyeshadow. It’s cool, it totally takes my breath away too. No matter how many pictures I took, I couldn’t quite capture the otherworldly glow of I-30. Just trust me that this is amazing in person.

I-30 also feels a tad tacky on the lid but only initially, then I stopped being aware of it, or it dried down a bit. You can also see that it wore more gracefully as an all over lid shade than ME-50 did.

I-30 never felt like it needed to be set, but I wanted to try it anyway. I think this particular combination turned out so beautifully!

Pricing and Availability: According to the MUFE website, they do have stand alone boutiques but you cannot order directly from MUFE online, their site gives the option to purchase through Sephora.

The Aqua Matics retail for $22.00 for 1.4g of product.

Overview: I was torn between reviewing these pencils together or seperately because I have different overall thoughts on each of them!

Metallic Golden Taupe is the shade that I really thought I would get so much use out of but I HATE how this feels once it has been applied. Like my eyelid is sticking to itself. It gives me the heebie jeebies. This pencil also creases. The swatches ARE totally waterproof though! But I’m just not blown away by this product.

Iridescent Lime Green is the shade that I bought as a complete indulgence because it’s beautiful. I didn’t think I would really wear it. Never have I been so wrong! Lime Green wears all day, it’s comfortable, it doesn’t fade or crease. It works as a base. It works on it’s own. It’s beautiful and ultimately totally wearable and I LOVE IT.

Now. I don’t know if Taupe’s issues are because it’s metallic or if they are unique to this particular shade. With such a disparity between the two pencils and at the rather high price point of this product, I’m not sure I could recommend the product overall. If you want a chartreuse cream eyeshadow in pencil form, I absolutely recommend Iridescent Lime Green! Metallic Golden Taupe is pretty darn dupeable and I would say that there are similar products in similar shades for a fraction of the price and you can buy them in a drugstore. So to sum up, if you see a shade of Aqua Matic that you can’t find anywhere else and you really REALLY want it, go ahead! But a lot of the shades in the range are not completely unique and I wouldn’t recommend gambling that the formula will be everything you’re hoping and dreaming for.

Have you tried these? Were your experiences similar to mine? What are your thoughts and feelings on pencil eyeshadow?