Every time that I try to tell someone about how much I love the Stila Magnificent Metals, I always get frustrated that photos can’t capture the real beauty of these. I have three at the moment – only two of which are photographed here because I took these photos ages ago and just haven’t gotten around to writing this post – but I’m really wanting to get more of them. They’re a liquid eyeshadow, a formula that I don’t usually reach for, but they’re also super easy to work to, dries down well and have a great range of colours and finishes. They have the Shimmer & Glow, which is more of a metallic satin but I’ve been leaning towards the Glitter & Glow because they’re packed full of glitter and duo-chrome beauty.
In Australia, these are selling at Mecca for AUD$35, or if you’re living elsewhere, they are available on the Stila website for USD$24. As with the Mecca Price Promise (though I know there are certain brands that set their own RRP and aren’t under this) the pricing here is actually very close to the American when you take into account tax and exchange rates. That being said, AUD$35 is still quite a lot of money to spend on a single liquid eyeshadow but I just want to share a quick review on why I love these, why I’ll continue to invest in them and who I would recommend to also check them out.
And… here’s for the review!
Packaging
The packaging of the Stila Magnificent Metals is so cute and I love how well they sit and stack together. They come in a gold box that is trademark of their products and has a trendy but luxe look to it. The actual tubes are short with a matching gold cap and lettering. I like that the bottom of the tubes are transparent, since I can stack them all together and still know which one I’m taking.
The product also has a short, doe foot applicator which is a bit more flat than a usual lip gloss applicator. It’s easy to apply and use on the eyes but, unfortunately, it can be a bit patchy too – the applicator has a tendency to either pick up too much product or too little in parts. It takes a few swipes, or a quick blending with fingers, to even it out.
Overall, I’m still pretty happy with the packaging. The only real difference between this and some other liquid shadows that I’ve used in the past is that it has a cubic shape rather than round. Aside from that, it’s fairly simple but looks good.
Formula & Shades
This is taken from the Mecca website and, I have to say, this shadow really manages to tick all of the boxes and claims:
Take your shadow game up a notch with this liquid glitter formulation, developed to completely saturate lids in unparalleled sparkle. And the best bit? No fallout in sight! This ultra pigmented shadow delivers the ultimate disco ball lids in a single swipe and dries almost instantly to lock in weightless shine.
The formula is liquid, with an incredible saturation of glitter. It applies on very thin and it also dries quickly, with a very light feeling on the eyelids. However, it still gives you enough time to work and blend it out a little. I wouldn’t recommend doing too much blending with it though, as the pigmentation does tend to move and doesn’t function the same as a powder shadow.
You are able to achieve an extremely glittery make up look without the fall out. For me though, the best part is that this product really does minimise creasing! I still have some creasing at the inner corners of my eyes because of how watery they are but, apart from that, the shadow wears so well throughout the day.
I tend to use the Magnificent Metals in addition to normal eyeshadows, but this is up to personal preference. I like to apply a base colour and then put this on top, before adding a darker shade to the outer corners to create depth again. Since these shadows only have one colour, it can look like it lacks dimension without. This is a similar issue that I had with the Touch in Sol Shadow Duos and I use the same work around for this.
Personal Experiences
Above are the swatches that I’ve tried to get – the top one was taken with a proper camera (way back when I first got these) and the second taken with my phone just tonight but I still feel like these don’t do it justice.
These shadows are available in a number of shades and I have Sea Siren (pink with blue reflect), Into the Blue (dark blue/black with blue reflect) and Sunset Cove (pink with gold reflect). I’m also looking to getting a few more shades but I also want to make sure that they’re very different to what I already have. Since I use them in addition to other shadows, I still find that similar shades can end up looking very similar.
I don’t reach for these all of the time but, when I do, I love the results! I think that these are best suited for people who love glittery and dramatic looks, because these are so mess-free and pigmented. I think that I’m going to consciously work these into my make up routine more often, just because I find that I often forget about liquid products in the morning because I’m so used to reaching for a palette.
And, here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A lightweight and fast drying glitter liquid eyeshadow
THE GOOD
- Pretty packaging that can be seen through
- Good range of shades (and finishes, if you also consider the Shimmer & Glow)
- Dries down and doesn’t smudge
- Minimum to no crease
- Easy to work with and blend with traditional eye shadows
THE BAD
- Expensive
- Can look flat when used alone
- Applicator can often be uneven
RATINGS
- PACKAGING | 4/5
- PRICE POINT | 2/5
- PIGMENTATION | 5/5
- LONGEVITY | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 7.5/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
I love my Stila Magnificent Metals and, as soon as I tried them out, I understood why so many Youtubers were raving about the product. Of course, there are a lot of other liquid eyeshadows out on the market that are more affordable but these really are very good. If it is within your budget then I highly recommend going to check them out because I don’t think that you’ll regret it.
However, if these are a bit outside of your budget, there are a lot of drugstore options that you can also look at. Also, if you have a standard glitter eyeshadow, then wetting your brush before application is always an easy way to get that boost of shimmer on your lids without having to buy a seperate product for it.
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
These are available at Mecca for AUD$35 or you can go to the official Stila website where it is selling for USD$24. Depending on where you live, this may also be stocked in your local Sephora or department store, but it is best to search up a local stockist so you can go in and have a swatch!
