Maybelline Summer 2014 Color Tattoo: Sunwashed Sky and Shimmering Sea

Maybelline's summer collection this year features a selection of neon hues for the eyes, lips, face,and nails. A neon collection for summer? Revolutionary, I know. While electric pigments are nothing new, Maybelline does stand out from the rest of the summer crowds by being slightly... less neon? This bleached neon collection is what the lovechild of spring and summer would look like: not quite pastel, but not quite a true neon either. Keeping your summer bright, but not too bright.

I purchased the two limited edition Color Tattoos for about $8 each at Walgreens. They look very similar to last year's limited edition Color Tattoos, which would be disappointing if you already own them, but I was glad to see them as I missed last year's collection.

Sunwashed Sky is an icy lavender with a blue duochrome. This particular Color Tattoo seemed very thin when I first swatched it. It wasn't as creamy as the other Color Tattoos I've tried. These two particular colors don't apply completely opaque- they're more a sheer wash of color unless layered over a shadow (an idea I found from Nouveau Cheap). Below, I've applied Sunwashed Sky over Blackout by Urban Decay.

By layering it over black, the color takes on completely new dimensions. The duochrome pops so much more, with the blue shimmer dominating and leaving a purple cast towards the edge. When layered over silver (which I sadly didn't think to take pictures of) this color is crazy. Very techno-alien. 

Shimmering Sea has a warm, pale blue base with a strong golden duochrome. When applied over black, like above, the gold is very prevalent a dark blue cast around the edges. This is my personal of the favorite of the two- it's less shocking than Sunwashed Sky but still makes an impact. It's both edgy and decadent, and I for one am all about that. 

Above are Sunwashed Sky (left) and Shimmering Sea (right) swatched on  their own over bare skin. They do impart some color when built up on the hand, but it's a lot harder to do on the eye while not getting cakey or creased. Applying it over a shadow is really a must unless you want just a sheer wash of color (which is nice in its own right, don't get me wrong). 

While these are not the most opaque colors, they are very unique and layering with them offers so many different looks. They last at least 8 to 10 hours on me without fading or creasing. If you're looking for something fun to add to your makeup collection, I'd definitely pick at least one of these up while they're still around. Middle of July and I've already seen Halloween collection promos from certain brands. Some people, smh.

-Val