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Merit Solo Shadow are a new cream-based eyeshadow available in eight shades. I can already tell you that these are difficult to use, poor performing, and generally, something I’d be very careful about purchasing! Review soon.
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Uh-oh. And here I was eyeing these for my upcoming (eventually) lawsuit so as to look litigant “appropriate” for the type of case this is. The ones that I was looking at were Midcentury and Social?
try mac paint pots if you haven’t already 🙂
Take a look at Rituel de Fille Eye Soots. You can also get several samples for a small price & shipping, but definitely worth looking into!
Always so helpful to see your swatches and hear your take–thank you! I’ve watched a few YouTube videos featuring these shadows, and most fawned over their ease of use. All I saw was a patchy mess, not due to anyone’s lack of blending ability!
I applied the swatch, and then I tried to blend it out 2-5 seconds later, which just lifted away a ton of the product and left a patchy mess. Sooo bad!!
Thank you for the heads up! I’d been interested in these, but now I am dubious.
I saw them while in Spokane. I did a couple of quick finger swatches and wasn’t impressed. I prefer a formula that has some initial slip that allows you to apply across the lid without tugging and yet sets down. These tugged on my arm and the colors seemed a bit dull, for lack of a better world. I know they are not shimmers but without any depth and so they fell flat. I passed them by without any difficulty. I am already suffering with you while trying to put them on your eyelids.
*word
Thank you for reviewing these, I had mid century and social in my cart, and I kept not buying because I know few brands really do a matte cream eyeshadow well. That certainly saved me a few dollars!
Maybe I just got exceptionally lucky, but I purchased Social after swatching it in person at Sephora, and I really like it. I have oily lids, and so I apply it over a light layer of concealer + powder. On me, it is a very flattering and “natural” / work-appropriate mauve brown. I have worn it every day this week, including two days where I worked out after a full day at the office.
I do feel like it would probably be a mess on bare lids / without prep. And, some of the other shades swatched patchy.
A lot of people who gave these good reviews got them for free 😂😂😂
All these brands putting out substand products is just woeful – what a waste of money these are. I feel quite sorry for you Christine – purchasing them in good faith and finding out at the very beginning that they are duds when you try to swatch them for photographs.
It really is shocking to see luxury brands put out formulas that would have been forgotten at the drugstore ten years ago.
Thank you for posting this. I was ready to buy Viper and Social. Best to check here first!
Thank you so much for posting the Merit shadow swatches! I love cream shadows, so I was very curious about these. I was considering buying a couple, but now I think I will skip it. I am going to look to see if you have tried Merit’s Minimalist foundation/concealer stick.
I’m shocked to hear that these are bad – they’ve got nearly universal five-star reviews on Sephora and I’ve got at least four of them on my wish list! Won’t even think of buying now until I read your review…
WOW – this sounds pretty dismal. You’ve gotta wonder how such inferior products actually make it to the market!
I appreciate this so much, Christine! I had been contemplating getting a couple of these (and the brush), but I’m so glad I held off. I’m especially appreciative that you gave a “heads up” about purchasing before your full review. Thank you!!!
Finally! A review that speaks truth! I purchased two of these the day of release along with the brush. I’m a big fan of one and done but these are a huge fail. Dried down too fast for me. Patchy. Can’t layer. When I saw all of the “influencers” praising this product, I felt sucker punched. I guess that they value getting freebies over telling the truth.
Like sure, apply and don’t touch it, then maybe it’s half-decent, but omg, blend it out? How are you!! Patchiness instantly!
I am shocked to see this! I have three of them and absolutely love them. I’m a pale girl and Midcentury and Social have been great for me to apply with my fingers as a light or deeper neutral. I also got Nelson, which looked too harsh with my fingers but was gorgeous when I applied it with a brush. These worked great and had pretty good staying power with our without a powder shadow to set. I will note that I am low maintenance so I went in fully raw without any primer, foundation, etc and they adhered great to my bare skin. Any smudges I just wiped away with my fingers. I fully believe those of you who are having bad experiences, but I did really love them and couldn’t stop checking out my eye looks every time I saw a mirror, so maybe it’s just skin type or something?
This is a perfect example of why makeup is such a wonderful medium to express ourselves and so different for everyone. What works for one person doesn’t always work for someone else. I am sure the shadows look wonderful on you and I am happy that you haven’t had to work hard to make them look good.
I also got Midcentury and Social, and while I don’t find them remarkable, I do like them and reach for them. I too am in my low maintenance makeup era, so they are suitable for what I need them for.
Charging $24 for this product honestly seems more like a scam than a poor busines decision.
I’m another one suprised to read this. I love these, but I am incredibly oily skinned and always use primer. I bought Studio first and had no issues applying and blending with a brush, but it has to be done right away. One eye at a time.,,more than 20-seconds and it’s set. I loved it so much I immediatly ordered two more shades. I found they applied smooth on my aging slightly crepey eyelids. Very minimal creasing which is something I often struggle with (oily hooded lids) . I must say Studio was very subtle on my skintone and did not last as vibrantly as my Sydney Grace and Natasha Denona shadows. Where its a big winner for me is the dry-down. I have ridiculously watery eyes and these hold on amazingly in the corners.
that preview review oof! cream shadows really seem to be hugely hit or miss – either they’re great or they’re awful, not much in between.
I can only add like others that I’m disappointed. I thought that this would be a “comeback” 90’s thing and it looks like it won’t unless someone with quality products (like ND) goes in that direction. Hmmm, I think I may remind her of the old Biba Cosmetics company (and suggest that she may want to revisit her Biba too with pot eyeshadow variations and add a few more colors).