Peaches & Taupe: Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con Eyeshadow Trio in 102 The Ingénue

Today I have another piece from the Marc Beauty line to show you, namely the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 3 Plush Shadow in 102 The Ingénue ($39 for 0.14 oz; this color way may be exclusive to marcjacobs.com and MJ boutiques), a luxe eyeshadow trio of peaches and taupe. After completing all of my Influenster tasks from the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir mascara I reviewed earlier this year, I was entered into a raffle to win an additional product from the brand, and this is it!

To be honest, I rather expected a smaller/ less expensive item to be chosen as a giveaway prize, like maybe an eyeliner or lipgloss at the most, so I was pleasantly surprised to receive not only a beautiful eyeshadow trio, but a trio of neutral shades that are light enough to be worn for everyday. You can definitely tell from the packaging that it's a high-end item; from the black pouch (which contains a sponge tip applicator) to the sturdy and sleek plastic compact opened by a push of a button. I'm rather partial to their more minimalist, black and silver aesthetic, and I think a shadow trio like this is a pleasure to take out of your drawer/ make-up bag in the morning.

The Ingénue, in case you didn't know, is 'the part of an artless, innocent, unworldly girl or young woman', especially in a play. And I can definitely see why this colorway was named that - all the shades are soft and light in depth, giving sort of an airy, romantic feel to the trio. That being said, there is little difference in depth between the shades, as you can probably tell from my photos.

I can't fault the quality of these eyeshadows: all three are soft, smooth, creamy to touch, pigmented and blendable. The lightest peach on the left is a satin/ a very soft pearl finish, the middle golden taupe is metallic, and the darker peach on the right is slightly more shimmery than the light peach shade, but still not quite a pearl finish.

The shade selection reminds me somewhat of another very pale eyeshadow trio from Shiseido in BE 213 Nude, reviewed here. The Shiseido shades are a bit different, and despite the lack of variety in finishes, it's still one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes for a barely there, softly luminous look. Which brings me to why I'd consider the Shiseido Nude superior to the MJ Ingénue AS A TRIO; while I am absolutely able to do a complete, if simple, eye look with the Nude, The Ingénue just lacks at least one more, slightly deeper shadow, that could be used to define the outer V/ crease of the eye.

I think you can see that quite well in the look I attempted with the Ingénue trio; I did try to use the darkest metallic taupe at the outer corner (and along the lower lashline), but not only are metallic finishes somewhat tricky as deepening/ contouring shades, the middle taupe shade is also not dark enough to serve that purpose. I did end up reaching for the NYX Powder Blush in Taupe to further define and blend out the crease; I also used the lightest peach from the Ingénue on the inner corners, and the darker peach on the lid - to be honest, there's not that much difference between these two once they're blended out on the eyes.

So while I appreciate the beautiful packaging and premium quality of the eyeshadows in The Ingénue, I don't think these shades actually work as a cohesive trio; it's more like three singles thrown together in one compact. I mostly just enjoy pairing one of the shades from The Ingénue on the lid with other shades from a different palette in the inner corner and crease. I feel that this lack of cohesion maybe wouldn't be a problem for someone who goes for a one eyeshadow look anyway, and just wants more options in one convenient package - but let's be honest, this beauty junkie rarely stops at just one eyeshadow :)

Have you tried eyeshadows from the Marc Beauty line? I remember when everyone was going gaga over their larger palettes, especially the neutral Lolita. If I weren't banning myself from purchasing any more palettes, I would definitely be interested in giving it a go, having now tested the quality of their shadows first-hand - and again, the packaging is SO PRETTEH.