Marc Jacobs Beauty Is Why I'm Wearing Eyeshadow Again

I went into my testing expecting the mascara to be somewhat of an afterthought, but I couldn’t have been more incorrect. In fact, this was the standout product of the collection for me – specifically the electric blue shade (Indigo). As someone with blonde lashes, colored mascaras tend to be a little too vibrant because I don’t have naturally tinted lashes that would give me a darker base shade for the level of subtlety I want. This blue, however, strikes the perfect balance of unexpected color and everyday wearability. Plus, it lasted through a sweaty walk and workout without any fallout or transfer. And when the girls at the gym compliment you, you know it’s good.

I’m not the first to report how amazing these eyeshadows are, nor will I be the last. The puffy mint green star compacts swivel open (hello sensorial joyride!) to reveal a single cream-to-powder shade — something I appreciate in this age of big palettes. The shadows are available in 14 shades of matte, metallic, and duochrome. My two favorites are Clapback, a duochrome that shifts between pink and bronze (with a faint flash of green) and Extra, a true yellow gold — which I envision using for a summer disco-y eye look.

Obviously, I was a big stan of the original (Highliner Gel Eye Crayon), so it took me a minute to embrace the change. This new iteration ditches the OG's retractable, ultra-fine tip for a standard pencil silhouette. Because this formula is so soft, a few of the tips broke off the moment I pulled off the cap, but as long as you have a pencil sharpener handy you'll be fine.I was immediately drawn to the matte butter-yellow shade Hot Take and shimmery teal, Unhinged. You get a good amount of payoff with one swipe, but they also build up nicely and can be smudged out easily — but they do stay put once they’ve fully set.

In my opinion, bronzer quality is highly subjective and choosing one entirely depends on what you’re into in terms of finish, formula, pigmentation, performance…I could go on. The Marc Jacobs take is a gorgeous powder formula in a sculptural compact – definitely deserves to be seen on a vanity, but will take up space in a bag. The bronze hue (I tried 01-Fair) and matte finish mean it can easily double as a contour powder and it never felt too cakey. I wanted a teensy more pigmentation so I don’t have to add as many layers, but I’ve also got a faux tan going on so I probably just need to bump up a shade.

Despite reviews claiming that this lip and cheek balm was too sheer, I found the color payoff to be pretty solid when applied directly. Using a brush gives a more buildable flush, which I actually prefer to a bold swipe right off the bat. I loved using these blushes as lip tints, too. I’ve found that a lot of multi-use balms don’t always translate to the lips as well as they do to cheeks but all three shades I tried looked fab on the lips. The yellow packaging is a little chunky and make sure you put the cap back on firmly — there isn’t a magnet closure and it’s easy to not close it fully.

I’d like to preface this with the fact that I really, really wanted to love these lipsticks but alas it wasn’t meant to be. I chose a brown-toned red (Heart & Fast) and a soft pink-nude (Love Drunk) – the latter ended up reading so much darker on me compared to the model photos that I thought it was maybe a mistake. The packaging is obviously adorable and not too obtrusive to pop in a bag, but the cap repeatedly fell off while inside my bag. This could have been user error, but there’s definitely an error margin for ending up with lipstick stains where you don’t want them.