I've decided to split this review into two parts, instead of having one ridiculously long post with everything. Today I'll look at Zuzu Luxe's eye products, and tomorrow, lips.
About the Brand
Zuzu Luxe is a subset of Gabriel Cosmetics, which began initially as a skincare line. Today, Gabriel Cosmetics also has two makeup lines, and a line of children's products. Zuzu Luxe is their luxury cosmetics line and offers more dramatic and varied colours than Gabriel Color, their original makeup line. Like all Gabriel Cosmetics products, Zuzu Luxe products are all natural and free of synthetic chemicals, nanoparticles, and animal by-products.
Eye Shadow ($15.25)
I've got five Zuzu Luxe eye shadows, in Prism, Odyssey, Gem, Absinthe, and Egyptian Gold. These contain no talc and apply nicely. I did manage to shatter my Egyptian Gold at some point and a couple other colours have crumbled a little on the edges too, as you can see in the picture.
Gem is a little disappointing in that the gold sparkles that are visible in the pan don't show up very well on application. The rest of the colours are quite nice though. I especially like prism as a highlight and Absinthe is gorgeous on the lid or in the crease. I don't find myself reaching for these as often since I've started using more loose mineral eye shadows, as they don't give the same colour payoff, but they're great for travel or when you just don't want to deal with loose eye shadows.
My color descriptions:
Absinthe - smokey olive green with gold shimmer
Odyssey - plum with gold shimmer
Prism - shimmery white with slight purple reflect
Egyptian Gold - mid-toned gold, not a lot of shimmer
Gem - medium charcoal grey
Liquid Eye Liner ($14.85)
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| (L to R) Liquid Eyeliner in Raven, Gabriel Colour Pencil Eyeliner in Black |
It's quite possible that I'm the worst liquid eyeliner applier ever. I just can't seem to make my liquid eyeliner look remotely the same on both eyes. I know practice makes perfect, but as a result, I'm not very experienced with liquid eyeliners - this is actually the only one I've ever used - so I don't have a real basis for comparison here. Still, this seems like a pretty decent product to me, aside from my application skills. It comes with a pretty stiff brush, which is great, but I do wish it was a little smaller to help those of us who are challenged trying to make a thinner line. Once the liner is on, it takes a minute or two to dry fully, depending how thick you've applied it, and then it isn't going to go anywhere. Raven is a good, very black colour.
Eye Liner Pencil (Zuzu Luxe: $13.80, Gabriel Color: $12)
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| (L to R) Liquid Eyeliner in Raven, Gabriel Colour Pencil Eyeliner in Black |
So, technically the pencil liner I have is by Gabriel Color, Gabriel Cosmetics' other makeup line. The eye liners from these two lines have identical ingredients, and both companies make a black one. Because Gabriel Color products invariably cost $1-2 less than their Zuzu Luxe equivalents and since both liners came in black, I decided to go for the less expensive one. I figured it still made sense to group it with the rest of my Zuzu Luxe eye products for this review.
In terms of application, this goes on smoothly. It's fairly soft and won't tug on your eyelid like some pencils tend to do. It's easy to smudge out, as long as you do it within a couple minutes of application - otherwise it does set somewhat and won't smudge easily. My only complaint is that color is more of a charcoal than a true black. It's still a good product, but I wish it was more black.
Mascara ($16.70)
This is my HG mascara. It doesn't give you extremely dramatic eyelashes, but it does visibly lengthen and thicken. Best of all, I can apply it at 7am and wear it all the way until midnight with no flaking or smudging. It doesn't claim to be waterproof, but it generally holds up well, even in light rain or snow. It can be built up with two or three coats, but if you apply too much, it does have a tendency to get a bit clumpy and can leave your lashes feeling stiff or cakey. The mascara has an ordinary, nylon brush and comes in Onyx (black), Espresso (brown), Navy, and Clear.
No Mascara
With one coat of Onyx mascara
Look for Part #2 on Zuzu Luxe lip products tomorrow. In the meantime, Zuzu Luxe products can be found at Gabriel Cosmetics and White Rabbit Beauty. Ingredients for all products mentioned can be found on both sites.
So Caitie, I love the ZUZU mascara too, but I find it difficult to remove. Any advice? I've tried both oils and soaps, both natural and not, and I am still frustrated....
ReplyDeleteI usually use sunflower oil to remove my makeup. I'm not sure how you were using the oil, but when I was putting it on a cotton pad, I had a hard time getting the mascara off too. What I do now is pour a tiny bit straight on my fingers and (gently) rub them over my lids and lashes, then take a damp washcloth and wipe the oil off. I haven't had any problems getting it off this way :)
DeleteHi I know this review was a long time ago but I am desperate to find a good cruelty-free mascara I can get in Australia and I was just wondering- does this mascara dry hard? The last mascara I tried wasn't bad but I hated the way it dried hard- it seemed bad for my lashes, uncomfortable and made it harder to build up.
ReplyDeleteI've used it for years without any issues with damaging or breaking my lashes, but it does dry a bit stiff. It's not terrible, but it doesn't leave your lashes super soft while it's on or anything like that. Hope that helps!
Deletehello, I am a Gabriel cosmetics a fan in Korean
ReplyDeleteI'm asking just to make sure.
My English is bad.....
i don't understand as follwing...
What does it mean?
"I don't find myself reaching for these as often since I've started using more loose mineral eye shadows, as they don't give the same colour payoff, but they're great for travel or when you just don't want to deal with loose eye shadows."
Would you please simply explain it to me?
thank you.
No problem! What I meant is that I use my loose mineral eye shadows more frequently on a day-to-day basis. But, since loose powders tend to be messier, I still love the Zuzu shadows for times when I'm in a hurry or away from home. Hope that makes sense! :)
Delete