Motives Pressed Eye Shadow

RRP: £12
# of shades available: 27

--What does the promo say?--
"Ultra smooth and luxurious, these eye shadows are crease-proof and deflect the light away from fine lines to help visibly reduce the signs of aging for a bright, polished look. The Motives Pressed Eye Shadows have impeccable colour retention that does not run or crease so you always look your best. They glide on ultra smooth with incredible hold, a flawless look, and a luxurious feel and finish. Take the guesswork out of looking gorgeous. The Motives Pressed Eye Shadow promises to give you the long lasting, high colour look you have always wanted. Paraben, fragrance and oil free."

--Packaging--
A flip-top plastic container with an opaque lid that somewhat dulls the colour of the eyeshadow (the shade I was sent, Antique Gold, looked beige or taupe until I opened it). The pan seems to move around quite a bit in the plastic container, so be careful! It would also be nice to see a small brush or mirror included.

--Application--
Use your fingers or an eyeshadow brush to apply the shadow to the eyelids. Blend upwards and outwards towards the brow bone with your fingers or a clean brush.

--Appearance--
The shade I was sent, Antique Gold, gave a lovely burnished look that's perfect for summer. Would work perfectly with any of the brown shades in the range, and would look great with any skin tone too.

--Texture and consistency--
Really smooth and silky to apply, with no powderiness. No issues here.

--Longevity--
Lasted very well even without an eyeshadow primer, staying intact after an afternoon nap, although it didn't survive a summer afternoon swim.

--Value for money--
I can understand why people might want to go for bigger brands like Cargo, Stila, Korres, Aveda and Mac, whose eyeshadows all also retail at £12. From this point of view, Motives' price point is a bit of a risk. However, it's got a wide range of beautiful colours which last well on the eyes - plus, by buying from them, you always get the pleasure of knowing you're investing in the new kid on the block.

perfect partners
Lustrafy High Definition Mascara, £14
Gel Eyeliner, £14 
False Eyelashes, £5.50
Eye Base, £12
Eyebrow Pencil, £12 

Motives Lustrafy Mascara

 # of shades available: 2 (black and dark brown)
purchase from http://ukmotives.shop.com

--What does the promo say?--
"Intense lashes are a must with any look, day or night. Maximise the length and curl of your lashes with our smudge-free formula. The push-up bra for your lashes, Motives Lustrafy Mascara lifts your lashes without the hassle of an eyelash curler. Lustrafy will give you incredible, eye-catching lashes with excellent definition and all day staying power. Hypoallergenic. Fortified with panthenol."

--Packaging--
To be honest, totally unremarkable, despite the glamorous colour scheme: many brands have this sort of appearance and I can't say it would stand out on the shelf. It's also a pretty small tube, meaning some people might feel a little disappointed by their £14 spend. On the flip side, though, this dinky size makes it perfect for travel. Quality, not quantity, friends.

--Application--
Proceed as usual: look up to do your lower lashes and down (as far as possible) to do your upper lashes. For a more full-on look, give each row of lashes one coat of mascara only, and then go back round to do them again, rather than repeatedly coating each row, otherwise you risk your lashes clumping together (this is a general mascara application tip, not specific to Motives mascara).

--Appearance--
Beautiful, long, glamorous and doll-like. In short: WOW.

--Texture and consistency--
Perfectly smooth and clump-free right from the first use. Some mascaras are too wet when new and clump too easily; not the case here at all.

--Removal--
The only flaw with this mascara is that it is difficult to remove. Go round twice with your makeup remover, or be prepared to wake up with panda eyes in the morning.

--Value for money--
While £14 initially seems like a lot, this is the best-quality mascara I've used in ages. Maybe even ever. I've had worse results from Lancome, quite frankly. This costs the same as big brands such as MAC, Rituals, and Urban Decay, but despite being less well-known, that doesn't matter a jot, because it's just as good. Definitely a contender to fight with the best of them; I would without doubt repurchase.

perfect partners
Pressed Eye Shadow, £12
Khol Eyeliner, £12.50
False Eyelashes, £5.50
Eye Base, £12
Essential Brow Kit, £24  

Motives Khol Eyeliner

# of shades available: 2 (brown and navy blue)
RRP: £12.50
purchase from http://ukmotives.shop.com

--What does the promo say?--
"Make your eyes your best feature with our Motives Khol Eyeliner. The look can be as subtle or as dramatic as you like, and will stay defined and precisely lined all day. This great eyeliner will not pull the delicate skin around your eyes; it glides on smooth and has all day staying power."

--Packaging--
The plastic wrapping on this is a bit difficult to remove, but once this is done there are no other problems: the ensemble is chic and modern thanks to a unified black and silver colour scheme and a small band of the eyeliner colour at the end of the pencil. This is the kind of pencil you need to sharpen, though, rather than twisting up, which I know bothers some people.

--Application--
As promised, this is not difficult to apply even for eyeliner virgins, as it glides on smoothly without tugging at the skin. Follow the line of the top lashes along, flick out a little beyond the end of the lashes, and then blend for a more muted effect if desired.

--Appearance--
I was kindly sent the liner in Deep Sea Blue by Motives' publicist, and not only does this match my eyes well, but it's also a good complement to a lot of my clothes and makeup, which either are blue or go well with it. As the publicity materials mention, too, the liner can also have whatever impact you want depending on how much you blend: dramatic for nighttime, or subtle for day. 

--Texture and consistency--
Quite soft, which is good in some ways, as it helps with application and blending. However, this hot weather we've been having lately means it risks breaking thanks to being too soft. Perhaps keep in the fridge for safety!

--Longevity--
Again, as promised, it has very good staying power, lasting at least 6-7 hours flawlessly and probably more. 

--Value for money--
I have only positive comments regarding this product's appearance, texture, longevity and ease of application. This is a good supporting case for the RRP of £12.50. However, it's also a bit of a gamble, as there are a few much better-known brands retailing at £12-£13 per eyeliner stick, such as Black Up and Clarins. It's possible that they're trying to bank on the fact that this brand is designed by Loren Ridinger (whose main claim to fame, as far as I can see, is that she is senior vice-president of Shop.com), and trying to make us think, by putting her name on it, that we should all know who she is, should see her as more famous than she is, and that we should be prepared to pay for that privilege. To be honest, it all smacks a bit of the Jerome-Alexander-meets-JML case (although at least Ridinger is a real person who has achieved things, whereas Alexander seems little more than a fictional construct). So to try to reconcile this aspect of the product's price tag with its actual quality is somewhat difficult. However, in spite of my reservations I probably would recommend this product to others. It works well and comes in two classic tones to suit virtually everyone, which is more than a lot of brands manage. In short, Motives does seem to be one to watch - and I do hope that as a result Loren Ridinger is better known.

perfect partners
Pressed Eye Shadow, £12
Lustrafy Mascara, £14
False Eyelashes, £5.50
Eye Base, £12
Essential Brow Kit, £24