While going through my collection, I noticed a few similarities.. especially from one of my favorite eyeshadows, MAC Beautymarked. I prefer using this instead of black (ie: Carbon) because it's just.. less harsh.
NYX 143 EggplantMAC Beautymarked
*picture is overall slightly warmer than in real life
Tropez 39310 Maui Mauve* only the top right shade was swatched
Stila Charmed EyeShadow Palette* only the bottom right shade was swatched
**gift from Catherine (love!)
Kanebo KATE PU-1* left three shades were swatched
N1 - not sure why I swatched this.. NYX AlaskaN2 - NYX Plum
M - MAC Beautymarked
K - *whoops, mislabeled!* Stila
T - Tropez
K - Kate.. three purple shades along the bottom left
The shades I really wanted to compare..
MAC Beautymarked
-VERSUS-
Stila Charmed Eye Palette
-VERSUS-
Tropez Maui Mauve
* in the same order as the picture above. they all look remarkably similar, no?
Glitter: MAC wins out, this shade almost looks duo-toned instead of black (I think they said maroon? on the MAC site) with glitter. Next is Stila, then Tropez.
Pigmentation: Tropez almost looks like it's the best.. look how dark the swatch is! One swipe, mind you. I think I had to swipe MAC twice. Stila is somewhere in the middle.
Texture: Tropez definitely feels a bit more gritty in comparison to Stila and MAC (both about the same smoothness).
Application: I wiped my fingers onto the tissue paper.. and MAC actually won out! Interesting.. so I guess Tropez is more powdery (sort of like KATE)?
Packaging: MAC wins in terms of a single eyeshadow being put into a 15-palette.. by itself, your collection can get kind of cluttered. Tropez is next, since it's slightly more sturdy-feeling plastic than the cardboard-esque packaging that Stila is in.
Overall, I think MAC Beautymarked is actually.. the best Beautymarked there is!
UNLESS we're talking about price/value!
In terms of price and value, the Stila palette was $28USD for 4 shadows ($7 per eyeshadow), the single MAC eyeshadow is $14USD. The Tropez palette, I'm actually not sure about the price since it was given to me as a present.. but it can be found at drugstores, and I can't imagine that it costs more than $8-10USD, plus you get 6 shadows. I think Tropez definitely wins out in this category; then Stila, then MAC.
In my own personal collection, I don't think the Tropez palette stands out enough for me to want to keep it (in efforts of uncluttering my collection).
The lovely looking cranberry shade is actually much more brown than I would've imagined, making it more of a mahogany--though it does have some very pretty silver microglitter. And the pretty peachy-champagne shade can be pretty easily duped (though not EXACTLY.. Tropez's shade is slightly more pink) by Wet and Wild "Fine Wink". I swatched the Stila shade to show you what I sort of wanted the Tropez shade to look like--except darker, of course.
As for the lilac and salmon-esque pink in the Tropez palette.. I don't see myself reaching for those colors very often (as I'm not a big pink fan). BUT, I do have to say that this certain pink in the Tropez palette tempts me.. hahaha.
Overall, the Tropez "Maui Mauve" palette is a GREAT buy if you're starting your kit or you don't have like colors.. but for me, I think this is a pretty clear one to be phased out--check for it on my blogsale (will be updated soon)!