Naya

Screen Queen Collection by Zoeva, Review

If you are into millennial pink and gold, this post will be a true eye candy!

About the Collection

Zoeva is, hands down, one of the fastest growing beauty brands on the market today with all of their new collections being 100% swoon-worthy. It is no secret that I have been rooting for the brand since day one, so you can probably imagine my excitement when a box with stunning Screen Queen Collection Set landed on my desk. This beautiful launch is a tribute to "all out Hollywood glamour". In today's post we are going to go from A-Z (in-depth, no BS) and I hope you enjoy the ride!

The collection includes: eyeshadow palette, highlighting palette, lip crayons and two sets of makeup brushes (face/eyes). You can purchase certain items individually or splurge on a set, that includes everything (minus Screen Queen Complete Eye Set).

Price: 12.80 - 145 USD (complete set retails for 190 USD). If you are based in the Middle East: 55 - 609 AED (exclusive to Sephora).

Screen Queen Highlighting Palette

Claims: velvety smooth texture/ reflective luminizers/ ultimate ethereal glow/ pearl finish/ easy to blend/ superior pigmentation

Price: 16.80 USD (76 AED). Made in Italy.

Packaging: just like every other Zoeva palette, this one too comes in a minimalistic paper/cardboard packaging with a magnetic closure. It is incredibly light and compact, i.e. very travel-friendly. Overall, I do love a mix of white/pale pink/gold here and find that you get a really good amount of product in each individual pan.

Colours: Aloof Beauty (pearlescent champagne), Absolutely Flawless (lilac with a hint of pink and gold), Pearls and Fine Silks (copper bronze). There is zero glitter here.

Texture/Formula: now, I have never tried any of the brand's highlighters before, so I was not really sure what to expect at first. From my experience (and I must have tried a million of highlighters at this point), these do remind me a lot of ABH four-pan palettes, except Zoeva's formula is a bit more tightly-pressed and not as buttery smooth. On a good side note, unlike ABH, these highlighters will not look "ugly-metallic" (no tea, no shade) by accentuating every little bump [turning pores into craters] on your beautiful face. They are also hundred miles away from "powder" town, so you should not expect any powderiness/crumbliness/dryness or anything like that.

Please click on images above if you want to zoom in; FYI all of my swatches are unedited and raw.

Application: since these highlighters are not uber-smooth, they are perfect for all sorts of layering techniques. You can easily sheer them out or add a few more layers for that semi-blinding look. I would say that natural-bristle brushes are your best friends here. Just as promised, these powders blend really well.

Wear: surprisingly, lilac shade here [one that most people would label as "unwearable"] looks more like a pinky-gold on my light/neutral complexion and is certainly the most unique colour in the palette. I love mixing it with the lightest shade; if you have a deeper skin tone, then you might also combine all three colours together (believe me, they look best mixed). Wearing power is quite good here: I would say these highlighters last for at least 6-8 hours on me; they fade quite gracefully too.

Final Thoughts: I think this trio is great for those of you, who are not into sheer or blinding highlighters. Screen Queen Highlighting Palette is a very nice middle ground. I like how these wear and look on the skin; they never accentuate texture/pores, which is amazing. Now, of course if you are a friend on Instagram (hey babes!), then you know I am more into that glass skin, JLo-glow look. That being said, this palette would be my "shy" makeup day option, however, I can't deny how beautiful it is and for the price - I would recommend it.

Screen Queen Eyeshadow Palette

Claims: highly pigmented/ ultra-rich/ easy to blend

Price: 26.50 USD (110 AED). Made in Italy

Packaging: as you can tell, here you get 10 beautiful eyeshadow pans, inspired by the glam life of Tinseltown. Just like all other palettes from the brand, this one is incredibly slim and lightweight.

Colours: Screen Queen Eyeshadow Palette presents an interesting array of neutral and cool-toned pastels, as well as a few smoky shades. There is only one matte here (Hollywood Influenced), while everything else is a mix of metallics, duochromes and shimmers.

Please click on images above if you want to zoom in; FYI all of my swatches are unedited and raw.

Texture/Formula: unlike other Zoeva palettes in my possession, this one has [what it seems like] a completely different feel. Although these shadows swatch beautifully, I can tell right off the bat that there is a quality inconsistency. Some shadows feel dry, some feel wonderfully creamy. Some apply like a dream, some turn into a grayish cloud as you are trying to blend them out. Even a vibrant duochrome (Shine Your Light Now) does not look as good on my eyes, as it does on my arm. That being said, this palette has its hits and misses.

Application/Wear: despite the fact that most of these shades apply easily, without a primer they will disappear in couple of hours. I did get a good result using my MAC Paint Pot, but still - I wish there was a bit more pigment here. I almost never get a fall-out, but certain [darker] shades will crumble just a bit. Again, not a deal-breaker for me personally - but if that is something that bothers you, then keep that in mind. If you read my Opulence Eyeshadow Palette review, then you might recall that I didn't face any of those issues with that palette; which is probably why I was a bit confused by the brand's newer launch. Don't get me wrong, you can still achieve a beautiful smoky eye, but sadly half of the palette is wishy-washy. I have noticed multiple times how these new shadows would fade and lose pigment in about 3-4 hours, which in eyeshadow-terms, is not acceptable.

Final Thoughts: although these shades are speaking to me on so many levels, they did not perform just as good as my other Zoeva palettes (which I adore and even hit pan on). I feel like there are only 3-4 shades here that I truly love and enjoy, while the rest are "bench-warmers". I also feel like there should be at least one more neutral matte here (aka transition/crease shade), because it is hard to create a cohesive look with one chalky matte pink only. Sorry guys, but you know I always say it like I mean it. Although I do not recommend Screen Queen Eyeshadow Palette, if you want to experience Zoeva eyeshadows, I would highly encourage you to try Cocoa Blend, Nude Spectrum and Opulence instead.

Screen Queen Lip Crayons

Claims: flattering shades/ naturally soft/ lightweight texture/ luscious/ shiny finish

Price: 12.80 USD per piece (55 AED) or 41 USD for a set of four. Made in USA.

Packaging: I love this "chubby pencil"-esque packaging. Baby pink tube and gold cap anyone? Yes, please! Just make sure to close it tight after every use and you are good to go. These little guys twist up just like your regular lipstick and are very user-friendly.

Colours: there are four shades in this collection; since they are pretty much sheer, they will still let your natural lip colour shine through; which is something I enjoy on a day-to-day basis. Although they look a bit dark in the tube, on your lips they will appear quite natural, giving a very flattering amount of tint.

Texture/Formula: if you are a fan of Lustre finish by MAC, then these will be your ride or die! There is a very subtle scent/delicious taste here, which is hard to label, yet I love it. They feel creamy, smooth and hydrating on the lips. This formula is so well-made, it doesn't settle into lip-lines and will not stick to dry patches either.

Please click on images above if you want to zoom in; FYI all of my swatches are unedited and raw.

Application/Wear: these lip crayons glide on like a dream and feel amazing. You can layer them if you want to, but they will still translate as a subtle wash of colour on your lips. I can barely feel that I am wearing one; they are this lightweight and creamy. Very luscious and kissable indeed. You will need to re-apply your lipstick after meals, but other than that - I am a fan.

Final Thoughts: yes, yes and yes! If you love your sheer/creamy lipsticks or lip balms, look this way. These Screen Queen Lip Crayons must be my favourite discovery from the collection.

Screen Queen Complete Set

I saved the best for last. If you were wondering "will she finally talk about those gorgeous pink/gold brushes?", yes I will! You guys already know just how great Zoeva brushes are, so I will not bore you with a ton of details. Here is what I think about this set: it is freaking awesome.

With Screen Queen, you basically have three options: select a few individual brushes (limited variety) or choose between two lovely sets (one for eyes, one for both eyes and face). [The latter one is what you see on my images below].

Please click on images above if you want to zoom in

Screen Queen Complete Set includes 15 brushes: 104 Buffer, 108 Face Finish*, 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek, 134 Luxe Powder Fusion, 135 Petit Face Definer, 142 Concealer Buffer, 226 Smudger, 227 Luxe Soft Definer, 228 Luxe Crease, 230 Luxe Pencil, 234 Luxe Smoky Shader, 235 Contour Shader, 317 Wing Liner, 322 Brow Line, 329 Lip Definer* (those marked with * are new brush models).

These are top-shelf quality brushes dressed in the most divine outfits. If you are sick and tired of a typical black/silver combo, then you will really appreciate all the love that went into creating these little bad boys. Some of the brushes here are synthetic, while some are made of goat-hair. Bristles on both are very soft, densely packed and easy to use/clean. There is not a single tool here, that I wouldn't find useful.

If you were looking for gift ideas for a beauty junkie in your life (maybe even yourself wink wink), then this 145 USD (609 AED) kit is perfect for that. Plus! You are additionally getting a very chic little pink clutch, which is so perfect for both storing and traveling. I couldn't recommend it enough, A+ from me.

Here is my makeup look using everything from the new collection; what do you guys think? [I had to let my inner 60s child out]. On my eyes: a mix of Eye Of A Painter & Best Work Unseen; on my lips: Way To Soon.