Mac Year Of The Snake Eyeshadows - Aztec Brick and Once Upon A Time

At first I wasn't going to get anything from Mac's new Year Of The Snake collection, despite the products having snake prints on them, I don't really know why. In the end I decided to pick up the two eyeshadows I hadn't owned yet, Aztec Brick and Once Upon A Time. I have to admit, I mostly got them for the outer packaging, it is so pretty. But I definitely wanted to get something I didn't have yet. As pretty as Shell Pearl beauty powder is, I decided I didn't need another one. I also already owned the other two eyeshadows, and as I'm on a lipstick no-buy I decided not to go for any of the lipsticks.

Anyway, I got Aztec Brick and Once Upon A Time eyeshadows. These are larger size eyeshadows, they contain 3 g product and the pans are the size of the mineralize eyeshadow pans and the prolongwear ones. The eyeshadows have snake imprints on them, what looks like the middle part of a snake, no heads or anything. They're not that amazing to look at to be honest, but Aztec Brick in particular is a lovely shade. Both are Veluxe Pearl finish and have a nice texture. Once Upon A Time is almost the same colour as my skin, so it doesn't show up well, but it is pigmented and very smooth. Aztec Brick is a much louder colour and it also has a lovely texture. They both stayed on my lids for 8+ hours and didn't crease.

The eyeshadows come in the regular black Mac compacts and black cardboard box, but they also have a limited edition sleeve on top of the outer box with gorgeous colourful metallic snake prints.

Sadly as I type most of this collection is already sold out on the Mac UK website and it's a Mac online only collection, so if you haven't bought anything from it yet, then better get a move on because there isn't much left. Sorry. The eyeshadows cost £16.50 by the way.

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Online Ordering From KIKO - And Why You Shouldn't Do It

This was initially going to be a product review, but instead I wanted to share my experience about ordering online from KIKO, with a warning about their shameful, practically non-existent customer service. I placed an order for 4 Water Eyeshadows and an Eyeshadow Stick on Tuesday, 17th January. I received my order the following Tuesday, so a full week later, having been completely unaware that it was coming from Italy, as it doesn't say anywhere on the KIKO UK website. When I opened the package I noticed that they managed to send shade 102 of the Water Eyeshadows twice and didn't send me a 101. So I e-mailed them as there is no UK phone number on the website. They e-mailed me back the following day with what seems like an automated e-mail and requested that I send a photo of the products received. Now if the shadows had been damaged, I'd understand, but why do I need to provide photographic evidence that they sent me two of the same eyeshadow? Anyway I replied with a photo and that was 12 days ago. Since then I have not heard from them.

I am absolutely gobsmacked by this non-existent customer service. I'd just like to exchange one of the 102's for a 101 or get a refund if they can't send me a 101. And as this wasn't even my mistake, I would expect them not to even require me to return the extra one like many other brand would (I once received a damaged eyeshadow from Bobbi Brown, phoned up and was sent a new one immediately that arrived the following day), but I don't even mind, I'll send it back - at their cost of course! However, it's been 12 days now since I first e-mailed them and since then I have e-mailed them repeatedly, and they haven't bothered to respond. I then raised this issue with Paypal, started a dispute to which they also didn't respond and now I have escalated it to a claim, and still no answer. As there is no customer service number anywhere on their website, all I can do is wait for them to e-mail me or for Paypal to hopefully give me a refund. All I can say after all of this is that I will NEVER EVER order from them again, or even buy their products from their store in London. Their products are nice, but not worth this awful hassle and I am now officially boycotting KIKO. 

Have you been let down by bad customer service? Feel free to share your experience in the comments!