wet n wild Marilyn Monroe Collection Review, Swatches, Look

If you have felt a lot of confusion surrounding the wet n wild Marilyn Monroe collection, I am here to make it right! Many people saw the items pop up across the country in short supply about two months before the official drop. Now that it is widely available, I am doing my usual detailed review that dives into full details, swatches, star ratings, and a makeup look. I will help you to decide what you want to buy from this lineup.

Details

First, I will start with where to buy the collection. The official release date is rather skewed. At the end of September and going into October 2023, people were finding small displays at their local HEB grocery stores and some Walgreens. These displays mirrored what Walgreens used to carry several years ago, the pain of only having two to three items of each piece, and it is already sold out by the time you get there. As I live up north, we do not have HEB stores, and the local Walgreens rarely, if ever, get limited edition makeup displays anymore.

Come November, wet n wild finally announced and dropped this collection. It is available on their website and on Amazon. Walgreens is in-store only. Please note that Amazon does not have an individual product listing for the lipstick and lip balm set, but otherwise has it all.

PR Box

This box contains the entire collection for once! Below you can see what it looks like:

Icon Lipstick & Lip Balm Set

The jelly-style lip balm smells strongly of rose, and it adapts to your pH to give you a sheer pink wash of color. It reminds me so much of the balm from the Rebel Rose collection. The product is lightweight and effective, and the gold flakes translate to a slight shimmer on the lips. As for the lipstick, it has full coverage in one swipe as a true, bold red. It is comfortable on the lips and fades naturally. It has more of a satin/silk finish that aligns with their Silk Finish Lipstick line.

Rating (both items):

Icon Dual-Ended Liquid Eyeliner

I was expecting this to be a retractable pencil and liquid pen combo, but it is not! One end features brush tip that is idential to the original Breakup Proof eyeliner pen. The other end is a felt tip pen, which is similar to their OG proline felt tip liner. I cannot visually see a lot of difference between the two. Both are matte black, but I think the felt tip makes a slightly thicker line that is a hair blacker than the pen tip. They both have great lasting power just like the Breakup Proof line. Overall, I think the combination is silly due to minimal lack of difference when you sit down to do your look and are trying to pick a side. That is why I was expecting a pencil to be included, or two different liquid shades.

Rating:

Icon Eyeshadow & Brush Set

This is a limited-time shade range of their five-pan palettes. It has no shade names or numbers assigned. The typical wet n wild quality is there in terms of the buildable pigment that is super easy to blend and to work with! I find that they apply to the eye beautifully and more pronounced than the swatches. Nothing is chalky and there is virtually no fall out. The shimmers are stunning dry – you do not even need to wet them! This is the perfect lineup of nudes for daily use. You have everything that you need without the overwhelm of a giant palette. It also makes for good bridal makeup!

The included eyeshadow brush is the same quality as all of their brushes for it being soft, sturdy, and effective for eyelid application. My critique is that I want to see a clear crystal handle like they provided for the other brush in this collection.

Rating:

Icon Headband

I cannot help but get some Christmas vibes here with the red velvet and bow, but this is super cute and currently on my vanity! It is decently sized with a comfortable fabric and elastic band to stay in place as you create. They have hit the Marilyn theme perfectly!

Rating:

Icon 2-Piece Retractable Eyeliner

These appear to be two limited-time shades of the Breakup Proof retractable eyeliner. Brown is lighter than the one in the permanent line, and white is completely new. I am begging wet n wild to bring these shades on permantently, especially the white! As per the normal Breakup Proof style, these eyeliners apply super smooth without tugging or skipping. They have a matte formula that is high impact, and they last all day even on the waterline. One weird note is the tip broke off of my white while in use. I have never had that happen before, and it works just as well as their other shades. It is working fine after the break.

Rating:

White

Brown

Icon Highlighter

The packaging and formula remind me a lot of the wet n wild Holiday Foxtrot collection! With Marilyn we are getting festive powder puffs included with all powders. I have come to love powder puffs this year, and these feel like all the others on the market! However, I prefer to apply highlighter and blush with a brush. Both of these highlighter are highly metallic, and even though they have glitter, the metallic properties shine through more. You can build them to your desired intensity, but they are hot! I am surprised to see how well both shades work on my fair skin. Peachy Pink makes a good blush topper if you cannot rock that shade on its own.

Rating:

Peachy Pink

Cool Champagne

Icon Luminous Setting Powder

I am a major fan of their loose setting powder line because it sets perfectly, gives that soft focus look, and bakes like a dream. In this collection we have a translucent luminous version. This also needs added to the core line! It has the ususal properies of the orignal, but the luminosity is provided by a fine shimmer. The added powder puff is a cute touch. You can swap out the thin puffs that come with the highlighter and blush here as well.

Rating:

Icon Clarifying Finishing Powder

They dropped this line as part of their wet n wild 2022 new products. There is nothing new about this translucent powder or the packaging. If you buy this, it is simply for the stunning brush. This powder does a nice job of setting the skin and helps with shine. I personally like their 5-in-1 powder even more! The brush is, again, their usual high quality. It will be great for blush and bronzer application. I do not normally use a slanted brush with finishing powder, but it can work, as well as the powder puffs in this collection.

Rating:

Icon Lip Liner & Gloss Set

I find this lip liner to be exactly like their perfectpout Gel Lip Liners, even though the package does not state that. It is super smooth without tugging or skipping and provides a bright, matte red finish that matches the gloss (and lipstick) perfectly. The gloss is their typical formula that packs a lot of pigment and shine in a way that is not heavy or sticky. You can layer it over the lipstick and/or the liner! This collection mixes and matches so well.

Rating:

Icon Blush in Rose

This rosey hue is a bit on the medium-darker side, but it is easy to build up. It works just fine on my fair skin. It does have some shimmer in it. I find it to be soft and gentle, yet it lasts all day.

Rating:

Icon Eye Set

Both of these items are from the everyday core line, and they are not new or special. I really enjoy the clear mascara for providing light to medium hold of your brows. I often reach for it on no-makeup days to give my brows some hold and to subtly accentuate my eyelashes. The mascara is not one of my favorites. It does provide some length and volume, but leaves something to be desired. The formula is ready to go right away. I have no trouble with flaking or transfer.

Rating – lash & brow mascara:

Rating – mascara:

Big Poppa Mascara

Mega Clear Lash & Brow Mascara

Makeup Look

Here is my full face of wet n wild makeup look featuring as much of this collection as possible! I always enjoy the looks that I create with this brand. They are nailing it with the neutral eye and red lip combo. I used the loose powder for baking, then the pressed powder for targeted areas only the like t-zone and where you apply blush, bronzer, and highlighter. Here are all of the products that I used:

• 5-in-1 Essence Primer Liquid
• megalast Eyeshadow Primer
• barefocus Tinted Hydrator Tinted Skin Veil in Fair
• megalast Incognito All-Day Full Coverage Concealer in Fair/Beige
• Icon Highlighter in Cool Champagne
• Icon Blush in Rose
• Icon Eye Set
• Brow-Sessive Brow Pencil in Dark Brown
• coloricon Bronzer in Ticket to Brazil
• Icon Luminous Setting Powder
• Icon Clarifying Finishing Powder
• Take Your Vitamins Super Nutrient Face Mist
• con Eyeshadow & Brush Set
• Icon Dual-Ended Liquid Eyeliner
• Icon 2-Piece Retractable Eyeliner in White
• Icon Lip Liner
• Marilyn Monroe Collection Lipstick

To recreate the eyeshadow look, start by applying the light shimmer brown shade to the crease. Next, darken the crease with the medium brown shade and also apply it along the lower lash line. Then, apply the nude shimmer to eyelid. Now, apply the dark brown shade to the outer corner and connect it to the lower lash line. Finish the look by applying the white shimmer to the inner corner and brow bone. For the eyeliner I used the brush tip to create a quick flick, then applied the white retractable eyeliner on the lower waterline.

Shop The Collection

They have acheived a good balance of taking their core line as is and also shaking it up with some new shades of their beloved formulas. I personally want to see several items become permanent! Do you enjoy the hues of classic beauty? Until next time, continue to let your true beauty shine.

Discover More wet n wild Collections: