In Pokémon Sword and Shield trainers can now stuff their wardrobes with an overabundance of various shirts, parkas, hats and more. But while the myriad of clothing options allows trainers to express their individuality, they leave the makeup chair hardly changed from when they sat down.
In all reality, if the makeup feature was retitled 'Accessories' it would be more aptly named. There are no real makeup options to be found aside from a small selection of lipsticks and two eyelash styles. The primary focus of this makeup customization feature is actually centered around wacky contacts and eyebrows.
The height of the makeup options in the Boutique rests with eight lip colors, four of which are virtually the same shade. While there are a couple of quirky options like blue or green, the selection leaves a lot to be desired. After choosing a lip shade and picking between either doll or cat-like eyelashes, the makeup options run dry. No blush, contouring, or even eyeshadow to further customize the look.
The real customization lies with brow and eye color. There are only three variations of eyebrows; Thin, Normal, and Thick. But there is a long list of colors to choose from in order to match the various hair colors. The real fun begins with a plethora of contacts to play around with- though wearing some of them throughout daily adventures would call for a very distinct look indeed. There is a vast selection of eye colors ranging from multiple browns, greens, and blues, to red, black and even options like "Lavender Ice". But the options don't end there. Below the array of colors, the list continues into a selection of graphical contacts. Trainers may choose to run around with stars or hearts in their eyes. Furthermore, determined trainers may show off their 'Burning Passion' with irises alight in flames, while daydream believers can opt for the more hypnotic look of a 'Multicolor Swirl'.
Despite the fun that can be had filtering through the outlandish contact options, that is not what most trainers had in mind when they walked into the Boutique and dropped 1,000 coins for a makeup overhaul. Referring to these customization options as "Makeup" is highly misleading and pretty irksome to any makeup gurus who were hoping to combine their love of pokémon and cosmetics.
With all the other bells and whistles that came with Pokémon Sword and Shield, trainers should be able to adventure through Galar as the next James Charles if they so desire- without all the controversy of course. The developers would do well to add some jewelry options, rename the section 'Accessories' and put effort into a real makeup feature. Players want optimal customization Game Freak, not a partially thought out accessorizing feature.