Tag: eyeshadow

NARS Eyeshadows and Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

NARS has a decadent selection of eyeshadows that I have come to love. But there are so many shades! Both singles and duos that are all so tempting. So I’ve narrowed down the collection to my current favorites – all of which are newer colors except one.

First, a bit about the formula if you haven’t tried NARS eyeshadows. I love the duos for their easy, fashion-forward and always complimentary pairings. They are well-pigmented but not hard to handle. And are great for blending. In fact, InStyle awarded the formula “Best Overall Eyeshadow” 2011 InStyle “Best Beauty Buys”. For the duos, I simply put the lighter color to my brows and the darker on the outer part of my lid.

  • Kalahari – bronze pearl/ milk chocolate. This is an easy basic with great shimmer.
  • Paramaribo (new) – metallic brass / metallic bronze. My current obsession. Not near as yellow or green as it appears in the pan.
  • Mandchourie (new) – bluish grey / denim. I love a wash of the lighter color on my lid and the darker blue as an alternative to black eyeliner. Great for a blue, smokey eye.
  • Lhasa – (new) A lavender, grey that is perfect all over the lid. A great neutral.

And I can’t mention NARS eyeshadow without mentioning their Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, literally the best shadow primer out there. There is zero creasing and the shadows apply like a dream. Special deep-sea extract and an antioxidant rice extract keeps the lid smooth. Plus, the color stays vibrant all day long using a polymer and mineral-powder blend to grip the pigment.

(images of product and swatches from http://www.narscosmetics.com)

Chantecaille The Coral Reefs Palette

I’ve always thought the Chantecaille palettes were beautiful. But couldn’t justify the high price tag ($79). I can’t wait to tell you why I think this one is different. First, these shades are utterly wearable. But we will get to the beautiful colors in a bit. Second, the palette is refillable (I never knew this). Third, the mirror is HUGE and great to have on hand. Fourth, five percent of the proceeds benefit the Marine Conservation Institute in an effort to protect 10% of the world’s oceans by 2020. This seems like a small percentage, but it helps with the sticker shock. And last, this is a well-built, inclusive palette that would be so perfect for travelling.

So, now for the actual product. These shadows are blendable, soft and nicely pigmented. The gold shade on the corals is just a thin layer and comes off in the first use. Pity because it is so pretty, but you’ll be so excited about using the palette, it won’t matter.

The Pink Pearl (top left) mades a great eyeshadow base, all the way up to the brow. I also use it for highlighting. The Reef (top right) is a perfect crease color. You can also use Driftwood (bottom left) for a dramatic eye, but I like it for liner, smudged along the lashes. And what makes this palette different is that it includes a cheek color. Coral (bottom right) is a slighly peachy, sheer pink. Overall, these shades would love fab on a variety of skin tones. And when you break it down, the cost is slightly more palatable.

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color Palette

The Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color Palette is a great alternative for those who like to use shadow both wet and dry. When you use them dry, they achieve a neutral wash of color. But when you use them wet, they become vibrant and playful. The included, double-ended brush includes a curved Allover Eye Color Brush (used for dry application) and more pointed Creme Eye Color Brush (used to achieve a more dramatic, wet application).

While this was part of the holiday collection, the soft colors like lilac and pink petal are perfect for a spring look. They do have some glitter to them.

  • Sienna (coffee brown)
  • Terracotta (reddish copper)
  • Ballet Pink (very pale fleshy pink)
  • Pink Petal (baby pink)
  • Lilac (pale lavender)

These aren’t super creamy shadows so if you have a heavy hand and use them dry, watch out for some glitter fall out. This doesn’t bother me as I prefer a light wash of shadow – I think the palette was designed for this type of use. Austin has had a strange winter weather (well into the 70s this week). So I have been using Pink Petal and Lilac alone as a wash all over my lid in honor of the early spring. This palette has also come in handy to tote around in my purse for a quick touch up.

I can’t believe I dropped the ball on reviewing this palette over the holiday season. But on the plus side, it is now on sale for $36 at lauramercier.com.

Estée Lauder ‘Pure Color’ Gelée Powder Eyeshadow

These eyeshadows are so pretty, that was almost reason enough for me to buy them.  What a pleasant surprise: they are just as beautiful to use as they are in the compact.  The shadows are described as a “tri-blend formula that’s gel, powder and liquid in one.” In the images they look as if they could be a gel, but they are closer to a traditional powder eyeshadow in my opinion. But you can see how they are revolutionary in how they blend.

They apply so smoothly and can easily be layered.  I have found applying them with my finger actually works best. My favorite look is using Cyber Pink and Cyber Copper dry. But the Cyber Copper wet makes for a beautiful, dramatic liner. The wetter and heavier the application, the shinier and more metallic the appearance. I never would have thought a pinkish shade would work with my reddish undertones.  But it is my favorite new shade for the very corner of my inner eyes. For a truly revolutionary eyeshadow, these are a steal at $24. Plus, it only takes one to create a unique look.

 

 

 

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow 4.0 The Truth

I am back on the Bare Escentuals bandwagon! Bare Escentuals’ new bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow 4.0 is bringing me back to a brand I thought I had grown out of 10 years ago.  I haven’t used Bare Escentuals since my San Francisco days when I had a store just down the street from my apartment.  I loved their mineral makeup, especially for my early-20s skin, but once my skin moved into its drier stage, I started experimenting with other brands.  Thanks initially to a really catchy song on the commercial, bareMinerals The Truth Eyeshadow Quad gained a place on my vanity,

The Truth quad is a subtle, neutral palette.  The shades, Serendipitous, Magnetism, Fate, and Apropos, are a graduated range of taupe that would do well on a wide range of complexions.  I have been laddering the shades from lash line to brow, darkest to lightest.  Blending the adjacent shades, you can achieve this really natural looking, smokey eye.  The shades are a perfect balance between matte and iridescence, making it perfect for day time wear.

The powders have a smooth, creamy texture, powdered with SeaNutritive Mineral™ Complex.  This stuff, oddly, contains cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber.  I never thought I would get excited about “borage oil” but, along with these other antioxidants, it can depuff the eye area.  So the creamy powder can actually make your eyes look revitalized from the inside out!

Le Metier de Beaute Fall/Winter Kaleidoscope Eye Kit – GIVEAWAY

We all want to know: “how do I create a smokey eye?” It is the beauty question of the decade.  I’ve searched high and low for kits, palettes and individual shadows and concluded Le Metier de Beaute developed the best kit to achieve the smokey eye.  The colors are stunning, it is goof-proof and translates from day to evening. 

I met with Le Métier de Beauté while I was in New York for Fashion Week for a Fall Trend event.  Mikey Castillo, Le Métier de Beauté’s Director of Color and Education, featured the Fall Silk Road Kaleidoscope.  It has to be noted that these shadows are quadruple-milled – and this basically translates into incredibly fine, blendable shades.  They appear on the eye much less vibrant as they do in the pan.  And I think this is a good thing.  No need to be intimidated by the bold colors – the look is actually quite neutral.

While these shades definitely can be used on their own, I am sold on the Le Métier de Beauté signature eye shadow application technique, “Couches de Couleur”.  “Couches de Couleur” is the layering of color, each hue is selected to evoke one element in a sequence of crescendo: 1. Warm 2. Cool 3. Hot 4. Cold.  I use a flat, small eye shadow brush and press in each color from my lash to crease.  If I want a more “daytime” look, I skip the final color or only use it right along my lash.


Le Métier de Beauté usually releases these Kaleidoscopes each season, and I have yet to be disappointed.  By this Fall’s version is a stunner and by far my favorite.  Fall Silk Road Kaleidoscope was inspired by the silk, satin, spice and jewels of the Silk Road in the Far East.

  • Tapestry—a shimmering, translucent plum.
  • Damask— a polished brass.
  • Ikat—a silk-matte pinot noir.
  • Brocade—a deep chocolate with sequined copper effervescence.

The spread the love, I am giving away one of these kits (retail value $95) to one of my readers.  How can you enter to win this contest?

Leave a comment on this post.  Make sure to include your email address.

To earn extra entries:

1. Follow this blog (through an e-mail subscription or though one of the many Google readers – see sidebar at right) or by subscribing to my newsletter.

2. By tweeting this contest. You must include “@bellebellebeau” (without the quotes) and the contest title in your tweet. Only one tweet will be counted as an entry.

3. “Like” me on Facebook.

4. Share the contest info on your Facebook Wall.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, October 8, at midnight central time. The next day, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. I will e-mail the winner on Sunday. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected.

This contest is open to anyone anywhere however, I cannot insure the prize for overseas shipment.

UPDATE: We have a winner! It is Jenny aka @FashionistaJR. Congrats!