The Makeup Box

[Requested] 5 Favorite: Neutral Shadows, Liners, and Mascaras

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Now my favorites do change ALL the time, so I didn’t want to list items that are “current favorites” until they really stand the test of time.

Here are things I’ve used mostly for years, and prefer over alternatives for various reasons.

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January - February Favorites (2013)

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Here’s a round-up of things I’ve been impressed by recently!

Sikin79 Super Perfection BB Cream - I really like Skin79 BB Creams in general but I felt a need to mention this particular one because the more neutral coloring matches a medium-light skintone a lot better than many other grey or overly-pink BB Creams which give an unnatural cast to anyone with yellow/gold tones. Unlike typical tinted moisturizers, this gives a bit more coverage, and contains adenosine and arbutin to even out the skin. At the same time, it’s great for combination skin and sets to a natural soft matte finish.

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Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - I’m using the brand new shade, Medium Ivory (great for NC25), and I absolute love this foundation. It’s a medium-to-full coverage creamy product that gives a luminous, natural-looking finish but is probably better for normal and combination skin types. I don’t find it to be too much coverage because I actually just apply it in areas as a concealer when I don’t need something very thick and opaque. If you’re sensitive to silicones, beware, but otherwise, give this one a try. 

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Silver-Forest Eye Tutorial

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If you’re like me, and obsessed with the visuals of Charlize Theron in Snow White and The Huntsman, you’ll perhaps understand the fascination with that smoky, silvery-grey moss-green she seems to be wearing on her lid. I’m not recreating the look here so if you want a tutorial, Pixiwoo has one that mimics the look.

I just wanted to go for that faceted silver-grey with a hint of green. I’m not sure if it’s the lighting that makes it appear green, but the effect is gorgeous and also makes silvery greys a whole lot more flattering than a stark silver or grey. 

I’m just inspired by the color scheme.

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I’m getting a similar effect by layering a silvery shade over an olive green base, but the overall look is not quite as dark and dramatic because I avoided using any blacks in this look. (Even my mascara is dark brown.)

• Olive base: MAC Moss Scape Paint Pot (I’m not sure if this is still available as it’s no longer on the MAC site so please check at your local counter!)
• Dark Olive shadow: Coastal Scents Hot Pot ME01 Dark Golden Olive
• Silvery-Green Wash: Laura Mercier Mint Snow Shadow (Bargain Alert! US$7.50 on Beflurt.com as at 2 May 2012; Retail Price: $22)
• Grey liner/pigment: I used an old I Nuovi pigment called Titanium which is no longer being sold, but use any charcoal or deep grey shade you have, and foil it with water or mixing medium

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Step 1: Smooth a thin layer of the moss green paint over your entire lid, spreading up beyond the socket line, but leaving the brow bone clean. Flare out in a soft wing, and also run along the lower lash line.

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Step 2: With a dark blackened olive (Coastal Scents Dark Golden Olive is only US$1.99), run along the socket line and smoke upwards slightly so you don’t have one hard line.

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Step 3: Use a soft blending brush to apply a wash of silvery mint over the lid, going over the base and the contour applied earlier, pretty much over the entire lid all the way to the brow bones, avoiding just the outer corners of the eyes so you don’t remove the contour/depth at the outer corners.

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Step 4: I wanted to avoid any hard black lines, so I mixed a metallic grey pigment into a few drops of eyeliner sealant (Ben Nye Liquiset does not contain alcohol so it’s better for the eye area, and it’s also so cheap compared to more expensive sealants). Using a flat brush, I applied it like liquid liner, but did a double-wing by mirroring the flick on the bottom lash line as well.

The upper line is full-length but the lower liner starts from the center of the eye out.

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Step 5: Finish with dark brown mascara!

Product of the Week: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Shadow in Burnished Copper

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The brown base I used to reach for all the time was MAC’s Constructivist Paint Pot, but if you’ve ever owned a pot shadow before, you’ll know they get dry over time and harden to the point where they’re almost impossible to work with.

I still use my Contructivist Paint Pot but I need to add a drop of silicone oil to sort of dissolve and thin it out before I can use it properly. 

Now, my local Sephora recently started stocking Laura Mercier products, so I grabbed the chance to buy a few of the cult products such as the Secret Camouflage concealer (I bought SC-2 and I really like it so far).

The other product I picked up was this Metallic Cream Eye Color in Burnished Copper.

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Verdict: (Summary if you don’t want to read the full details)

Great shadow intensifier and primer for those with dry-to-normal lids and love browns, but want to jazz it up a little by layering it with other shades, or getting that really intensely-rich chocolate smoky eye. Also good on a variety of skins, from light-to-deep, as this has enough red tones in it not to appear ashy or brassy on really dark skin tones. 

If you have porcelain skin, approach with caution as deep reddened browns can make you look like you got punched in the eye. A softer, more ashy brown would probably look better.

Texture-wise, I don’t think this will be very good for oily lids as it’s quite emollient, even though it sets and isn’t slippery like MAC Cream Color Bases.

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Price:

Now at USD$22 (I believe just under SGD40 in Singapore; I threw out my receipt and forgot!), I won’t call this the most affordable product on the market, but it’s also not more expensive than MAC, and a little bit does go a very long way with this. The texture is creamy and luxurious so it blends easily, and makes powder pigments go on a LOT more intensely on top. (Dry bases tend not to intensify color, although they last longer.)

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The shade/finish:

Now as the name suggests, this is a deep chocolate brown with a shot of coppery-red tones. Not so much that it actually looks russet, but enough to warm up the brown and make it more flattering for more skin tones.

It’s a metallic/pearl shade, but as you sheer it out, the sheen sort of fades.

There are a handful of other neutral shades, but I was primarily going to use this as a base and prefer non-shimmery finishes when using light eye shadow primers, so I gave those a miss.

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Texture:

Gel-creme, silky, and not so different from an Urban Decay eye shadow primer. Sets, but isn’t bullet-proof.

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Tips and Tricks for Use:

1. Apply with a synthetic brush for easy blending and more precision, but this works with the fingers as well due to the creamy texture. It won’t be as cakey and streaky as a MAC Paint Pot if you choose to use your fingers.
2. If you want to wear a little color in the day for work or school but don’t want to go overboard, then just apply a little colored shadow over this. You’ll get a neutral look with a twist.
3. Pack glitter over this and you get lids that look neutral from far away but sparkle and glimmer up close!
4. WARNING: If you want a rich brown, apply a matching chocolate brown shadow over it. Don’t try to layer on more Creme Shadow or it will crease!