Sunday, August 12, 2012

Favorites: Top 5 Cream Eyeshadows + new jewelry



I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big eyeshadow person. It's sort of strange, because the above pictures prove that I was mega in to eyeshadows when I was first getting in to makeup; actually, the first "real" piece of makeup I owned was a teal Max Factor eyeshadow that my mom gave me. But I think that, as I've gotten older and blinder, I've come to focus less on my eyes and more on my lips. When I do play up my eyes, it's usually via my lashes or my brows. Yet as the years have gone by, I've come to realize that I have a deep fondness for cream shadows: they're multi-faceted and pigmented, which are big things for me with most makeup, but they're also quick, easy, and surprisingly modern. Here, then, are my five favorite cream eyeshadows--all of which are permanent shades!

#5: Estee Lauder DoubleWear Stay-In-Place Creme in Antique Gold

If I was judging these based on formula alone, this underrated cream shadow would easily get first place. It's smooth and creamy, and it's stayed that way for well over a year. It also lasts for absolute AGES on me, even without a primer. The downfall, for me, is the shade range: Estee Lauder's shades aren't quite as complex as some of the others on this list. That being said, they're great for days when you're rushed, and my favorite way to use Antique Gold is as a base under gold eyeshadows. It makes them absolutely BLAZE! The LE shades they come out with are also often very, very beautiful.
.

Antique Gold used as a base under Urban Decay Baked and Twice Baked powder eyeshadows.
.

#4: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Illusoire

I've done a review on the Chanel IdOs in the past, which you can read about here. But the reason why I love Illusoire in particular is because of it's sheer versatility. It reads primarily purple to me, but it also has tones of blue, silver, and black, so I can blend in just about any other shadow for an accent and get a brand new look. A lot of people have reported that Illusoire creases on their eyes more often than other IdOs, but I personally have never had that problem--it performs like all of my other shades. This is an especially lovely shade to pair with the Mirifique Illusion d'Ombre or with Essence gel liner in London Baby.
.
Illusoire on the inner half of the lid and bottom lash line; Chanel Mirifique is on the outer half of the lid.
.

#3: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Skinny Jeans

I'm normally not a sucker for products hyped by YouTube gurus, but when I kept noticing this cream shadow on Srivinya's eyes, I had to bite, and I haven't look back sense. Easily the must unique and versatile CCS, Skinny Jeans is a difficult-to-describe mixture of khaki green, taupe, and pewter gray that changes  at every angle. It can easily be worn on its own by applying a sheer layer on the lids and a little more in the outer v and crease for depth, but I personally prefer to wear it underneath gold, taupe, and khaki powder eyeshadows to really make them pop, especially the taupe shade from Wet n' Wild's Night Elf palette.
.

Worn as a base under shades from the Wet n' Wild Comfort Zone and Night Elf palettes.
.

#2: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP

Another CCS makes the list, and with just cause: it's obviously a shade I use on a super-regular basis. A seemingly simple, but nevertheless beautiful, golden champagne color, this is my go-to cream shadow on a cat-eyes-and-bright-lips day. I also use this as a base under gold eyeshadows for ladies who don't like a super-bold look, like my friend Laurel (who actually got married today--congratulations!). Unfortunately, my little pot of Heaven has reached its drying point; I've microwaved it for about 10 seconds to restore some of its creaminess, but the fix only works for a week or two. :( I'll be sure to buy a new pot of this bad boy as soon as I have a job and cash to spare.

.

RSVP with thick winged liner.
.

#1: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Epatant


I was initially hesitant to make Epatant my number one, as I was under the impression that I used Benefit RSVP more often and in more ways. Turns out...that's not the fact at all. Okay, Epatant is in no way a "go to for winged liner," but it's the cream shadow I reach for when I want a quick but super-eyecatching shade, provided the green tones in it won't clash with the rest of my makeup. It's surprisingly versatile--I've even mixed it with lavenders, baby pinks, and taupes--and I'm infamous for spotting it on Chanel sales associates.
.
Chanel Epatant: so gorgeous, I don't even care if my images won't rotate properly.

.

Swatched, from left to right: Antique Gold, Illusoire, Skinny Jeans, RSVP, and Epatant.

Also, here are a few of my new babies: an antique brooch from a local antique store and some adorable owl earrings from Jolliffe Jewelry!



No comments:

Post a Comment