Moderate Stash: Eyeshadow

If you've been here for a while, you've probably noticed that I'm not big on eyeshadow. I don't own a ton of it, I never really review it, and I'm rarely wearing more than one shade on my lids in Face of the Day photos. There was a time when I was really in to eyeshadow, when every bright color and flashy finish felt like the best way to express myself. But as I've gotten older, I've gotten lazier. I've also fallen more and more in love with lipstick. At the end of the day, I admit that I love to emphasize my cheeks and lips, but my eyes? Meh. Too much effort.

I do keep some eyeshadows around, however, for the occasional fancy look. Creams and liquids are my go-tos for quick and easy washes of color, and my small assortment of powder shadows has me covered for smoky eyes. All of these were swatched over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, my favorite primer. I did not swatch two specific things: Wet n' Wild Brulee, a single eyeshadow that is nearly the same color as my skin, and my depotted Urban Decay Book of Shadows II, since loads of swatches are available via a Google Image search.

CREAMS AND LIQUIDS

• Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eye Shadows in Rio de Rose Gold, Playa del Pink, and Beach Sand. In my opinion, these are the rulers of Liquid Eyeshadow Land; no other product is as pigmented, as smooth and easy to apply, or as beautifully metallic. These are so shiny and pretty, they actually look foiled when the light hits them! I like all three shades: Rio de Rose Gold is a copper, Playa del Pink is a soft champagne, and Beach Sand is a rich brown. Unfortunately, it looks like Josie Maran might be discontinuing these absolutely flawless little babies. :( Maybe she's bringing them back with new packaging!
• MAC Shadestick in Heirloom. Yes, this thing is ancient, and no, they don't make Shadesticks anymore. But while I've busted through the remaining few in my collection, tossing them in to my Back 2 MAC bag with a muttered "Good riddance," I cling to Heirloom. It's this wonderful frosted antique pink, and it works well on its own and as a base for purple and pink powder shadows.
• Charlotte Ronson Liquid Eye Shadow in Sky. Yet another discontinued product because I suck! This liquid eyeshadow has an extremely thin, very liquidy formula; the tube needs a lot of shaking before you apply. Sky is a translucent pink shade with tons of microshimmer. While it's very beautiful and flattering, I don't wear it nearly as much as my Josie Maran liquid shadows, so I'm considering destashing it.
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils in Black Bean and Milk. These super-creamy, very opaque puppies had a Moment on YouTube a few years back, but while many bloggers right them off today, I know a lot of drag queens who still keep these babies in their kit. The stark matte shades are great for dramatic highlighting and lining, and if you spread them out over a primer like Too Fashed Shadow Insurance, they make great bases that can amp up the drama for your other shadows.

 Natural light on top, flash on the bottom.

MAC POWDER SHADOW PANS

• Matte shades: Wedge and Truce. Wedge, a medium brown with some slightly warm leanings, is a staple in many collections. I used to use it as a brow shade, but nowadays I like it best in my crease. The same goes for Truce, a gray putty shade: it makes the perfect crease color to emphasize my deep set eyes and cast a shadow. Both are decently smooth and opaque, though being mattes, they require a bit more blending to get a soft effect.
• Frosted/Metallic shades: Satin Taupe, Woodwinked, and Vex. Satin Taupe and Vex are both relatively cool-toned shadows; Satin Taupe reads, as the same suggests, as a taupey purple and makes a great all-over-lid shade for smokey eyes, while Vex is a sheer duochrome that makes a great transition or crease color. Woodwinked is in a whole other ballpark, though. It looks brown in the pan, but applies as a warm, coppery gold on your lids, especially if you buff it out. It has one of the smoothest powder eyeshadow formulas I've ever felt!

 Natural light on top, flash on the bottom.