Mac 15pan Palette: Basic Shades

I am always mesmerized by videos on YouTube about mac 15pan palettes, categorized by shades (neutrals, pinks, blues, etc) and I decided to make a palette of my own.

The hard part is that I wanted to limit myself to one palette, because:

• the eyeshadows are quite expensive (obviously!)
• I don't find it practical to have 2-3 palettes around me to complete a look.
• I dont't need similar shades because I don't think everyday people (as opposed to make up artists or professionals in general) notice slight variations of shade or color intensity or shimmer or whatever.
• I don't need all the colors available, it is so easy to change the hue of an eyeshadow just by sweeping another color on top!

So, after a lot of time online, seeing swatches, watching videos, reading blogs, etc, I made a sort of "pattern" and I based my palette on it. Of course there are a lot of eyeshadows that I didn't like when I actually swatched them in my local Mac store, and a few others that were not in my plan but caught my eye!

So, this is my (one and only - at least so far!) 15pan palette:

The "pattern" is quite simple:

• one row with cool (?) shades,
• one row with warm (?) shades,
• one row with the rest.

And vertically:

• highlighters in the first column
• midtones (eyelid colors) in the second column
• shading colors (crease) in the third column

As you can see, the first three columns are all natural shades, the last two columns are all colors.

There are two "basic" shades missing and that is a pure white and a pure black and the reason I don't have such shades is because I don't use them that often.

Highlights:

Cool - Crystal Avalanche is desribed as white with reflects (VeluxePearl)
Warm - Short Shorts (limited edition from the Surf Baby collection) was not on my list but I loved it! I think Nylon from the permanent line is an alternative shade.
Brule is described as soft creamy-beige (Satin).

Midtones:

Cool - Pink Venus is described as washed pink (Lustre). It looks lovely in the pan but the color payoff is minimal.
Warm - Honesty is described as pewtered bronze (Lustre). I don't know why I picked this and minimal color payoff here too!
Satin Taupe is described as taupe with silver shimmer (Frost). It is my latest aquisition, I haven't even tried it on yet! The main reason I got it is because I like taupe color in general and I thought I should try out this (very famous) shade! 

Crease colors:

I don't find flattering (on me) too dark colors, that's why I chose medium shades, not too dark, not too light.

Cool - Scene is described as muted blue-grey (Satin).
Warm - Espresso is described as muted golden brown (Matte).
Smut is described as muted black with red shimmer (Velvet). To me it looks like an in between color and I use it when I want a little more intensity.

Colors 1:

Cool - Passionate is described as real mid-tone red (Matte). When I got frustrated with Pink Venus I went overboard and purchased Passionate, it actually is a very pretty color and when used with a light hand the result is quite lovely. I usually use Passionate as a base and Pink Venus on top for the shimmer.
Warm - Expensive Pink is described as pink with duochrome (Veluxe Pearl). I really love this color!
Sun Blonde (limited edition from the Surf Baby collection) was also not on my list but I loved it too! I think Gorgeous Gold from the permanent line is an alternative shade.

Colors 2: 

 

Cool - Moon's Reflection is described as blue w/white pearl (Veluxe Pearl).

Warm - Swimming is described as hi-shine sea green (Lustre). Althought this is a Lustre too, the color payoff is a lot better than Pink Venus.

Aquadisiac is described as deep sea turquoise (Lustre). This one has the best pigmentation amongst all my Lustre eyeshadows. It is also the first ever Mac eyeshadow I purchased, I just love it!

Please note that "cool" and "warm" are relevant terms, according to the way I see the colors, so what seems warm to me someone else may categorize as cool, etc!  

What is your most reached for eyeshadow? 

MAC 227 and Wet 'n Wild eyeshadows

Last time my local Mac store had a 25% off sales, I got the 227 brush for 25,50€.
It is basically a large fluffy brush made of natural fibre, and it is a multifunctional one because it can be used for:

• eyeshadow application all over the lid (time saver in the mornings, when I'm usually in a hurry!) 
• highlighting, 
• contouring, 
• detailed application of blush,
• application of powder concealer in the under eye area
• many other uses I can't think of right now (lol!).

Here is a photo side by side with my (dirty!) 239, for comparison:

Now, I recently purchased two Wet n' Wild eyeshadow palettes (from Non Pareil). I wanted to try them mainly out of curiosity because of the online buzz about their decent color payoff for a minimal price.

In particular I got Lust ($5), a palette with six eyeshadows. The left column is matte, the right column is shimmery and I like this balance. The main reason I chose the Lust is the purple and the dark purple-reddish-brown, I thought these colors will be useful in fall and winter. Since I'm not a huge fan of purple and I rarely use it (at least until now), it made more sense to me to spend 5 dollars and get this than spend 15 dollars for one Mac eyeshadow.  The two highlights are a bit chalky but blend really well and effortlessly and my absolute favorites are the silver-gray and the two dark ones. That been said, it is a really handy little palette and for $5 I think it is a steal!
Here are some photos:

The next Wet 'n Wild palette I got is a trio named Silent Treatment ($3). It is a really pretty palette for a natural eye look, especially when I want to look polished but not overdone. I like all the three colors but I particularly love the eyelid color.
Here are some photos:

Would you recommend any other Wet 'n Wild eyeshadow palette?

FOTD and Mac Semi-Precious MSF Rose Quartz

Since I had already painted my nails in Ocean Dip from the Mac Surf collection (I love this color!) I thought to continue the color scheme on my eyes, so:

I used Aquadisiac on the lid, Smut for the outer corner and for the crease and I blended it with Honestly (now that I see it again, not so succesfully!). BTW, Honestly looks lovely in the pan but it's not that pigmented, it's quite sheer.

Tip for beginners in Mac eyeshadows: don't swatch just on the tips of your fingers but apply the color on the back of your hand or even better on the inside of your arm, this is the only way to actually see the pigmentation of a color.

Then I used Smolder eye khol for the upper waterline (I wear contacts and it's the only eye pencil from Mac that is opthalmologically tested and it really doesn't irritate my eyes). Now, that smudges a bit, BUT, I apply one even stroke on the upper waterline and after a few minutes it transfers a little but lightly and evenly on my lower waterline and actually I love this! I never wear dark colors on the lower waterline because the look seems very harsh to me, but this way, the result is fine and subltle.

Last item I used is the One by One Maybelline mascara, I love the way it defines my lashes (actually I love Maybelline mascaras in general).

I 've read a lot about the Semi-Precious Mineralize Skinfinishes, and since I 've never purchased any MSF for that matter, I decided to get one from this collection, actually I think that the MSF and the blushes are the best items in this collection. The one I got is Rose Quartz:

Isn't it delicious?

Well, to be honest with you I was a little intimidated when the Mac assistant did a liberal swatch on my hand, the shimmer almost reached my elbow, BUT, when I got home I used a tiny amount on my brush and applied it, the result was very pretty and very wearable, a nice and delicate pinkish but warmer sheen, I loved it even more!

Now that I saw it again, I really consider buying another color as well, it's almost €30 full price but it will last for ages.

Thanks for visiting!

Basics: Eyeshadow tools

I believe that the tools you use to apply makeup are very important and for this reason I choose Mac brushes. That doesn't mean that there are no other good brushes from other brands (I hear that Sigma are equally good and much cheaper but I haven't tried them yet) but since Mac is famous for its brushes and available in stores in my country, it was one way for me.

Now, if I had to choose only two brushes for eyeshadow application, I would choose without a second thought:

• the Mac 217 - Blending Brush, I love this brush for blending the eyeshadows, it can also be used  to apply eyeshadow on the lid, browbone, etc.You can also use it for concealer, excellent for this use as well.

• the Mac 208 - Angled Brow Brush, I love this brush for applying eyeshadow/eyeliner close to my lashes and generally when I'm doing details with the eyeshadow, i.e. for the outer corner, it helps me create a really defined V, then I use the 217 for blending out any harsh lines. It can also be used for the brows.

Both purchased at a 25% off sales, so they were quite affordable.

If you want your eye makeup to last more hours, all the gurus stress the necessity of an eye primer applied on the lids before the eyeshadow,  and I got the Benefit Stay Don't Stray primer because it can be used under the eye as well so as to make the concealer last longer (it also lightens up the under eye area a little and I'm using less concealer now). I find that the pump, although hygienic, is a little difficult to handle regarding the amount of product it pumps, but I press it lightly and this way I usually achieve not to waste product. I purchased it at Sephora, it is quite expensive, I think about €30, but I needed a primer and also wanted to try something from Benefit now that it arrived in Greece (at Sephora stores). I 'm happy with it, but, it's the first primer I got so I don't have any prior experience with eye primers to compare this with.

Of course in order to use brushes, primers, etc,  you must have an eyeshadow or two (lol!), and speaking about basic eyeshadow tools I could not omit my latest find, that is the NYX  Bohemian Rhapsody 10 eyeshadow palette, I purchased it $8 from nonpareilboutique.

It is a basic, neutral, eyeshadow palette, the bottom row are velvety/silky matte with a cream like consistency and the top row are shimmering, so it is quite flexible because you can achieve everyday as well as more dramatic looks. The pigmentation is great, more so of the matte ones. In case you lusted the Urban Decay Naked Palette but find the cost prohibiting, this could be an alternative, of course I don't say that they 're the same.
Overall, the NYX Bohemian Rhapsody eye palette is a very good neutral palette (and darn cheap too!).

That's my view of  basic eyeshadow tools, of course "basic" is different for everyone and the list could be endless. Also bare in mind that I'm a beginner in most aspects of make up, I just post about what I find works for me (possibly for you too!). 

Thanks for visiting!

And the journey begins...

I have to admit that untill a couple of months ago I was the "less is best" kind of girl and my make up routine was foundation+blush+mascara and...that's it!

One day, I visited a MAC shop (in Kallithea to be precise) in order to buy one eyeshadow, since it was the beginning of summer and I thought I could use a splash of aqua to spice up the things a little bit (for the record I got Aquadisiac).

Then I saw Deep Truth and I had to have it, it is such a gogreous, smokey, deep blue!

Then I got the four-pan empty palette because I prefer things organized with the least possible amount of clutter, so I thought that the best way is to put my new (and only) eyeshadows in this palette and I must say that it is a really convenient liitle palette.

 Theeeen, the girl from Mac suggested an eyeshadow brush and I couldn't agree more since the idea of sticking my fingers into the pan is not very appealing to me (although I do it some times, lol!),  so I got the 239.

So, in the end as you can see I got 4 items instead for one, TG that week Mac had a 25% sale!

Well, after that lots of things changed in my makeup routine because as you can imagine, I didn't limit myself to two eyeshadows, but that's another post, actually a lot of posts!!!

Question for you: I' m considering buying one Mac Mineralize Skinfinsh item from the Semi-Precious collection, I love the way they look in the pan, and I'm between Rose Quartz, Pearl or Crystal Pink but I have no idea what I can use them for! Are they highlighters, blushes, what?

Thanks for visiting!