MAC Cosmetics is one of the most color savvy brands on the market, and their eye shadow collection showcases just this. A beautiful combination of shadows is Crystal Avalanche (for giving the inner corner of each eye a twinkle), Vanilla (to add soft, sheer color beneath the brow bone), All That Glitters (for a sparkling wash of champagne color across the entire eyelid), Deep Damson (to shade the outer corners of the eyes with a rich burgundy) and Cork (to give a warm, brown shade and add dimension to the creases of each eye).
I also frequently look to Brule (pale ivory), Omega (cool taupe), Wedge (mid-tone brown) and Embark (warm, rich brown), all from MAC, to create softly highlighted and contoured eyes that don’t look “made up”. With these shades, all matte and soft satin textures, you can create sculpted eyes that look like you were born with that bone structure!
If you’re feeling extra funky, pickup an assortment of colors from the incomparable Make Up For Ever. Vibrant purples can transfer easily from summer to fall. Matte Flesh is a strong matte shade that can highlight the brow bone or be used to diffuse and blend other bolder colors together. Press Lilac (a satin shade) across the eyelid and under the lash line for a strong color statement. Finish the look by blending Dark Purple (another matte choice) softly through the entire crease of the eye to bring depth and additional color to your application.
NARS is another line that is easily accessible to both the everyday makeup wearer and professional artist. My current favorite from this line is a trio of eyeshadows called Ramatuelle. One pallette contains a stunning array of colors – one metallic silver, a soft peach and an additional warm apricot shade. The colors are perfect to shade and line the eyes without having to fuss over various containers.
For a natural look that still brings dimension to the face, I always turn to Kevyn Aucoin’s Essential Eyeshadow Set in Palette #1. It comes with five shades ranging from a bright, eggshell to a deep true brown. The various fleshtones allow for fresh looks to compliment the day or deep, chic eyes for a night on the town. Don’t be afraid to use a tone similar to your skin shade just beneath the cheek bones to contour the face as well! Think outside the box with your makeup choices. If you like the way it looks, it’s right for you!
Elizabeth Moore is an Atlanta/NYC-based entertainment industry makeup artist whose latest gig was on the set of Vampire Diaries. She’s also been a premier artist at NY Fashion Week and the Tribeca Film Festival. Learn more about her through her blog.
I am loving all the mac shades. I was trying to figure out which Neutral Mac eyeshadows to get. I think I will get Omega,Cork,mac Embark, Mac Vanilla and Mac deep Crimson. Thanks for helping me make up my mind. 🙂
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I love the MUFE combo