Silver Lilac Lids

Here's a quick and easy but high-impact look that I've been wearing often lately. I've owned a whole set of Australis Metallix shadows for awhile and haven't talked about them much because they're a little perplexing. 

They are made of the most beautiful sparkly flecks of metallic pigments. But the pigments are suspended in a very old-fashioned creamy base that creases and doesn't set, unlike the budge-proof cream shadows we're used to today.

However, these are great for layering - and I prefer them on top of shadows mostly - as a pop of metallic sheen in the center of the lids. But for some of the deeper shades, I just use them as a base for sparkly loose pigments, like Sparklers from Make Up Geek.

One of my favorite combinations these days is a silvery violet duo; Lana Del Grey from Australis and Aurora from Make Up Geek.

One bad thing about using the Metallix shadows as base is the flecks of pigments are quite large so you often get a slightly patchier coverage and gaps if you try to blend for too long. It's a product suited for dramatic sparkle and making a statement from a certain distance.

Other products used for this look:

• Taupe transition shadow: Innisfree Mineral Single Shadow 40
• Black matte shadow: Bourjois Intense Extrait de Fard 10
• Black liquid liner: KATE Super Sharp Liner in Black
• Metallic indigo pencil: Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Tornado
• Black mascara: Benefit Rollerlash Mascara

P.S. Run a little along the outer 1/3 of the lower lashes as well if you want more definition

Finish with mascara

The eye makeup looks both soft and dramatic at the same time. It mostly looks like a light silver or lavender eye depending on the light, but then when you blink and the light catches on the pigments, it looks like molten metal.

I've worn it to work a few times, and it does get attention, but I don't consider it overly dramatic compared to a full-on smoky eye or glitter.

Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color Demo in 02 Black Oyster

Tom Ford's Cream and Powder Eye Color duos (SGD$85) are an interesting product that I've not tried before this year, with the Summer 2015 Soleil makeup collection. They've been released previously, and I have swatches of 3 of the 4 duos swatched here for you, as well as a demo using 02 Black Oyster.

Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color Duos in Midnight Sea (black-bronze and marine blue metallic), Peach Gold (peach and champagne sparkle), and Black Oyster (blackened taupe with silver sparkle).

Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Color Duos layered

A 4th duo, Nude Bronze, is a re-promote apparently, and the press sample was not available when I was swatching these, so here are the remaining 3.

They're all gorgeous, but I would say if you are going to be spending on a Tom Ford, go with one of the dark shades. Peach Gold is pretty enough, but really nothing spectacular or that different once layered. And it's pretty on the hand, but I always find peach metallics too orange and brassy on the eyelid. It's up to you of course! If it looks good on your skin, go ahead. My 2 picks out of these 3 are Black Oyster for that gleaming smoky "wet" look, and Midnight Sea because the unlikely pairing of the marine blue over the dark bronze is just absolutely amazing.

The texture of the duos are pretty interesting because the cream is not a solid shadow. In fact, they're quite like squeeze-tube cream shadows, and have the texture of creamy bread spreads. They DO set, but not very quickly, so you have quite a bit of time to sheer them out and blend them around. The thing to remember is that even after they set, they don't lock down like solid cream shadows do, so you should probably always pair them with a powder overcoat for best results.

The powders that come with the duos come in 2 textures. Some are metallic (like Midnight Sea), and some are sparkly (like Black Oyster). Both are gorgeous. The sparkle shades are the exact same texture as the sparkle shades you find in some of the Tom Ford quads.

Technically, you CAN recreate the effect using any cream shadow and a sparkly or metallic eyeshadow, and I've been doing it for years, so I would say the main reason to get any of these are the color combinations available.

Here's my preferred way of using it.

I also used other products from the range in the look. Namely, the sheer Rose Soleil lipstick, the Cream Cheek Color in Rose Sand, and bronzer in Terra to sculpt the face.

I'll do a separate post showcasing the cheek and lip products!

Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette Eye Tutorial: Quicksilver

I wasn't actually intending to do a 4th eye look using the VICE 2 palette, but it just happened!
If you haven't seen Shellshock, you can see all the close-ups of swatches here. It's a super-intense, molten silver that makes everyone go "whoa" when they swatch it for the first time. Silver can look very harsh and dramatic, but this is a rather wearable look - without muting or dulling down the silver - so I'll mention some tips that make it easier to pull off.



Aside from the 3 shades shown above, you will need:

1. a nude or soft silvery cream base for the lids
2. a charcoal grey pencil like NYX Charcoal
3. black mascara

 Tip: Keep silver just under the socket line instead of spreading it up too high. This allows you to pack on the color intensely while keeping things quite wearable.

 Tip: Silver can wipe out your eye contours if you apply it over the entire lid. Make sure you add a darker shade around the outer corners, the lashes, and/or the socket line.

Tip: One other way to soften the harshness of silver is to pair it with a soft color in the opposite tone (warm), like a pearly peach or gold. 

And there's that! The color that people notice is still the silver, but the soft gold and dark charcoal purple at the outer corners just balance it out and add the definition back.


Other Vice 2 Palette Posts:

Swatches - http://www.makeup-box.com/post/62561695514/urban-decay-vice-2-preview-review-and-swatches

Look 1 - http://www.makeup-box.com/post/62674895406/urban-decay-vice-2-palette-tutorial-1-colorful

Look 2 - http://www.makeup-box.com/post/62950176495/urban-decay-vice-2-eye-look-2-blossom-and-blues

Look 3 - http://www.makeup-box.com/post/63129192767/neutral-eyes-and-poppy-lips-urban-decay-vice-2

Gift Idea #2: MAC Smoky Plum Crushed Metallic Pigment Dazzlesphere (Swatches and Review)

MAC Smoky Plum Dazzlesphere

My second suggestion as a cool gift this holiday season for any makeup lover who loves dramatic color. MAC's Dazzlespheres look like oversized tree ornaments, but what wowed me were the actual pigments contained within. Out of the 3 available Dazzlespheres (Temptalia has a good run-down of all 3), my choice was the Smoky Plum stack. 

I actually like all 3, but I didn't like all 4 colors in either of the other 2 sets so I gave them a miss. This doesn't mean you won't. If you love strong metallic pigments, definitely check these out in the stores before they sell out. (Smoky Berry is a mix of red, pink and neutrals, while the Smoky Blue set is a mix of deep indigo blue, white, slate-silver and sparkly black.)

Crushed Metallic Pigments clockwise from top left: Misty, Grape, Light Violet, Seasonally Cool

I'd say all 4 pigments perform quite well (some crushed metal pigments adhere poorly without a base)

Swatches (L-to-R): Misty, Seasonally Cool, Light Violet, and Grape

• Misty: Bright silver metallic with a slight neutral undertone. This pigment is fine-grained with minimal sparkle/glitter, and sheers out quite well when blended. If you have deeper skin tone or find most true silvers too harsh, this might be a good one to check out as there is a slight beige undertone which makes it more flattering than other silvers. Can be worn sheer.
• Seasonally Cool: I always love a beautiful brown neutral, especially when it has personality. Seasonally Cool is a sparkly, warm bronze-brown without any brassiness or green undertones. It's not grey enough to be a taupe, and the sparkles are quite multidimensional (think of MAC's Lip Gelees with their multicolored micro-sparkles). This can be worn sheer as a soft beautiful neutral wash or packed on for flattering drama. If you have very deep skin, this would make a wicked highlighter as well.
• Light Violet: The most gritty of the bunch, Light Violet is a soft lilac made up of large, sparkly flecks. It's more chunky and hard to work with than the other pigments due to the texture, so a base would be needed if you want to increase its intensity and avoid fall-out. It can work as a sparkly highlighter, but I'd suggest applying it with your ring finger and gently smoothing it out to a light sparkly veil, as brushes do not pick this up well.
• Grape: The most intense of the 4 shades, Grape is a deep true purple with just a hint of burgundy/wine undertones. Like Misty, it does not have sparkly bits, but its sheen is more muted than Misty. I'd call it a Pearl finish rather than Metallic. Definitely a dramatic shade that will look better when packed out as an intense smoky eye or worn as a liner. (Wearing it really sheer might make you look a bit bruised.)

Holiday Look: Molten Metal

What happens when you layer gloss over a high-sheen metallic? I decided to find out.

For this look, I picked one of the creamiest and densest metallic shadows around, The Body Shop's single eye shadow in #45, which is to this day one of the most intense deep-silver shadows I've ever come across, considering that it is not a cream formula.

Step 1: To prep the lids, I lined my upper lash line with a thick swatch of black shadow for some soft definition. Because I'm applying gloss over my lids later, powder or pencil formulas are more suitable than liquid liners.

Step 2: Pack the silver shadow gently over the entire lids, going into the inner corners a little just for a bit of a twist.

Step 3: I applied matte yellow liner to the waterline, and then popped on false lashes. I love Eylure's (Miss Eylure range) Olivia lashes. Mascara on the bottom lashes will complete the look.

Step 4: You can stop at Step 3, but if you really want to go to town with it, and don't mind the look getting a bit messier over the day, dab a clear gloss onto the center of the lids, and gently pat outwards on both sides.Try to keep it off your lashes as much as possible.

Step 5: I applied a hot pink blush lightly to the cheeks (NYX Pinky) and magenta lipstick (Sephora #R11 is one of the creamiest and most beautiful) to the lips. The eyes are strong but not extremely colorful, so I just wanted to make the look just a bit edgier by going for a strong lip instead of the expected nude.

Other products used:

• Foundation: Lancome Teint Miracle O-03 (I'm test-trying a sample over this week)
• MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC30
• HD powder
• Brows: Maybelline Eye Studio Eyebrow pencil  (There's no name or number on the pencil - it's the grey-brown shade which is perfect for dark hair)

Under-rated: The Body Shop Eye Color #45

The best silver shadow I’ve ever found is the creamiest, densest molten metal. And it does not break the bank. 

Meet The Body Shop’s Single Eye Color #45. 

These nondescript little pans are limited in color range, but extremely pigmented and silky to apply, due to the marula nut oil.I don’t know if this will make them go rancid with time, but they’re economical enough to repurchase. I just hope they never discontinue this range.

Their other shadows are a bit “iffy” to me. The quality isn’t consistent (yes, Shimmer Bricks, you know I’m talking about you…), though the colors are cuter. The Singles, however, are just gorgeous. I just wish they came in more colors.

 Above, The Body Shop #45 (left) vs Bourjois Eyeshadow #25 Argent (right)