Purple Explosion

Feelin' like a purple look today! 

Purple Pearl by NYX is amazing, it's a pretty lilac with gold sparkles. I put that on the lid, with Wildflower by Ulta in the crease. Wildflower is a bit sparkly, but the sparkles blend out with a brush, which is perfect since I like a matte finish in the crease.

Eva's Violets by L'Oreal has a beautiful pale lilac perfect for a highlighter under the brow, and a medium lavender which was perfect as a transition color between the darker lavender in the crease and the highlight color.

There's a purple Wet 'n Wild palette with some great Mac dupes (Yogurt, Fig and Beauty Marked) which I used on the inner corner of my eye and as eyeliner.

As you can see by the picture, it isn't as crazy looking as it sounds with all that purple.

Don't call them hooded eyes, Part 3

Sophie Marceau

Matte eyeshadows are a beauty tool you can't do without if you have this beautiful eye shape. (French actress Sophie Marceau is another gorgeous example of this.) 

There's no need to swear off shimmer completely, but a calculated use of matte shadows in the crease is really helpful. If you usually start off with eye primer, try a matte one. Or if your primer has shimmer, like the classic Urban Decay (original formula), just put it on the lid and stop just short of the crease. Then take a light neutral matte shadow or even face powder, and dust it all over your crease and above, all the way to the brow. This lays down a friendly base to make it easier to blend everything else. It will also help prevent over emphasizing the large space beneath your brow. If you want a light eye, throw on any light color you like on the lid, add mascara, and you are done.

To make your eye shape look more conventionally molded, take a slightly darker neutral matte shadow, like a light to medium brown, and sweep it in your crease and just above. You can play with your eye shape by either making a rounded shape across your eye, or elongate your eyes by drawing it straight across and just past the outer corners of your eyes.

Add some liquid liner and you have a classic retro/pinup eye. Or if you like to play with color, there are lots of ways to add in some color. I'll post about that next time!