I love an elegant eyeshadow look on other people but must admit that I struggle to make it work on myself. I’m confident with liquid eyeliner but at 34 years old I really am a novice in the eyeshadow department. Eyeshadow is probably the type of makeup I’ve had the least practice with. My eyes becoming puffy and weird as a result of the Botox treatment I’m having for Chronic Daily Migraine isn’t helping at all!
I’ve decided that practice is bound to make perfect eventually so during my MAC haul a couple of months back, I chose four gorgeous neutral shades to experiment with. The empty quad palette wasn’t at all expensive (to my surprise) and since the eyeshadows are cheaper to buy in the metal pan without all the plastic packaging, it’s definitely worth doing it this way if you’re buying a few shadows at once. Alternatively if you’re a massive eyeshadow fan & add colours to your collection regularly, the larger metallic palettes are a good space-saving option.
The lovely Monica who helped me at the Canary Wharf (East London) store unboxed the eyeshadows and fitted them into the palette for me; I’d have cried if messed up my first MAC eyeshadows immediately! The palette is sturdy and feels like it will last a long time. I think the quad palette would be handy for eyeshadows lovers to include in their overnight/weekend bag; just slot your current favourite four shades in.
The above pics show how the shades look swatched on my very fair NW10-NW15 skin. If you’re as fair as me or just fair in general, I really recommend Blanc Type as a highlighting shade for beneath the brow and corner of the eyes. It’s a matte finish, which I prefer while I’m still learning the eyeshadow ropes (don’t want that super sparkly, bright white under-brow look that my mum used to rock when I a child in the 80s!). Corduroy is a gorgeous rich reddish brown in a matte finish that I suspect could look lovely on all skin tones. It seems especially pigmented to me so it calls for a light hand if, like me, you don’t really know what you’re doing! Woodwinked is a lovely shimmery shade. It’s hard to describe but to me it looks like a light bronze with a hint of warm gold undertone to the shimmer. The shade is a pretty summer option and would look gorgeous with a tan (not that I ever have one!). Cork is a wildly popular shade that never seems to go out of fashion. It’s a sheer finish golden brown that strikes me as potentially very versatile.
My initial experiments with these eyeshadows have shown them to be quality products; long lasting and blendable. They apply very smoothly with none of the crumbly chalkiness that some cheaper eyeshadows have going on. MAC currently have a whopping 130 shades available in the pan refill form and there are a variety of finishes to choose from, so I’ll definitely be heading back for more when I eventually improve my eyeshadow application game.
What MAC shades would you recommend for someone who is new to wearing eyeshadow?
Wishing you good luck and happy days,
Kindra x
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You picked really lovely shades!
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Thank you 🙂
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It’s fun experimenting with nice products isn’t it? The Botox shouldn’t give you puffy eyes, (I do Botox) that doesn’t sound right! X
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It is fun 🙂
Is your Botox for Chronic Migraine? Mine is; about 30 injections at a time all over neck, scalp, temples, forehead. Puffy eyes is a common side effect due to the placement of forehead ones x
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No it’s aesthetic Botox. A bit of brow droop maybe? I guess they really need to paralyse your forehead to release tension x
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Puffy eyelids, newly hooded eyes and brows that no longer quite match…this kind of Botox is no good on the cosmetic front sadly! My forehead is pretty frozen looking 😄x
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Aw love you that doesn’t sound great. You won’t get any wrinkles though. Good luck with the treatment, migraine is a hell of a thing x
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It’s true, no forehead lines! I think I’m more aware of the facial weirdness than other people are. I’m trying out different products to get the eyebrows a bit more matchy. Thank you very much x
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Satin Taupe is one of my favourite MAC eye shadows. I definitely like the look of Cork though too.
Lucie xo | lucieleannexo.wordpress.com
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You picked amazing colours! I don’t have Cork but I’m thinking I need it.
I did a post on my top 10 MAC shadows:
https://stashmatters.com/2015/03/04/my-top-10-mac-eye-shadows/
I highly recommend: satin taupe, patina, wedge and all that glitters – great all around shades!
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Lovely, I’ll check those out! I’m definitely an eyeshadow newbie so it’s great to get recommendations x
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Those colors are all so pretty! Definitely check out All that Glitters, it’s such a classic MAC color and looks so pretty with Woodwinked!
http://www.molly-alamode.com
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I’ll put All That Glitters on my list! Now if I could just improve my eyeshadow application game that would be great x
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Great shade choices! I have the MAC Cinderella palette, but I’m not convinced on the quality. I think they might have skimped in this area knowing that it would sell out regardless. I love the look of Woodwinked in particular. I’m definitely going to be checking the ingredients (MAC use wheat in some of their shadows) & swatching it in store if I’m able to. Xx
Tania | When Tania Talks
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That’s disappointing re. Cinderella palette. Woodwinked is very pretty, I hope it turns out to be one you can use. Trying to get into store for swatches isn’t easy I know xx
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