Top 10 of 2011: Eyeshadows

And finally, to finish off eyes, my favorite eyeshadows from this year!

1. MAC Mega Metal Eyeshadows
2. Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows
3. Le Metier de Beaute Chameleon Eyeshadow
4. Bare Escentuals Urban Nature Prime Time Shadow
5. Hourglass Gypsy Eyeshadow Duo
6. Chanel Illusion d’Ombre
7. Urban Decay Strip Eyeshadow
8. MAC Surf Baby Eyeshadow
9. Chanel Beige Lame Ombre Essentielle
10. Sugarpill Stella Chromalust

What was your favorite eyeshadow this year?

Duochromes + Jealousy Wakes Look

I was just playing around, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to post this, but some reader encouragement helped After seeing several readers mention Vex on yesterday’s post about Bare Escentual’s Urban Nature, I figured I’d try it. And then I just couldn’t help reaching for Jealousy Wakes…  The green tones of Urban Nature brought out the green in the shadow (rather than the slight bluish nature of it) — which is what I wanted, something that is so on the edge of green that it’ll integrate well with other shadows.

You will need the following…

• Eyes:  Bare Escentuals Urban Nature Prime Time Primer Shadow (murky plum, khaki, green), MAC Vex Eyeshadow (grayish purple with green sheen), MAC Jealousy Wakes Eyeshadow (emerald green), MAC Vanilla Eyeshadow (soft white beige), MAC Gilded White Powerpoint Pencil (waterline), Make Up For Ever #20L Aqua Eyes Liner (forest green), Hourglass Film Noir Mascara (black)
• Face: Guerlain Parure Gold Foundation (02), Guerlain Les Violettes Mineral Powder (03)
• Cheeks: Dior Aurora Nude Glow (soft bronze)
• Lips: Cle de Peau #2 Lipgloss (peach)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 222 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pencil brush), 188 (small, circular stippling brush)
• Substitutes:  Jealousy Wakes = Emerald Green (it is the closest I can think of, but it pulls yellow)

For eyes, start by applying Urban Nature all over the lid and above the crease with the 242 to lay down your eyeshadow base.   Lightly press Vex eyeshadow onto the inner half of the lid with the 239.  Then apply Jealousy Wakes eyeshadow on the outer third of the lid and into the crease with the 239.  Blend Vex eyeshadow by pulling lightly towards the outer lid with the 239.  Apply Vanilla eyeshadow on the brow bone to highlight and soften the edge of the crease.  Next, apply Gilded White liner on the lower waterline and #20 liner on the lower lash line, and then smudge with Jealousy Wakes eyeshadow.  Coat lashes with Film Noir mascara to finish the look.

For cheeks, apply Aurora on the apples of the cheeks and sweep towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply #2 lipgloss for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadows

Debuting July 1st, Bare Escentuals will launch new Prime Time Primer Shadows ($18.00 for 0.10 fl. oz.) in six shades: Bronzed Twig (iced chocolate), Chroma Violet (ripe plum), Gunmetal (midnight silver), Racing Green (blazing emerald), Sundance (sunlit peach), and Urban Nature (delicate moss).

From the press release, the formula is crease- and water-proof, delivers “rich, vivid metallic color” with a “creamy, lightweight texture.” Bare Escentuals says they can be worn alone or under eyeshadow and applied with fingers or brushes. I was actually intending to photograph, swatch, and test Bare Escentuals Buxom Eyeshadows, but when these came, I was like, “Hmm, let’s just swatch these for now.” I fell in LOVE! with Urban Nature, so I immediately put it on my eyelid for all-day testing.

• Bronzed Twig is a medium-dark chocolate bronze with khaki gold shimmer.
• Chroma Violet is a muted plum with silver shimmer.
• Gunmetal is a softened silvery gray with a metallic sheen.
• Racing Green is a darkened forest green with subtle emerald green micro-shimmer.
• Sundance is a peachy orange with a golden sheen.
• Urban Nature is muddied plum, khaki, and green duochrome. This shade is COOL. It just plays some tricks when you look at it.

A lot of times you can just tell if a product is going to make it all day or not–or at the very least, if it even has a shot–within the first few minutes. The length of the dry down tends to be a do-or-die factor, because longer dry downs mean more chances for the product to migrate and build-up in the natural lines on the eyelid and within the crease. These dry down rather quickly (15 seconds or so).

Once they dry down, they really do not budge. I wore Urban Nature (also wore Chroma Violet and Sundance on two separate occasions) for twelve hours without any creasing, fading, or smudging. Oh, did I mention I took a shower and let water run down my face? I did that after eight hours, and we were still good to go post-shower (I just patted my face dry).

Because of the quicker dry down time and how well they lock onto the lid, they don’t remain blendable for too long either. I found that I had enough time to apply it and smooth out the egdes for a one-and-done kind of look. These also worked well as a base, as they held the eyeshadows on all day. The texture is creamy enough to make these easy to spread out over the lid but not so emollient that they’ll slide around.

I did heavier and lighter swatches–and I do mean light–I wanted to try and mimic the effect of a wash of the color, for those who wanted something subtler. The pigmentation in all six shades was lovely; opaque without having to layer on product. I used about a fourth of the amount of the heavier swatch to create the more wash-like color.

My major issue with these is their size; these are tiny! Most major eyeshadow primer players range from $17 to $24 and contain an average of 0.30 fl. oz. These are certainly pigmented and you do not need a ton of product to acheive a nice, opaque layer of color on the lid, and I wouldn’t expect anyone to run through a tube within weeks by any means–it’s just the one area that stuck out for me. Why so small? (Or conversely, why so small but $18?)

The Glossover

	bareMinerals Prime Time Primer Shadows Review, Photos, Swatches A
	I was completely surprised by Urban Nature--would not have expected that shade at all--and the formula is excellent. Waterproof and wears all day without creasing or fading, which make these a perfect product to launch in the summer.
	Product 9.5/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadows

Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadows

Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadows

Bronzed Twig, Chroma Violet, Gunmetal, Racing Green, Sundance, Urban Nature

Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Bronzed Twig Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Chroma Violet Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Gunmetal Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Racing Green Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Sundance Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Urban Nature Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Urban Nature Prime Time Primer Shadow

Bare Escentuals Urban Nature Prime Time Primer Shadow (12 hours later)