Quick and dirty smoky eye So, I finally get my foundation to match my skin in *natural* light… but then either the foundation or my setting powder reflects light and it doesn’t match in photos! Apparently, my bathroom light is terrible, because so many foundations looked like they were a match, only to look in my car mirror and see a totally different story. Sigh!

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL! Hope it speeds by (well, the work part of it!) so you can play. How’s everyone doing? Any exciting weekend plans? (I’m off to spend the majority of today studying with some fellow MBA students… so exciting. I know you’re jealous!)

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Electra eyeshadow (bright silver), Smoke and Diamonds eyeshadow (dark silver-gray), Copperplate eyeshadow (matte gray-brown), Pincurl eyeshadow (duochrome gray-pink), Shroom eyeshadow (soft highlighter), Mystery kohl power (teal-black), Plushlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Guerlain Shell Illuminating Sun Powder (bronzer), Guerlain Nacre des Mers Pressed Meteorites (sheer shimmer)
• Lips: Tiger Tiger lipstick (orange-y nude), Style Minx lipglass (hot pink)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Smoke and Diamonds = Silver Ring; Pincurl = Vex; Mystery = Teal-o; Tiger Tiger = Peachstock; Style Minx = Pink Poodle

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base. On the inner half of the lid, apply Electra eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Smoke & Diamonds eyeshadow to the outer half of the lid. Darken the outer lid using Copperplate eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Copperplate eyeshadow using the 226. Accent inner tear duct with Pincurl eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Shroom eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Mystery kohl power on lower lash line, and Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Guerlain Sun Powder using the 129, then highlight with Guerlain Nacre des Mers Meteorites with the 188. Apply Tiger Tiger lipstick to lips, and then top with Style Minx lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

7 Must-Have Gray/Black MAC Eyeshadows

About the Temptalia Must-Haves Series

A series of posts showcasing must-have products from MAC Cosmetics’ permanent line of products. Selections are based on quality, universality, uniqueness amongst the line, and the like. Limited edition shades are deliberately excluded to make buying easier. Readers’ comments act as a supplement to these lists of their favorites and must-haves. You can find the entire series here.

Silver Ring eyeshadow is a medium-to-dark shimmery, silver-gray color. It’s one of my favorite colors to use for a classic smokey eye!

Electra eyeshadow is a bright silver that works really well to brighten up a look, because it’s not so dark like Silver Ring.

Print eyeshadow is a deep newsprint gray. It’s a great shadow to add dimension to a look beyond just smokey eyes. I just love the smooth texture of this shadow.

Carbon eyeshadow is a must-have matte black eyeshadow. It’s pretty black, though not the blackest shadow I’ve come across–but it’s the right shade of multi-use black. It can be softened while it can also be built up into a darker black.

See three more, plus pairing recommendations!

Forgery eyeshadow is another bright silvery shade, but it has a glittery texture as it is a lustre. I feel like it is a more workable lustre than the average one, and the subtle shimmer is excellent for layering over dark shadows.

White Frost eyeshadow is a shimmery white shade, and the reason why I mention it here with grays and blacks is because you can use it to help modify the shade of gray or black to the perfect one for you!

Typographic eyeshadow is a dark gray matte shadow. It’s extremely smooth, pigmented, and pretty blendable, because it has a newer matte texture.

Pair these shadows with…

purples (like Parfait Amour), blacks (like Carbon), silvers (like Silver Ring), golds (like Nylon), greens (like Humid), blues (like Freshwater)

Check your stash for a few awesome limited edition finds…

Garcon Gray, Black Gold, Gentle Fume, Night Owl, Suspicion

What are your favorite purple eyeshadows?

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of great eyeshadows — these are shades I personally think are worth getting as a whole. I also only list permanent eyeshadow colors (and eyeshadows only–no other eye products, *just* eyeshadows for this list), which is why limited edition colors do not make the list.

It’s been SO long since I’ve done the “traditional” smokey eye, so I had the urge to try it out again I’m spending my weekend cramming/studying for my Stats and Managerial Accounting finals on Monday (yay, back-to-back finals, so awesome!). I’m meeting up with some study buddies for Stats in an hour — I’m hoping it will really help bring things together for me.

What are you doing this weekend? Let me live vicariously through you so my weekend isn’t a total bummer!!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Electra eyeshadow (bright silver), Silver Ring (dark silver), Carbon eyeshadow (matte black), Shroom eyeshadow (highlighter), Graphblack technakohl (black), Blacktrack fluidline (black), Zoomlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Well Dressed blush (soft cool pink), Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer (pink highlighter)
• Lips: Sandy B lipstick (pinky nude), C-Thru lipglass (nude)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: N/A

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, apply Electra eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Silver Ring eyeshadow to the middle of the lid, extending to the outer lid. Darken the outer lid Carbon Flip eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Carbon eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Shroom eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Smudge Silver Ring eyeshadow on the lower lash line using the 219 brush. Finish with Graphblack technakohl on lower lash line, Blacktrack fluidline on upper lash line, and Zoomlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Well Dressed blush using the 129, then highlight with Dior Rose Diamond Skin Shimmer with the 188. Apply Sandy B lipstick to lips, and then top with C-Thru lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

I’m totally late when it comes to getting on the loldog train, but I uploaded Mellan onto the site

Easy look today. I was actually only putting on makeup because I wanted to snap a picture of my hair I originally paired this eye with Strayin’ lipstick and Nice to Be Nice lipglass from HK, but I wasn’t feeling it so I swapped it out. My head is aching something fierce this morning, so I think I’m going to grab some food and cases to read and lay down for a bit. Perhaps snooze a lil’, since I didn’t get much sleep last night!

Hope you’re all getting through your week

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Creme Royale eyeshadow (pale yellow-gold), Lucky Tom eyeshadow (dark brown-black), Bisque eyeshadow (matte highlighter), Her Glitz glitter eye liner (antique gold), Urban Decay 24/7 Stash Liner (antique gold), Plushlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Fun & Games blush (peach)
• Lips: Cute-ster lipstick (sheer pink-gold shimmer), Mimmy lipglass (medium sheer pink with gold shimmer)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Creme Royale = Nylon; Lucky Tom = Brun; Her Glitz = no dupe; Fun & Games = Springsheen; Cute-ster = Politely Pink (?); Mimmy = Enchantress

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre all over the lid as the base with the 249. Apply Creme Royale eyeshadow all over the lid with the 239 brush. Darken crease with Lucky Tom eyeshadow using the 239. Sweep Bisque eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Urban Decay Stash Liner on lower lash line, Her Glitz Glitter Liner on lower and upper lash line, and Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Fun & Games blush using the 129. Apply Cute-ster lipstick to lips, and then top with Mimmy lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

(This is Strayin’ lipstick/Nice to Be Nice lipglass… didn’t complement this look.)

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Lark About pigment (silvery-purple white), Vex eyeshadow (gray-purple duochrome), Cumulus eyeshadow (grayish-blue), Silver Ring eyeshadow (dark silver), Femme-fi eyeshadow (neutral highlighter), Mystery kohl power (black-teal), Chanel Exceptionnel mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Blooming blush (soft pink)
• Lips: Style It Up lipstick (nude), Cult Fave lipglass (pink)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Lark About = Frozen White; Cumulus = Prussian; Femme-fi = Shroom; Mystery = Tealo; Blooming = Well Dressed; Style It Up = Cherish; Cult Fave = Cultured

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Lark About pigment all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, apply Vex eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Cumulus to the middle of the lid, overlaying it with Vex. Darken the outer lid using Silver Ring eyeshadow and drag into crease using the 239. Sweep Femme-fi eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Mystery kohl power on lower lash line smudged with Lark About pigment using the 219 brush, and Chanel Exceptionnel mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Blooming blush using the 129. Apply Style It Up lipstick to lips, and then top with Cult Fave lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

Anyway, if you could let me know what you think of this description, I would appreciate it Thanks!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Polar Opposites mineralize eyeshadow duo (bright silver/brownish gray), Cumulus eyeshadow (blue-gray), Nylon eyeshadow (frosty white-gold), Graphblack technakohl (black), Plushlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Dainty mineralize blush (soft peachy pink)
• Lips: Velvet Teddy lipstick (semi-matte nude), Lust lipglass (pink with brown undertones)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Polar Opposites = Electra/Copperplate; Cumulus = Moonflower;

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner-to-middle lid, apply Polar Opposites (solid side) using the 239. Apply Cumulus to the middle of the lid, overlaying it with Polar Opposites. Darken the outer lid using Polar Opposites (marbled side) and drag into crease using the 239. Sweep Nylon underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Graphblack technakohl on lower lash line, and Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Dainty using the 129. Apply Velvet Teddy lipstick to lips, and then top with Lust lipglass for color and shine.