Green Eyeliners: Your Guide

I’ve split greens into three sections: medium and aqua greens, then dark greens and olive greens.

1. MAC Emerald Sea is a brightened, light-medium green with yellow undertones. (LE)
2. MAC Landscape Green is a medium, grassy green with yellow undertones and a matte finish. (FYI, not safe for water line usage.)
3. Urban Decay Graffiti is a grassy green with subtle yellow undertones and a subtle sheen.
4. CoverGirl Green Glow is a chartreuse green with a warm, gold sheen.
5. Make Up For Ever #17L is a pale chartreuse green with a golden sheen.
6. MAC Colour Matters is a true chartreuse with strong yellow undertones and a matte finish. (LE)
7. NARS Parrot Cay is a pale, aqua green with a matte finish. It is very much like Korres #12.
8. Korres #12 is a pale aqua green with a matte finish. It’s a dupe for NARS Parrot Cay! (DC)
9. Chanel Jade is a dark aqua blue/green with a frosted sheen.

TEMPTALIA PICKS:  #2 (pigmentation)

Behind-the-Series:  It was my intention to provide heavy, opaque swatches to provide an accurate color comparison.  Some eyeliners required one pass, some required five, and a few even more.  When possible, the shade name (above) is linked to the original review so you can read more about the quality, wear, etc. of a particular eyeliner.  If we’ve never done a review, there will be no link.  Shades that were limited edition will be marked with “(LE)” and shades that were discontinued will be marked with “(DC)” after the color description.  You can also find all comparisons on The Dupe List.

What’s your favorite Green Eyeliner? How do you like to use it?

See more swatches & comparisons!

Green Eyeliners: MAC Emerald Sea, MAC Landscape Green, UD Graffiti

Green Eyeliners: CoverGirl Green Glow, MUFE #17L, MAC Colour Matters

Green Eyeliners: NARS Parrot Cay, Korres #12, Chanel Jade

Look:  MAC Venomous Villains – Maleficent

I used all of the mineralize eyeshadows wet, and these photos were taken at least a half hour after applying (do you know how terrible I am at applying lashes?!), so the color stayed quite vibrant well after they dried.  I went for a greasepaint stick as a base, as I felt like it might be a little tacky and keep fall out to a minimum (true!).  Half lashes look so wonky so close-up – because you can see clearly where the lash ends and the natural lash begins, but at a normal viewing distance, I think they worked really well.  More drama but not the heaviness of a full lash!

And yeah, I paired bold eyes with bold lips.  Don’t you think that’s what Maleficent would have done?

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC French Quarter Greasepaint Stick (dirty, dark antique gold), MAC She Who Dares Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo (blackened forest/emerald green), MAC My Dark Magic Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo (blackened purple, blackened violet-blue), Burberry Trench Eyeshadow (highlighter), Urban Decay Graffiti 24/7 Liner (grass green), MAC Nocturnal Superslick Liquid Eyeliner (metallic silver), Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara, MAC Hello Kitty Lash
• Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
• Cheeks: MAC Briar Rose Beauty Powder (pale pink)
• Lips: MAC Violetta Lipstick (fuchsia-purple), MAC Revenge is Sweet Lipglass (sheer, jelly fuchsia-pink)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: French Quarter = Bobbi Brown Antique Gold Cream Shadow; She Who Dares = NARS Night Porter (not a great dupe); My Dark Magic = Urban Decay Purple Haze (layered over black) / Parfait Amour (layered over black); MAC Hello Kitty Lash = Sephora Flutter Lash; Briar Rose = Pin Swoon; Revenge is Sweet = Flashmode (not a great dupe)

For eyes, start by applying French Quarter greasepaint stick as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249.  Spritz the 239 brush with a little water, and then pick up the emerald green side of She Who Dares and apply to the inner third of the lid.  Repeat but apply the blackened purple side of My Dark Magic to the outer two-thirds of the lid.  With the 272, lightly spritz with water, and then apply the violet-blue side of My Dark Magic into the crease, gently blending upwards.  Blend Trench eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone.  Line the upper lash line with Nocturnal liquid liner and lower lash line with Graffiti liner.  Apply Hello Kitty Lashes on the outer half of each eye.  Finish by sweeping Inimitable Intense mascara on lashes.

For cheeks, apply Briar Rose Beauty powder on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Violetta lipstick first, and then layer Revenge is Sweet lipglass for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

St. Patricks Day Makeup: Green-a-palooza!

Happy St. Patricks Day! Here’s a wicked-to-the-bone green look for ya! What’s everyone doing to celebrate?  Oh, by the way?  Glitter doesn’t show up nearly as fun in the photos as it was in person.  I put the glitter on my lashes, lower lash line, and upper lash line and it reflected so prettily… I was like, “OOH!!” but then I was cropping the photos to post and was less ooh-ahh about it.

Mellan also wanted to wish you good day…

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion (eyeshadow base), MAC True Chartreuse Pigment (matte chartreuse), MAC Sunny Spot Eyeshadow (satin chartreuse), Urban Decay Graffiti Eyeshadow (bright grass green), Urban Decay Chronic EyeshadowMAC Gorgeous Gold Eyeshadow (matte light green), (green-gold), Urban Decay Acid Rain Liquid Liner (chatreuse), Urban Decay Mullet Glitter Eye Liner (green), Urban Decay Graffiti 24/7 Liner (green), MAC Plushlash Mascara (black)
• Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Laura Mercier Setting Powder
• Cheeks: MAC Refined Golden Bronzer (bronzer), Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer (bronze highlighter)
• Lips: MAC Crosswires Lipstick (coral), MAC Instant Gold Lustreglass (gold shimmer)
• Brushes: 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush), 165 (tapered blush brush)
• Substitutes: N/A

For eyes, start by applying Primer Potion as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. With the 239 and water-based mixing medium (or water), apply True Chartreuse pigment all over the lid area. Using the 239, apply Sunny Spot eyeshadow on the middle of the eyelid. Next, apply Chronic eyeshadow on the inner third of the eyelid and lightly blend with the middle. Darken the outer third of the lid with Graffiti eyeshadow with the 239, gently brushing it into the lower crease. Lightly blend Graffiti eyeshadow, with the 239, into the crease. Lightly tap and brush Sunny Spot eyeshadow directly above the crease to soften. To finish the eyeshadow look, sweep Gorgeous Gold eyeshadow as a highlighter on the brow bone. On the upper lash line, apply Acid Rain liquid liner and then overlay with Mullet glitter eyeliner for sparkle. Bring everything together by applying Graffiti eyeliner on the lower lash line and Sunny Spot eyeshadow lightly patted below the lower lash line with the 219 brush then overlay with Mullet glitter eyeliner. Finish by sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Refined Golden bronzer to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116. Highlight cheekbones with Amber Diamond skin shimmer with the 165.

For lips, apply Crosswires lipstick first, and then layer Instant Gold lustreglass for a complementing lip.

Check out more photos!

No matter what I try or how many times I try it, mineralize eyeshadows and I just don’t get along. They frustrate me, and using one means I’m adding (wasting) another 15-20 minutes to my makeup routine that really feels unnecessary. I guess it is just not meant to be! I just find that they’re more work than I really want to do for an eyeshadow.I could have just eliminated Blue Sorcery and used Shimmermoss and been a happy camper!

My major annoyances/frustrations were the dusty fall out and the fact that the color faded before I even finished the application. Oh, well — I know there are lovers and haters of mineralize eyeshadows, I just know which side I’m on, even though I want to love them.

Oh yeah, and P.S.?  Wet hair never looks very good in photos.  I need to remember to make sure my hair is dry before I take photos in the future!  (That was a total note-to-self.)

(And for your reference, I have tried mineralize eyeshadows from every batch since their inception; I have tried a multitude of bases–UDPP, paint pots, TFSI, CCBs, pigments; and I have tried a multitude of different wetting agents–mixing medium, Fix+, water.)

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Sour Lemon eyeshadow (chartreuse green), Blue Sorcery mineralize eyeshadow (teal), Deep Truth eyeshadow (dark blue), Prussian eyeshadow (matte, dark blue), Ricepaper eyeshadow (soft beige highlighter), NARS Blue Bayou Eyeliner Stylo (medium blue), Urban Decay Graffiti 24/7 Liner (green), Plushlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: MAC Spaced Out blush (peachy-pink), Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer (bronze highlighter)
• Face: Kiehl’s Tinted Moisturizer
• Lips: Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick (pinky coral), MAC Young Thing lipglass (creamy nude)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Blue Sorcery = Shimmermoss; Spaced Out = Peachykeen; Young Thing = C-Thru

Directions: Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, pack Sour Lemon eyeshadow on using the 239. Apply Blue Sorcery eyeshadow to the middle and outer portions of the lid. Darken crease with Deep Truth eyeshadow using the 226, then deepen with Prussian eyeshadow with the 219. Sweep Ricepaper eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Urban Decay Graffiti Liner on lower lash line, NARS Blue Bayou Eyeliner Stilo on the upper lash line, and apply Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Spaced Out blush using the 129, then highlight with Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer with the 188. Apply Guerlain Gems lipstick to lips, and then top with Young Thing lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

Green look for today! I really didn’t intend to wear eyeshadow–I was shooting for something short and sweet, mostly wanting to try out Honey Light high-light powder. I learned a few things today, though: line lower lashline before mascara, or else lower lashes clump together; do not put another mascara over lashes with fully dried mascara or else clump-city; and finally, it is hard to go green without REALLY going green. I ended up taking off the eyes and just doing black mascara (but kept the rest of the face/lips)

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Juxt eyeshadow on (soft pastel yellow-green), Bio Green (medium green), Wondergrass eyeshadow (medium deep green), Humid eyeshadow (dark green), Femme-fi eyeshadow (soft neutral highlighter), Urban Decay Graffiti 24/7 Liner (green), Zoomlash mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Honey Light High-Light Powder (peachy gold)
• Lips: Chanel Monte Carlo Aqualumiere lipstick (pinky-gold), Chanel Tangerine Dream Aqualumiere Gloss (coral)
• 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: Wondergrass = Kelly; Honey Light = Drizzlegold; Femme-fi = Shroom

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 Juxt eyeshadow using the 239. Apply Bio Green eyeshadow to the middle of the lid. Darken the outer lid using Wondergrass eyeshadow using the 239. Darken crease with Humid eyeshadow using the 226. Sweep Femme-fi eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Urban Decay Graffiti Liner on lower lash line, and Zoomlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Honey Light highlight powder using the 129. Apply Chanel Monte Carlo lipstick to lips, and then top with Chanel Tangerine Dream lipgloss for color and shine.

Check out more photos!