What would be the first five eye products you'd buy if you had to start your collection over?

Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction, Natasha Denona Biba, hope for an Urban Decay Eyeliner set, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara, MAC 24HR Eyeshadow Primer.

— Christine

60 Comments

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Erica Avatar

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre
Trish McEvoy Tubing Mascara in Jet Black
MAC Costa Riche Liner
ABH Pink Champagne E/S single
MAC Wedge E/S single

Seraphine Avatar

• Lancome Definicils OR Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara

• Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer

• NYX Proof It Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer

• Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette (I thought about the 20+ palettes I own, and was surprised that I finally decided to choose this palette, which was my very first big eyeshadow palette. I still use it and love it.)

• If brow products are included in this question, then my 5th choice would have to be ABH Brow Wiz because my brows are by far the neediest feature on my face. If brow products are not included in this question, then my 5th choice would be another eyeshadow palette, possibly Colourpop Misunderstood because it has a nice range of different shades.

kjh Avatar

FAB eye duty triple remedy, MUR/revolution beauty concealer, Zoeva En Taupe, probably BTR to cover colors, and Isehan Heroine Make mascara. (Secretly hoping the person I bought BTR for bought it for herself, lol.) If the FAB doesn’t have to count, the CP Colour Me Pretty pot liner set.

SaffyTaffy Avatar

What a nice question. Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip palette, a small crease brush, a dirty gold cream shadow of some variety, Maybelline Brow Precise in Deep Brown (which I think they’re discontinuing and NOTHING IS AS GOOD), and whatever mascara.

Gigi Avatar

I love this question! I’m with you on Natasha Denona Biba. Also, Smashbox 24 Hour shadow primer, Pat McGrath Eye Pencil in Black Coffee, Violet Voss Like A Boss palette, TooFaced Better Than Sex mascara.

Celesta Avatar

This is a hard one!
Wet n Wild photofocus eyeshadow primer
ND Safari palette
L’Oreal Smoldering Carbon Black eyeliner
IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara
Some sort of pinky champagne foiled eyeshadow, my fave is from the Huda Beauty Smokey Obsessions palette, but I know there are a ton of dupes out there.

xamyx Avatar

All 4 BeBella Pro 30 eyeshadow palettes, and a random mascara. With the palettes, I honestly would have enough variety to get me through for a while, at least until I could build my collection back up. Plus, the quality is actually pretty good, and there is a variety of depths. As for mascara, I’m honestly not very picky, but if I only had one, I’d likely make it waterproof.

Addison Avatar

Love these types of questions + reading all the comments!

Eyelash Curler (Shu at the moment, but open to trying new ones)
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner – Intense Black
MAKE UP FOR EVER 276 Eyelash Comb + Brush (LOVE the metal lash separator)
MAC Long-Wear Paint Pot – Quite Natural*

*Forced myself to choose a single product vs palette 🙂

Anne Avatar

Fair, slight pink undertone, green/hazel eyes, very dark brown hair
1. Chanel Stylo Yeux Eyeliner ‘Cassis’
2. MUFE #840 Metallic Eyeshadow Single ‘Pink Chrome’
3. Paula Dorf Matte Eyeshadow Single ‘Luna’
4. Dose of Colors ‘Marvelous Mauves’ Matte Eyeshadow Palette
5. Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks ‘Amethyst’ and ‘Plum’, and Matte Eyeshadow Singles ‘Morning Dew’ and ‘Black Plum’

These are my 5 absolute, bare-bone basics (that are still available for purchase). This was difficult because I prefer singles to palettes — and so, no primer, brow or mascara products, and no brushes. I guess they’d be the second five eye products I’d purchase.

Tessa Avatar

1. Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Sand Glow (better yet, a set of Caviar Sticks, if that doesn’t count as cheating)
2. Lancome Hypnose Waterproof black mascara
3. Urban Decay eyeliner in Demolition
4. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
5. ColourPop Double Entendre palette

Nicole D Avatar

Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara
Givenchy Khol Waterproof Retractable Eyeliner or Dior Diorshow On Stage Liquid Eyeliner (these two are my HG eyeliners)
ABH Sultry palette
ABH Modern Renaissance
Viseart Paris Nudes (difficult choice between this one and ABH Mario palette)

It is hard to come down to five eye products as in reality I always use an eyelash curler and an eyelash primer (Lancôme Cils Booster XL).
Also, I would add the following palettes: Viseart Neutral Matte, PMG MTHRSHP Bronze Temptation and La Vie En Rose and my palette which I made with singles from Inglot, ABH and MAC.

mpark Avatar

Tough question!
1. Hourglass Caution Extreme mascara
2. Pat McGrath Lip Fetish Balm in Blow Up
3. Natasha Denon Biba Palette
4. Chanel Les Beige Eau De Teint
5. NARS liquid blush in Orgasm

Wendy Avatar

1. Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion.
2. Urban Decay Born to Run Palette
3. Pat McGrath Decadence Palette
4. I’m also going to cheat on this as with an Urban Decay Pencil Set. This is actually how I started my eyeliner addiction about a decade ago. Before that, I always had 2 MAC pencils, a black one and a brown one.
5. L’Oreal Voluminous mascara in Blackest Black.
If I could choose two more things they would be my MILK brow pencil in Pilsner and my Makeup Forever single shadow in Milk Tea for a transition/blending color. While I could never be a lipstick minimalist, I could easily pare my collection down to these 7 things.

Ana Maria Avatar

I would build my collection upon:
* Mascara
Make Up For Ever Excessive Lash (second option Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara)
* Eyeshadow primer (a must for my oily eyelids)
Any of Too Faced Shadow Insurance, The Balm Put a lid on it, URBAN DECAY Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Anti-Aging) or Smashbox 24 Hour Shadow Primer, but leaning on the ones that don’t come with a doe foot applicator
* Liquid liner
Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Booster Eyeliner
* Eye pencil
Something nude for the waterline, but personally I have yet to find one I would repurchase.
* A custom made eyeshadow palette
I know it’s more than one product (theoretically), but there’s not palette out there with the perfect mix and I prefer to build my own with shades I know I will use. But if there would be one palette, would be Urban Decay Born to Run.

Deborah S. Avatar

Gosh, limiting myself to only five eye products is hard.
1. NYX Proof It Waterproof E/S Primer
2. Crazy but I am not going to go with a palette. I would pick up either Chanel Illusion de Ombre in New Moon or Tom Ford e/s in Platinum. I love both and could use them daily for quite a while just as a one and done.
3. Dior Brow palette as I can use them also as e/s
4. Mascara is the tricky one but likely go with my tried and true, Cover Girl Super Sizer in waterproof.
5. Suratt Releve Eye Lash curler.

Mariella Avatar

Does primer count? Because I’d have to buy a primer to enjoy my eye makeup. So either MAC Primer or Painterly Paint Pot (for the colour-cancelling effect) or UDPP, so there’s #1. Then – oh, heck – it would have to be a palette (more bang for my 5 choices) but all my faves are LE or discontinued. Hmmmm – maybe Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons #2. Urban Decay’s original Naked or Naked Smoky #3. Sephora Cappuccino pencil liner #4 and Marc Jacobs skinny liner in either Submarine or Blacquer for #5. Golly, this is difficult! 10 items would have been easier….

Kay Avatar

Basics:
-MAC PLW Concealer
-ColourPop Precision Brow Pencil
-Benefit Roller Lash
-Fenty ProFilter Loose Powder
-Urban decay Bourbon 24/7 eyeliner

Fun Stuff (assuming for some reason I got to keep my basics and add some color):
-NYX Proof it eye primer
-Natasha Denona Gold Palette
-Tom Ford Terra Bronzer (regular formula)
-NARS Deep Throat
-MAC Double Gleam Extra Dimension Skinfinish

Cara Reinhardt Avatar

Stacey Marie palette x Bperfect, LA girl neon eye pencil in teal, colourpop pressed glitters, Mac nylon and covergirl exhibitionist mascara in waterproof.

Kira Avatar

-Makeup Forever palette with their old formula, but since that’s no longer available, maybe I would try out the Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 28 in Green Brown or Natasha Denona mini Star palette
-MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
-Stila All Day Liquid Eyeliner
-Sephora 12h Colorful Contour Eye Pencil in black
-ILIA mascara

Rachel R. Avatar

Good question. So many of my go-to all time favorite non-LE palettes have been discontinued the last year or so.

1) Too Faced Shadow Insurance: Primer is non-negotiable with my oily lids.
2) NYX Worth the Hype Mascara in Black: Inexpensive, I’m not allergic to it, and it makes my lashes look great.
3) *UD On the Run Palette: Great quality; large selection; good mix of shades and finishes.
4) Viseart Bright Editorial Palette: I have to have brights. Fantastic quality; great selection of shades.
5) Huda Beauty The New Nude Palettes: A really great nude palette for green(ish) eyes. I like it even better than Naked 3.

*On the Run is still available, but LE. If I could no longer get it, I’d get Tarte Tarteist PRO Remix PRO Palette. I don’t currently own Tarte Remix, but it has a good mix of neutrals and colors, plus lots of shimmers, and it reviewed well.

CeeBee Avatar

Ooooh, good question.

Milani eyeshadow primer
WnW Brulee eyeshadow
Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction palette
Zoeva Glance eyeliner
Makeup Revolution Waterproof mascara

Niki Avatar

I am so surprisrd everyone loves the Biba palette so much. I want to love it so bad, but when I swatched it in Sephora it was so dry!!! Too dry! Maybe it was the lighting and having the product left open under the hot lighting there. Something about the stores presentation did it no justice for me. ?

Karen Avatar

1. Urban Decay Anti-aging Eyeshadow Primer.
2. Viseart Theory Palette in Cashmere.
3. Benefit Rollerlash mascara.
4. Marc Jacob’s Gel Highliner in Earthquake.
5. Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Marie Antoinette. (For the option to do a one cream shadow look.)
It’s very possible that if I stewed over these choices for a while I would make some changes, but these are the first things I settled on. There has to be some value in that!

Unni Avatar

1. Erborian CC cream
2. Nyx Micro Brow Pencil
3. IT Cosmetics Pores no more loose powder
4. L’oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara
5. Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer in Medium/Deep

Cherie Avatar

Nars shadow primer.
Clinque quickliner
Burberry nude blush eyeshadow or CT dole vita
Diorshow waterproof mascara
Marc Jacobs Highliner in dark brown

Heather Avatar

If I had no budget? Urban Decay Primer Potion (Eden), Chanel Empreinte du Desert quad, Laura Mercier Eye Artist Palette (the original, with the neutrals and purples), Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner (like Christine, I’m going to hope for a set!), Urban Decay Perversion mascara.

On a budget? e.l.f. eye primer, Jordana eyeliner, a ColourPop BYOP with a mix of mattes, shimmers, and duochromes in mostly neutral colors (or, if I’m REALLY on a budget, the ColourPop Fame palette — boring, but a solid assortment of neutrals), and either a Maybelline Volume Express mascara (I like both The Falsies and Colossal) or the L’Oreal Lash Paradise mascara.

Pat McGrath Platinum Bronze (which I do own) or Viseart Paris Nudes (which I don’t) might replace the Chanel quad on my no-budget list, if I couldn’t track one down. 🙂

MacKenzie G. Avatar

Milk Makeup Kush Mascara, Kylie Cosmetics Kyliner in Golden Bronze, Melt Cosmetics Rust Stack, Urban Decay 24/7 Double-Ended Eyeliner in Naked 3, and Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. That pretty much covers my warm, grungey looks and cool, pinky looks. Anything else I can probably accomplish with cheek products!

eshum Avatar

1. Natasha Denona Camel Palette
2. Wander Beauty Mascara (either variety)
3. Hourglass Smoke Cream Eyeshadow
4. Dose of Colors Pretty Cool
5. Tom Ford Liquid Liner (double sided)

Nicole Avatar

Hmmm…this is quite hard!
1 – Surratt Brow Pomade
2 – Natasha Denona Biba (because I don’t have it yet and I want it so hey why not get it if I have to start over right?)
3 – Viseart Grande Pro 1
4 – Etude House Proof 10 eye primer
5 – Victoria Beckham/Estee Lauder Eye Kajal in Black Saffron (I don’t care if it was LE…I would find it again! I have 3 of these babies as backups.)

Nikki Avatar

Start with just 5? Ugh, that’s hard, especially for someone like me who loves color and variety! In no particular order, and totally hypothetical, I guess:
UD Born to Run palette
YSL The Shock mascara-Rough Burgundy (I don’t wear black or brown mascaras, so burgundy’s my neutral)
UD Primer Potion-original
A bright eyeshadow palette in the vein of UD Electric-if we have to stick to currently available products in this thought exercise, then probably Melt Impulsive or KvD Vegan Love
Any shade of bright mascara from UD Double Team or Hard Candy

Ash Avatar

Chanel Les Beiges Les Indispensables, Chanel Cristal de Printemps, Hourglass Scattered Lights in Smoke, Hourglass Caution mascara, Tom Ford Adonis

Toya Avatar

-LA Girl Concealer as eye base
-All of Coloured Raine’s Neutral/Brown Single Shadows
-Natasha Denona Mini Nude Palette
-Bundle of Devinah Matte Shadows,
-Bundle of Devinah Shimmer Shadows.

Katja Avatar

1. Urban Decay Primer Potion
2. Maybelline Lash Sensational Water Proof Mascara
3. Urban Decay Perversion Fine Point Eye Pen
4. Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette
5. Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Rockstar (or Perversion)

Didn’t even realize that it’d mostly be Urban Decay ?

Alecto Avatar

Another tough one. I could rethink this one daily and come up with a different answer every time.

– MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork (this one would likely never change even with rethinking)
– UD Born to Run palette (I don’t currently own it, but it hits on a lot of my favorite colors from other palettes)
– Melt eyeliner pencil in Baked
– mascara … argh! so difficult! Given that the question is about “first five” and in no way indicates I have to stop there, then my answer here is Maybelline The Falsies in Navy Glam
– if I’m forced to consider eyeshadow base in this category, then I would also get UD’s Primer Potion in Ant-aging.

Sarah Avatar

– The Ordinary Serum foundation in 1.0NS
– UD Naked 3 double-ended eyeliner
– Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Quickie
– A Nudestix eye kit – these can change so it would depend on what’s available
– Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil in Damned

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