It's been a while since a Confessions of a Product Junkie post, but I'm back! Today I'm talking about eye makeup because I purchased a new eyeshadow quad last week which I'm loving.
Here it is...
It's one of the Chanel Les 4 Ombres Tisse quads in Venitien 223. It had caught my eye several times over the past couple of months as I ran though the department stores. I decided to stop and actually check it out last week, and I was sold.
I have decided that I prefer buying eye quads. Not all brands make quads, so that isn't always an option if you are brand specific, but I prefer them because:
(1) they are easy to pull out and use all the colors without
having to sort through and pull out 4 different containers;
(2) Often when purchasing 4 together, you get out cheaper than buying 4 separate shadows;
(3) Your eye makeup often looks better when you use multiple colors like they do when putting them on you in the store, so there isn't the temptation to cut corners and cheap out of a color or two; &
(4) If you change color combos with the seasons like I do, then whenever you decide to come back to these colors, it's easy. No trying to remember which colors you wore together.
BUT, like with all things, there are some drawbacks too:
(1) depending on the brand, you often don't get as much product as you do when you purchase individually (see #2 above); &
(2) This is a common occurrence ...using more of one or two colors.
This is a Tom Ford quad I've been wearing for the past 2 or 3 summers called Golden Mink
After evaluating my makeup stockpile, and without intending to, I seem to have narrowed it down to 3 favorite brands of Quads:
Chanel...
Tom Ford...
(see above) and this one which I favor for Fall & Winter
Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Eyekits
Back to my current eye makeup routine...
I start out with a good base. If you aren't wearing an eyeshadow base, you should be. There are several good ones, but I've been wearing Laura Mercier Eye Basics in "Flax". A base will help prevent your shadows from creasing over the course of the day, will help them stay on better, and will even out the color of your eye lid so that you get a good true color with your shadows.
Then I use a brow pencil. I'm not a brow pencil snob by any means, but I do believe in using one. I don't care how dark or full you may think your lashes are, you will see a difference if you use a brow pencil. If you don't think brows make a difference, just google images of celebrities that have been photoshopped without eyebrows... I'll wait. Did you look? I rest my case.
Now at this point, I use my Chanel quad to get some color going.
Chanel gave out this handy guide which makes putting your quad to use pretty darn easy...
I've been going with the Classic Look
I then curl my lashes. There is not a day that I do not curl my lashes. It's not just for special occasions! If you don't curl your lashes, you should. It opens up your eyes and completely changes the whole picture.
Then I get to the eyeliner phase in this process. I am currently pairing the following eye liners with my Chanel quad (yes I said liners, as in plural...I'll explain the madness)
I have lined up the liners on my hand in the same order they appear below...
On the top lid, I prefer to use a felt tip marker style liner. I used to go with a Lorac that I liked, but found this cheaper Loreal liner that I thought I'd give a go, and I like it as well, if not better. I use it on the top water line (below the lashes) and also above the lashes.
On the bottom lid, I prefer to use a pencil. I've used Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil for several years. I've always used the color "Zero" which is a black, but recently purchased the color "Perversion" which is a blacker black. With this new quad, I've been using it on the water line.
Now the green is a liner that I have had for a while, but the lady at the Chanel counter tried to sell me a black/green, and that jogged my memory that I had this Armani liner at home. This exact one doesn't seem to be available anymore. I have been using it as follows:
Top Lash Line- over the black liner above the lashes
Bottom Lash Line- under the lashes and then smudged into the black in the water line.
I finish those off with mascara. I started using Benefit they're Real! last year, and I really like it, but in my typical Product Junkie fashion, I use Boots No 7 Exceptional Definition in Black first. I like that it defines my lashes, and then I use the Benefit to really pump them up.
And that's it! I know some of you are thinking that I'm nuts, but honestly I do not spend over 15 minutes on my whole makeup routine every morning (and that includes some Lola petting in between application of products!).
It's all been wearing quite well, and I think I put these eyeliners and mascara through the ringer with my allergy induced watery eyes.
Remember, at the end of the day, you need to use a good eye makeup remover so you don't end up without any eyelashes! I have been using an Almay eye makeup remover pads that I get at Target for several years. I use the long wear and waterproof ones, and they work amazingly well.
{Like all of my Confessions of a Product Junkie posts, this isn't a sponsored post... Just the products I like}
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