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09 April, 2012

Going over the top with taupe...

There are three families of shades which predominantly feature in my eyeshadow collection:  purple, shimmery highlights and taupe.  Ah, taupe - isn't that the staple in every beauty conscious girl's makeup bag? (I'm building my case for self-justification here.)  Yes well, now that I'm nearing the end of my makeup ban I've been doing a bit of an inventory - where I dare - to get an indication of makeup items I do not need to buy once it ends.  Case in point: Taupe eyeshadow.  At the beginning of last year I owned three taupe shadows but by the end of the year my taupe collection had doubled to six.  I realise six isn't a huge number by some standards but anyway...


Here's a quick rundown of the taupe shadows taking up space in my makeup case.  Without deliberately trying I've conveniently sorted them into two logical groups - the light taupes and the deeper taupe shades.

Light taupe shadows


  
Shown L - R and swatched in same order:
  • Essence (Party All Night - metallic effect) - This is a warm golden taupe with a metallic sheen and as I tend to favour golden taupes this one's right up there for me.  This sounds like an after dark shade but it's versatile enough to translate from day to night.  During the day I'll wear it blended out as a crease accent and in the evening I'll apply it more heavily over the lid. 

  • Essence (Taupe of the Pops - shimmer effect) - A softer, more subtle finish than Party All Night, Taupe of the Pops is another warm taupe with a slightly khaki tone.  This shade reminds me a little of my all-time favourite taupe MAC Patina (I could justify reintroducing this into my collection because I loved it all the way to the bottom of the pan).  It's so easy to blend and fantastic as a wash all over the lid so it looks as though I've made more of an effort!

  • Maybelline (Silken Taupe) - A lovely soft mushroom taupe shimmer and my go-to for minimal makeup days.  This looks so natural and is another shadow I'll wear alone as wash over the eyelid just to freshen me up.  I've featured it in my basic face post (here).

Dark taupe shadows



Shown L - R and swatched in same order:
  • Rimmel (Backstage) - This is a well pigmented mid-toned frosty taupe and another all-in-one shade.  I like applying this all over the lid and blended into the crease on its own or paired with a golden highlight shade on the inner corner.  It looks quite glam when heavily applied and can also be applied over a darker base to create a smokey-eye look.

  • MAC (Satin Taupe - frost) - I've had this purple-toned taupe in my collection for quite a while and it probably doesn't get enough love.  Although it's a frost the effect is quite subtle, but this shade is very dark and dramatic against my light green eyes and pale skin and can drain the life out of me and make me look like I've got black eyes if I'm not careful!  I prefer to use it as a crease accent for an evening eye.

  • Bloom (Taupe) - Uh, yes I haven't worn this one yet but had to include it for the sake of completeness. Swatched on the back of my hand this is a slightly cooler, lighter version of Satin Taupe with great pigmentation. 
 What's your favourite taupe eyeshadow?

Until next time.

Vita :)

21 comments:

  1. Oh no girl can possibly have enough of taupe eyeshadows! ;P My favorite is MAC Satin Taupe, but I'm liking the look of that Rimmel one too!

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    1. Hehe, I know what you mean about never having enough because I've pretty much talked myself into buying Patina again!

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  2. I love taupe shadow too! Some of my favourites (in addition to those you've mentioned) are the taupe from the Wet n Wild Silent Treatment trio, NYX Metallic Taupe, and Fyrinnae Koala. You can never have enough! ;D

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    1. Hi ev, I placed an order with my Hubs to bring Silent Treatment back from the US last year but it was sold out at the time :(

      I've heard good things about NYX Metallic Taupe too. xo

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  3. your reasons are well and truly justified ;) liking this inventory thing your doing

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    1. Thanks Priyanka, I'll keep trawling through my collection!

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  4. I LOVE TAUPE SHADOWS! Party All Night and Backstage need to be future purchases.

    You should try NYX's Sparkle Cedar - such a gorgeous taupe. :)

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  5. Love your taupe collection, I'm not sure how many I have...I must check out my collection and see if I can add more to my lot ;P

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    1. Thanks Emma :) Taupe shadows are the easiest to work with for everyday. I'd be interested to know what's in your stash!

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  6. I have the Essence Taupe of the pops one, it works great for everyday look, I really like it. I think I have a few more taupes but I totally understand loving this color, it really goes well with everything

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    1. Taupe of the Pops is a great shade :) Yes, I love how I can wear any shade of lipstick with taupe and it won't clash. xo

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  7. Love taupe, wear it nearly every day... but I don't own any of these. May have to try out one of the Essence shadows. (:

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    1. Considering they are sooo cheap Essence shadows are a low risk investment Michelle!

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  8. What are the numbers for the Essence eyeshadows?
    I'm going to try to find the ones you recommended. :)

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    1. Ah, too easy a request! Party All Night - 35, Taupe of the Pops - 46. Good luck with your shopping and enjoy! :)

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    2. Vita, I haven't been able to track down either shade, unfortunately. :(
      Would you mind posting a comparison photo of TotP and MAC Patina swatches, please? I'm going to keep looking for it.

      By the way, do you find that the Essence "shimmer" eyeshadows come across as a satin finish? I only have Cappuccino, Please to reference.

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    3. That's a shame - I do know Essence change their colour selections from time to time so perhaps these have been discontinued - although I hope not!?! Unfortunately I can't do a comparison swatch either because I've long since finished my Patina pan, although that gives you an idea how much I loved that E/S. From time to time I think to buy a new pan - I should just go and get it! To answer your other question, the Essence shimmers are generally more satiny than ultra shimmery so they have a softer, more wearable finish. The metallic effect E/S have a much more shimmery, metallic sheen if that's what you're after. If you like I might go stash diving into my Essence E/S pans to do a review of the different finishes - anything for a new post idea!

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    4. Naw -- I'm a fan of matte and satin finishes than shimmery, and rarely do I ever reach for something with glitter. :)

      I like that you state the finish of Essence eyeshadows in your reviews. The Essence website doesn't mention them, which frustrates me.

      I'm totally game for any new Essence e/s posts. Thanks for being a great resource!

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    5. Glad to know I'm providing useful information, thanks! :) I'm going to add another Essence E/S post to my schedule - and I'll make sure I list all the different finishes!

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