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14 June, 2013

In neutral...


In my 9 to 5, or more accurately, 8 to 4 working life I'm expected to present in a reasonably conservative (boring but not too boring) way. This means nothing obviously over the top in makeup.  Of course I like wearing makeup - as you know -  and I feel like a little emphasis around the eyes is a good way to make me look more awake and sharp (even when I'm not feeling it!).  Depending on what clothes or lip colour I'm wearing I'll go for either a warm or cool neutral look and I have the eye colour combinations down pat to avoid wasting any precious minutes in the morning fixing up disastrous experiments. Guilty confession:  I do my eye makeup on autopilot when I'm getting ready for work! Anyway, just in case you're curious here are the neutral shades I reach for regularly through the week. 


Warm neutrals
Clockwise from left:

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio (Walking on Eggshells) - Three neutral colours but so versatile! I can wear any one of these slightly shimmery shades alone all over the lid but I particularly like wearing either the beige browbone shade (left) or the warm peachy pink (right) on the lid with the coppery brown (centre) as an outer crease accent.  These are very softly textured so I pat the colour gently in the pan with my brush to avoid any fallout.  They blend ridiculously easily when applying to my lids so this little palette really is an easy choice for a warm neutral eye.

Revlon Wet/Dry Eyeshadow (Not Quite White) - This matte ivory-beige eyeshadow is literally a dinosaur in my collection and long discontinued so don't go looking for it (Let's face it, it's old and crumbling anyway)! The point is the colour and finish itself. I use this matte shade to soften the crease edge and naturally highlight the brow bone.  Shimmer shades are too aging for me so a soft matte ivory brightens the brow area in a subtle and fresh way.

L'Oreal Color Infaillible (002 Hourglass Beige) - This is quite shimmery so I have to be in the mood for it. However if I want to look really awake then nothing brightens the inner corners of my eyes better than this! Alternatively I'll wear it across the entire lid paired with a deeper matte shade in the crease to really brighten the eyes. I also use this to snappily transition my makeup look from day to evening simply by patting it into the inner corners over my existing eye makeup before I head out after dark.

MAC Matte Eyeshadow (Wedge) - This is a fairly recent addition to my MAC collection and I originally bought it as a lazy option for shading the entire lid however I've discovered the pleasures of wearing this as an easy and natural crease shade.  Wedge is a warm taupe which pairs very easily to accent any of my warm beiges and pinks.

Now for the swatches and yes, my cat-scratched arms!

Swatched on bare skin left to right:
 MAC - Wedge,
Wet n Wild - Brow Bone, Crease, Lid,
L'Oreal - Hourglass Beige,
 Revlon - Not Quite White


Cool neutrals
Left to Right:

Maybelline Stylish Smokes Quad (Charcoal Smokes) - This quad was sitting unloved in my stash for a while but I've rediscovered it for a cool neutral daytime eye or a cool smokey evening eye.  I favour using the lid shade (top left) for a subtle daytime crease worn with Revlon's Not Quite White on the lid and using the darker crease shade (top right) the emphasize the outer corner.  This palette comes into its own in the evening for me and I'll make use of all four shades, although I use the shimmery silver brow bone shade (bottom left) on my inner lids instead of the brow bone area, and I'll use the charcoal black outer corner shade (bottom right) over black liner to help soften and smoke out the line.  Three out of the four shades are quite well pigmented with the surprising exception being the black which takes a few swipes to build up the intensity.  Still, I'm a bit fearful of blackest-black eyeshadow so this palette is good enough for my needs.

MAC Satin Eyeshadow (Shale) - This grey-toned purple has popped up in many of my posts and it's not at all surprising because it's a wonderful neutral purple crease shade.  The purple makes my green eyes pop but it doesn't at all scream purple. I won't get into it in detail again - just know that I love it and consider it the perfect cool neutral eye accent.

Swatched on bare skin left to right:
MAC - Shale,
 Maybelline - Brow bone, Lid, Crease, Outer Corner


What are your no-fail neutral favourites?

26 comments:

  1. I love Lorac Unzipped it has all my favourite neutral shadows.

    I love Walking on Eggshells too!

    Jac x0x

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    1. I dream of owning a Lorac palette *sigh*

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  2. I'm having a giveaway for some gorgeous hair products on my blog, I would love it if you would join in.

    matillysthisnthat.blogspot.com.au

    Jac x0x

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  3. You've just reminded me, I've wanted Walking On Eggshells forever. I tend to always come back to my UD Naked Palette. It's handy because the darker shadows work well as an eyeliner too which saves time. If only the highlight colour was matte. Thanks for sharing this post, I enjoyed reading it :).

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    1. Glad you liked the post Susannah :)

      I'm of the sad minority without a Naked Palette. I'm hoping to sort that out soon!

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  4. Pretty neutrals and taupes! I think one of my fave more neutral eyeshadows are Burberry Rosewood and Midnight Brown. They are so pretty!

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    1. Neutrals are just so easy when I'm bleary eyed and only half awake in the early morning. I need to get me some Burberry I think Tracy!

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  5. I love your warm neutrals! I go for shades like that myself, although I have to be careful that they don't get *too* warm. I am actually lacking a bit of cooler shades right now, though...I need some nice grays!

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    1. I think Dior has some lovely grays in their new mono line - Hint, hint!

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  6. It all depends on my mood really but love my Naked Palette which has a mix of warm and cool neutrals. :)

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    1. Sounds wonderful! I hope to compare the Nakeds and the Naked Basics when I go to Sephora Singapore.

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  7. Loved the post Vita
    For Warn neutrals - I love MAC Indianwood paintpot and Maybelline Chai Latte quad and nars galapagos

    For cool neutrals
    I am loving MAC Satin taupe and Wet n wild (taupe shade) from Silent treatment and mac Espresso

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    1. Satin Taupe is a fab cool neutral! You've given me a great list of warm neutrals to explore too Saumya :)

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  8. The Maybelline quads really had some nice colours! I remember using a purple one when I was first experimenting with makeup - I really loved the shades. MAC Shale is beautiful and I've always wanted to get my hands on Walking on Eggshells - though I'm not sure if the colours would suit me. And I admit that I do my morning makeup pretty much on autopilot as well!

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    1. I don't have time to experiment early in the morning so tried and true combinations are a necessity - autopilot is a necessity :p

      Shale is a gorgeous shade. It doesn't look much in the pan but it's so lovely and versatile :)

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  9. Beautiful shades, I tend to reach for Burberry Rosewood (am wearing it right now!) or Pale Barley for a so-quick-it-is-ridiculous eye look, but my Naked palette also gets a whole lotta love from me!

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    1. It seems I must must must get a Naked Palette but Burberry keeps popping up too with their lovely neutrals :)

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  10. Love all the neutrals! Between odd palettes and singles, I think you managed to gather a pretty complete roundup of the necessities. I have MAC Wedge as well but it barely gets any play from me because I tend to rely on palettes more. As always, I'm in awe of the visible pans!

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    1. Now you understand the pans! It's just my limited range during the week doing the damage ;) I was initially a bit neglectful of Wedge too - even though I sought it out to buy! - but it's a quiet achiever that I do love now.

      Speaking of palettes I think I'll take a palette away with me on vacation to give me options and also save room for new purchases!

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  11. Those cool shadows are gorgeous! I have the WNW trio and love it but I may have to search out that Maybelline quad - those are gorgeous!

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    1. Hey Kaki! You so kindly gave me that WnW palette - I must thank you again :)

      I know the Charcoal Smokes quad is still around although the packaging has changed a little since I bought mine.

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  12. I don't have much to add to the conversation, except I like and pore over posts like this. I like seeing what you actually choose to use from your stash. It's not about needing to use the latest palette or even a single palette. I pull shadows from varying brands. I'm continually in awe of your immense Pan Power. It's motivated me to stick with a few shades (and has helped quell my desire to buy more e/s) to earn my own pan. That sounds weird. Maybe I can be your Pan Apprentice or something. :)

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    1. I'm honoured that you're my 'pan apprentice'! I'll hit pan easily on neutral highlight shades especially because they go with anything and everything and are everyday choices :)

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    2. Hey girlie, I'm here to report that I have major pan showing on a blush. There's so much pan that the edges are crumbling and I've resorted to using the bits. YAY!

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    3. Now THAT'S a major achievement!!! I have a blush I use nearly every day and it frustrates me there's no pan showing - yet!

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