La Liz understood the benefit of a good strong eye
Over the course of the past year or so, I have become something I thought I’d never be: a woman who won’t leave the house without makeup on. I’ll go out to walk the dog with my hair piled on top of my head and an outfit that suggests I got dressed in the dark, but you can bet that I will have applied a little lippy on my way out the door. It was a gradual progression, and one that reached what I suppose was its inevitable conclusion (I am, of course, from Texas) the moment I discovered the incredible transformative power of eyeshadow. Eyeshadow, as it turns out, is magic. Not as magic as bronzer, but close. Feeling tired? Washed out? Just pile some on, and you’re good to go. I’d imagine a lot of you were already on to this, but it was a revelation to me.
My sister in law Shanna, who is both from the south and also once aspired be an actress—and is therefore in a position to know from a dramatic eye—has been my primary eyeshadow educator, and it is from her that I learned about the importance of a good primer. Primer helps makeup go on all nice and even—something that’s particularly important for anyone who, like me, has a less-than-steady hand—and keeps it from creasing and fading. This one from Laura Mercier is so creamy and easy to apply. I put it on my eyelids, but also under my eyes, so my concealer will stick on better too.
I like a dark purple-type color best: the blacker and more eggplanty the better. And I am not a fan of the sparkle. If I’m feeling particularly in need of a lift, I’ll go for this Laura Mercier shade, Black Plum. I’m also quite fond of Mac’s Shadowy Lady, which goes on maybe a bit less dramatically but leaves pretty much the same dark, plummy kind of effect. A girl likes at least the illusion of variety. And for weekend days or other times when something less drastic appears to be in order, I’ve been relying on Magic Night from Chanel, which has a lot more of a brown thing going on.
I’ve tried to make inroads with other, lighter, colors, but so far nothing’s clicked. A while back, I talked myself into a really rich, deep blue, but it was a disaster. If you grew up in the 70s—and do not really know your way around a makeup brush—blue eyeshadow can only ever read tacky. On the other hand, I have nothing but fearless enthusiasm for hues that go darker and darker still, and on Saturday, I bought myself a tube of this Ellis Faas cream eyeshadow in Deep Black at Space NK. It is, as advertised, inky-dark. And after applying it, my hands looked like I’d just been fingerprinted by a particularly inept law enforcement officer. But boy, did my eyes pop.
liz has got more going on that eyeshadow!
and WHY is it that you are loving the shadow only now?
well, at the ripe age of 48 i’m having a complete epiphany about mascara.
This is food for thought. I was never good with makeup, but part of me yearns to find some way to someday make blue eyeshadow work. I don’t know why. I guess it’s my version of Everest. I will have to start with baby steps though, like maybe some primer. I don’t even use concealer and if you saw me, you’d see that I probably should!!! How come no one makes a primer that is also a concealer?
Gorgeous pic of Liz! When it comes to my eyes, at 48 I find that having nice brows–which really means being able to use the brow pencil well–does more for me than eye makeup.
Teal eyeshadow might be a gateway to the blue. I think it’s a little less harsh and more complimentary to more eye colors.
Good point. I don’t usually believe in teal in most other situations, but for makeup, there is a suggestion of mallard-ness that I like. Thing is, I should set a deadline or it won’t ever happen.
Does this pic of Liz make you wonder if Hayden Panettiere shouldn’t have played her instead of Lindsay Lohan? There’s a resemblance, right?
Hmm, I’ve become a little terrified of makeup because I don’t want to look like one of those old women that cakes on the wrong color, but maybe I need to re-think a little eye shadow. I do refuse to leave the house without mascara. At 46, I’m okay with my crows feet and some gray in my hair, but no one ever told me how my eyelashes would thin as I got older!
I bet you look just fine. But, there are some eye conditions that can cause that, so you might want to ask an eye doc.
You have beautiful eyes to begin with… xx
I’m terrible at make-up. I wish someone would hold a class on how to do make up for our aging skin, where foundation can end up emphasizing all those wrinkles.
BTW, Slate never fixed the link to your 9 product picks…love to hear what you pay for now you’re in the real world!
MAC’s Paint Pot in groundwork is my new obsession. It’s like a primer but with color. Looks amazing on my somewhat crepey eyelids!
http://www.maccosmetics.com/products/spp/shaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT154&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1573