Eyes

Wow. I just realized that my love affair with MAC Vex Eyeshadow ($14.50) has spanned almost 10 years… And you know what? I love it as much today as I did the first day we met — the first time I swiped this duo-chrome powder shadow on the back of my hand.

Vex can be vexing hiding in its pan like a boring blah gray, but it comes to life when it touches skin, gracing it with a really pretty glow. A beige with greenish pink pearl and a frosty finish, it flashes pink from some angles and green from others — almost like crushed pearls under a bright light. I think of it as the MAC Strobe Cream of the eyeshadow world.

When I first got Vex(ed), it was to wear it with smokey eyes, and I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve used it for that (usually with MAC Soft Brown, Print and Brule).

But smokey eyes aren’t the only ways I’ve worn Vex. I also love it dressed down…

• Clean, classic cat eye: When I want to do a clean, classic cat eye with a little twist, I’ll apply Vex from the lash line to just below the brown bone, pop a matte brown shadow into the crease for definition (a few to try: Soft Brown, Saddle and Folie) and then line my upper lash line with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.
• Glowy eyes: When I’m short on shuteye and lookin’ beat, I pat Vex on the lid and into the crease with either a MAC 217 (or my fingers if I’m in hurry), curl my lashes and add a few coats of mascara. It’s quick, easy, and I swear it’s looks like getting an extra three hours of sleep.
• Glowy Eyes 2.0: After applying MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush to my lids, I apply Vex to the inner corners of my eyes with a MAC 219 Pencil Brush. A quick lash curl and a few coats of mascara later, I’m glowing. 🙂

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Oh, the buckets of glittery tears I’d shed if MAC ever discontinued Soft Brown Matte Eyeshadow ($14.50).

Don’t be fooled by how uninspiring it looks in the pan. Soft Brown’s like the sun and the rain, and it makes my life a foolish game. Okay, well, that may be going a little too far, but I do think I could probably wear it every day for the rest of my life (no joke).

Because it’s a color I reach for so often, I think of Soft Brown as an “anchor” shade — like the glue that holds many of my eye looks together.

Worn in the crease, Soft Brown’s warm orangey brown gives depth and dimension to smokey looks. In a matte finish, I think it also ups the contrast of any shimmery shades I wear with it in blue, green, peach, pink — you name it.

A few shots of Soft Brown in action…
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There’s an old saying that goes, “all that glitters is not gold.” And it’s true, because sometimes All That Glitters is more like a shimmery golden beige. 🙂

I’m totally kicking myself for not getting to know MAC All That Glitters eyeshadow ($14.50) sooner. It’s been a member of the MAC permanent posse for years but just moseyed into my life last week.
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Question por tu: Do girls with thicker, fuller lashes have more fun?

A flirty fringe comes in handy when you’re batting eyelashes with a stranger across the room, or in my case with the old dude working behind the counter at the See’s (hook me up with another chocolate sample, holmes!). 🙂

My wimp-tacular eyelashes and I rely on MAC’s Technakohl Liners ($14.50, available in 11 colors), magical, twist-up mechanical makeup pencils that tightline like WHOA!

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Yo, what’s tightlining?

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