Of all of the aspects of makeups, eyeshadow is, without a doubt, the area where I get most creative and let my freak flag fly (exception: sometimes I rock the hell out of a bright lip). Given the absurdity of makeup that I have collected over the years, I actively make an effort to try and “shop my collection” and avoid falling into any sort of makeup rut. Of course, given limited time to get ready most mornings, I do have some go-to minimal makeup looks, usually consisting of eyeliner, mascara, a lip/cheek tint, and some powder to control oiliness throughout the day.
Mondays can obviously be quite the downer. However, I was able to wake up naturally this Monday morning (meaning, without an alarm), and had the added luxury of plenty of getting-ready time. Obviously, I chose to take advantage of this extra time and play around with some adventurous eye makeup, and photograph it for your viewing pleasure.
Mondays can obviously be quite the downer. However, I was able to wake up naturally this Monday morning (meaning, without an alarm), and had the added luxury of plenty of getting-ready time. Obviously, I chose to take advantage of this extra time and play around with some adventurous eye makeup, and photograph it for your viewing pleasure.
My introduction to eye makeup was completely through MAC shadows, primarily because that is all my mother had laying around to be stolen. Since then, I have expanded my collection to include some palettes from Urban Decay, NYX, Wet n' Wild, Smashbox, Stila, etc., while also slowly purchasing MAC single eyeshadows to fill in my customized palette (*see below). This Monday morning, I was inspired by the American Thankgivings spirit, comfy clothes in chilly weather, and comfort food. Cranberry was one of my most recent MAC shadow purchase, and had the honour of taking one of the final spots in my palette. We've all been told that red eyeshadow is very tricky to pull off, makes your eye look bruised, and is best avoided. Although Cranberry looks intimidating in the pan, it is actually an extremely workable shade, especially for those with blue eyes. (Red is the opposite of blue on the colour wheel, and therefore makes it appear more vibrant, though Cranberry can still look beautiful on any eye colour).
The trick to pulling off Cranberry for an everyday makeup look is to use complimentary warm, neutral colours that balance out Cranberry's strong red tones. In order to ensure that my makeup would stay in place all day, I chose to use a cream shadow as an eye primer. For this look, I used Maybelline Eye Studio 24-hour colour tattoo cream gel eyeshadow in Pomegranate Punk, as the shade's rust colour provided the perfect base for my shadows to adhere to. Directly over top, I patted MAC eyeshadow in Cranberry all over the lid, using a flat shader brush, and blended it into the crease. Afterward, I applied a light dusting of MAC eyeshadow in Woodwinked (a copper-toned gold) on top of Cranberry, and blended them together, adding a bit more of Cranberry in the crease for depth and definition. Finally, I used a small dome brush to apply MAC eyeshadow in Club (a brown-ish deep green with red duochrome) in the outer corner of my lid, and continued blending until I reached the desired effect. I also applied some of Club under the lid, using a small angled brush. I then lined my eyes with L'Oreal Infallible eyeliner in Carbon Black, and set it by dipping my angled brush into Urban Decay Blackout eyeshadow (from the Naked2 palette). In order to look a bit more awake, and prevent any "bruised eye" looks, I applied the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal liner in Nude to my waterline (not pictured above, sorry). Applying a white, nude, or light pink to your waterline is an amazing way to make your eyes appear bigger and brighter, as it emphasizes the whites of your eyes. Obviously, I finished off the look with my faithful Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara in Blackest Black, which brought the whole look to life.
From left to right: Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk; MAC Cranberry; MAC Woodwinked; MAC Club; L'Oreal Infallible Eyeliner in Carbon Black
And alas, below is the final product on my eyes. Note: Please ignore the severe under eye bags/dryness in these photos, as I was still very sleep-deprived, and my dark circles are chronically regardless. Also, I am aware that I have neglected to get my eyebrows waxed all semester, and plan to fix this eventually...
In the end, I was very pleased with how this Cranberry look turned out, and I think it's a perfect way to change things up makeup-wise this time of year. As you can see: the warm, red tones lend beautifully to blue eyes. I was wearing this to school and the eyes were pretty dramatic, so I kept the rest of the fact pretty minimal: NARS Laguna bronzer, some Hard Candy Glamouflage concealer, a bit of Benetint just to give my lips some colour, and my Maybelline FIT Me Powder to bring it all together.
All too often, we buy super fun eyeshadows, blushes, or lip colours that we write off as "too much" for everyday wear, or that we're saving for "special occasions." Instead, I want to encourage everyone to take some risks, enjoy your makeup collection, and most importantly, wear it with confidence! After all, life's short, and it's a lot more fun when you take some creative freedom. And a very happy earlier thanksgiving to the Americans :)
All too often, we buy super fun eyeshadows, blushes, or lip colours that we write off as "too much" for everyday wear, or that we're saving for "special occasions." Instead, I want to encourage everyone to take some risks, enjoy your makeup collection, and most importantly, wear it with confidence! After all, life's short, and it's a lot more fun when you take some creative freedom. And a very happy earlier thanksgiving to the Americans :)
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