Power Products Series. Part II.

Eye Shadow "Primer."

Ever notice when putting on eye shadow that the color that ends up on your eye looks nothing like the color on your palette? Me too.  The reason behind this is simple: the color of your skin is added to the color of the eye shadow.  It's science.  In my case, I have fair skin with pink undertones.  The skin around the eye is so thin and delicate that you can also see veins, so factor some blue and purple into this equation.  So, say I want to apply a beige eye shadow.  What color will I get?  Beige (shadow) + pink (skin undertone) + blue/purple (veins) = not beige.

The solution?  Some will tell you to buy a good primer.  I will tell you to buy a M.A.C. Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre ($21, maccosmetics.com).  This little pot of gold will act as your concealer, your primer, and your base shadow.

To prove my point, I've taken Urban Decay's "Foxy," which is a matte sort of vanilla color ($18, Sephora.com).    It's a gorgeous color in the container.  Out of the container and blended onto my bare skin, though - now that's a different story.  Mixing it with my skin tone takes away from the integrity of the color, which is a sin!  I owe it to my Urban Decay eye shadow to provide it with a platform to be the best it can be and do what it's supposed to do (make me look awake, not old).  I owe it some Soft Ochre.

Don't see the difference?  I'm limited here by the pixels in my iPhone camera.  Look closer or just take my word for it!

What's fabulous:

• Multipurpose concealer, primer, and color in one.
• This pot will last you a year.  I'm not kidding!
• Twenty-three shades to boot.
• So easy to apply - no tools needed!  Just use your finger.  If you want to get fancy, use a concealer brush.

What's not:

• Nothing, really.  I will use this opportunity, though, to disclose that this stuff dries fast and once it does, your look isn't going anywhere.  Make sure you have a plan for color before you apply; otherwise, have some makeup remover handy.

Technique: 

Apply all over the lid where you intend to apply color.  Try applying a shimmer like MAC's Naked Lunch ($16, maccosmetics.com) below the brow and watch that shimmer come to life!  

Stay hungry.  Stay foolish.  Stay beautiful.