eye♥u

i absolutely love eye makeup. the eyes are the most revealing and honest form of communication when no words are used. when the eyes are defined, eye contact becomes much more effective.

i purchase and try department store and drug store makeup in my quest to find the go-to-must-have-ultimate-best-product. i have found some keepers and some i won't bother purchasing again. ultimately, you get what you pay for.

here's my review of the eye-makeup products currently in my cosmetics aresenal:

the basics: eyeshadow base is a must if you want your eye makeup to last through blood, sweat and tears. can't live without the two-faced shadow insurance eyeshadow primer. if i fall asleep with my makeup on *tsk, tsk*, my eye makeup looks exactly the same the next morning. other products are: estee lauder double wear shadow creme in antique gold (great under warm shades), NYX brightening eyeshadow base (for bright shades), and shiseido creme shadow in violet (used under cool shades). i probably won't be purchasing these products again, because the two faced shadow primer is all that i need. a little goes a long way from this tube.

i love shadow palettes! they are so convenient to have! i am embarrassed to say that i do not own urban decay's naked palette, but it is definitely on my wish list. i'm a smokey eye kinda girl, as you can see, the middle palette is barely hanging on. this is my FAVORITE mac holiday palette in smokey eyes (not sure what year this is from- but every year they come out with a new smokey eyes palette- i'd recommend buying it, totally worth it, totally lasts forever).

in my opinion, mac shadows the best shadows. you can create any look with the spectrum of colors that this line offers. they last. they go on with as much pigment as you'd like. extremely blendable. my favorite colors are: carbon, espresso, and brulee.

makeup brushes are essential for eye makeup application. have a variety on hand to achieve the look you're going for. my must haves are: the mac 217 blending brush (top) drugstore-brand small eyeshadow brush (middle), mac angled brush to define my eyebrows, and small eyeliner brush used to set my eyeliner. and of course every girl needs an eyelash curler. this one is from longs drugs and it has a perfectly comfortable clamp spring that's gentle on my eyes.

concealer! my baggy dark circled eyes scream for concealer. my favorite award goes to clinique's all about eyes concealer in medium beige. it goes on thickly and blends easily. i wouldn't bother with the one from almay, which goes on thin and takes a lot of effort to blend. i also have a concealer by amazing cosmetics (not pictured) and i'd rate it somewhere in the middle. eyeliner is another must have. i have quite the eye-lining routine- pencil liner followed by liquid liner followed by powder liner to set. i find myself quickly using up mac's powerpoint eyeliner in engraved because i love it so much. it doesn't budge. prestige's liquid liner is pretty good, i like the applicator brush which provides a smooth, even application. i still have to master the art of applying gel liner, i have a brush but it's a bit messy for me. i like clean lines. and i only buy waterproof.

hey, mascara. what would i do without you? my naturally straight, barely there lashes desperately needs good mascara. i've come to find out that lashes like mine needs 'volumnizing' mascara. i apply coat after coat to build my lashes so that they look half normal. favorites are: maybelline falsies volume express, cover girl volume exact, and diorshow blackout. like eyeliner, i only purchase waterproof mascara. it's has guaranteed staying power and is impossible to remove. always use waterproof eyemakeup remover to get this product off.

eye♥u,
xoxo
squidi