Eye Shadow Dos and Don'ts
Andrea Accardi
When one thinks of blue eye shadow, it immediately refers us back to the 80s. The first picture that comes to my mind is a teenager sporting leggings, high tops, an oversized tee shirt, frizzy hair and bright blue eye shadow with a hint of glitter and glam. I have never been a big fan of blue, but when tamed, this color creates a look that is suitable for class, dates, family functions and, of course, parties.
The bold look of a black eyeliner pencil often creates a harsh look as opposed to a softer look formed with eye shadow and a brush. The minerals in blue eye shadow have a hint of glitter, which picks up on your eye color. Some say that blue does not work for all skin tones, but if you test out a few different shades you are bound to find one that compliments your complexion.
Always remember that when using blue you have to mix a lighter color of eye shadow to balance the richness of the hue. Gold, as a lighter shade, is a safe color for every skin tone. The gold shade has many flickering minerals that instantly pick up on any eye color and brighten your eyes and overall appearance. Slightly blend the gold into the blue and work your way up to your eyebrow. Gold also picks up on your facial skin tones, allowing your overall appearance to glow and create contrast with dark blue powder eyeliner.
One of the most notable and recognizable make-up brands is Chanel. Their website is featuring for Spring 2008 the Les Quatre Ombres De Chanel, Quadra Eye Shadow. This palate is comprised of four colors which are two shades of blue (a light and a dark), a rosy pink, and a soft yellow. The running cost for this palate is $55.00. The reason these designer palates are expensive is because the pigment in the makeup industry is expensive to manufacture. When you compare these pigments to drugstore makeup, the shades, when applied, are not as rich and deep as designer makeup.
The upside of shelling out a few extra twenties is that make-up with more pigment, such as designer palates, often goes on in one or two strokes as opposed to drugstore make-up. This is because drugstore make-up lacks a significant amount of pigment and you usually have to apply more (which uses up more powder) to achieve the same designer look. If you desire brand names, there are quality websites like strawberrynet.com that offer daily "Top 20 Specials" where you can receive up to 50% off department store prices on designer makeup. Designers such as MAC, Stila, Calvin Klein, Elizabeth Arden, Prada, and Lancome were all featured with savings, from 20%-50%. But remember, before you stock up on a lifetime's worth of good sales, powder eye shadow usually only lasts for about two years. After this time, bacteria can grow and the color loses its spunk.