My Most-Loved Eye Shadows!

Let me start off by saying that I love, love, LOVE eye shadow! For me, it is the most exciting and fun makeup buy possible. In fact, the majority of my makeup collection consists of eye shadow...and my collection is rather large. I don't know why I love eye shadow so much. I could sit here and say that it's because of all of the fun colors you can get and that there is such a large variety. And while that's true, it's not necessarily the case for me.

The shadows in my collection vary in price and quality, about half is drugstore and the other half is name brand. I will say straight off the bat that this doesn't always mean that a name brand product is better than a drugstore one. From what I've found, drugstore eye shadows normally don't match the quality of name brand shadows due to the fact that they lack great pigmentation and blend-ability, but there are some exceptions. The same goes for other makeup products (Except mascara! Drugstore mascara matches name brand quality for half the price).

Despite all of the eye shadow that I have (two drawers full), most of it consists of neutral colors. Maybe 1/4th of my eye shadow collection is bright and colorful. Personally, I just don't like to wear colorful eye shadow for everyday wear. But hey! If you can get away with wearing colorful eye shadow everyday, go for it. 

Most of my colorful shadows are drugstore brands, and, going back to what I said earlier, they are not very pigmented or blendable. I would have purchased name brand colorful eye shadows had I felt that I would get my money's worth out of them. But I didn't feel that way. However, since I've finally decided to go down the makeup artist path, these purchases are in my near future.

Without further ado, here are my favorite eye shadows:

1. Urban Decay NAKED Palette

I'm not going to talk much about this one, as most-- if not all-- of you have heard of this palette. I have the NAKED 2 and 3 and their spin-off, NAKED Basics, as well, but this one is my favorite by far. My favorites in this palette include Virgin, Naked, Buck, and Smog. The quality is absolutely amazing! If you have not purchased this palette, I highly recommend it. It was definitely worth the $50 that I paid for it.

My Favorite Shadows from the Palette: Smog, Buck, Naked, and Virgin

Purchase this palette here, or at your local Sephora or Ulta.
You can also purchase each eye shadow in the palette separately.

2. Urban Decay Single Eye Shadow in Midnight Cowgirl

This shimmery champagne color is perfect for highlighting your brow bone and inner corner. I normally use this for highlighting when I'm doing a smokey eye look, as the smokey eye makes the shimmery shadow seem less intense. The great thing about this color is that it already has great pigmentation, but you can build on it and make it even more intense and eye-catching. However, be careful of the fallout! It has some glitter in it, and you don't want your face to look like a giant glitter bomb exploded on it. Because, let's face it, that's not a pretty look.

Purchase this eye shadow here, or at your local Sephora or Ulta. 

3. MAC Single Eye Shadow in Sable

If you have never had any MAC eye shadows before and you're looking for your perfect first, I recommend this one. It's great for beginners. It has a frost finish, and frost shadows have a nice hint of shimmer in them but aren't overbearing. These shadows are not matte, making them easier to blend for beginners. When you start out in makeup, you have to learn how much of a product to use. I think it's safe to say that everyone has had a time where they had too much of a product on their brush, making it so that they can't blend it out when they put it on the skin. It's easier to add more for the desired look, rather than take away. This shadow is great in its' build-ability. 

Purchase this eye shadow here.

4. MAC Single Eye Shadow in All That Glitters

This is another MAC eye shadow that I would recommend for beginners. Because of it's light, neutral color, it's fool-proof. The veluxe-pearl-finish shadow is perfect for a lid color or a highlight. Just like Sable, it's a light enough color that you can apply it with ease and build it up for a bolder look.

Purchase this eye shadow here.

5. MAC Single Eye Shadow in Copperplate

Copperplate is a smoke grey color with a slight brown undertone and has a matte2 finish. Matte2 eye shadows are twice as matte as normal matte eye shadows. This color is absolutely beautiful. When I had gone to a MAC counter in Macy's, the sales guy there was raving about this shadow. At first glance, i didn't think it seemed too great or original. However, after swatching it, I realized how unique it is. Most eye shadows have dupes that are less expensive, but i highly doubt there is a dupe for this that matches the quality. You can do so many looks with it, and I just love it!

Purchase this eye shadow here.

6. Victoria's Secret Single Silky Eye Shadow in Provocateur

This color is very similar to MAC's All That Glitters, listed above. However, the texture sets it apart. Victoria's Secret called it a silky eye shadow for a reason. It truly is incredibly smooth to the touch, just like silk. It is a compressed powder eye shadow but with a slight cream eye shadow texture to it. Because of it's texture, you can really pack it on and make it look amazing.

Victoria's Secret makeup is not available online, only in stores.

7. Victoria's Secret Single Silky Eye Shadow in Between the Sheets

Unlike Provocateur, this shadow does not have much of a cream texture. However, it is still great and doesn't feel like a regular compressed powder eye shadow. It is super easy to blend, and it's pigmentation is great. I use this for everyday makeup looks and smokey eyes.

(I love to use Provocateur and Between the Sheets together to create a natural look or a bold smokey eye).

Victoria's Secret makeup is not available online, only in stores.

My Story as a Makeup Guru

"Makeup has a healing element that makes it more emotional than material."-Lori Taylor

I feel that many people view makeup artists and everyday makeup lovers as being stereotypical girly-girls. Let me be the one to say that is not true. I am not, and never have been, a girly-girl. Growing up, I was the guys girl. I loved trucks and dinosaurs and mud. I could care less about dolls. In fact, I put doll clothing on my stuffed animals and seated them in the high-chairs and cradles, while my dolls remained untouched. As I got a little older, I always swore that I would never, ever wear makeup or dress up. At the time, I had thought that if I were to do so, I would be considered one of those drama queens that teetered in their high, high, high heels.

As a preteen, I was pretty average. I wasn't very insecure, and I didn't care much about how I looked. Those were the good ole days! When I turned thirteen, I was diagnosed with an anxiety and depression disorder that caused me to pull out my hair called trichotillomania. I went from being a care-free young woman to suddenly feeling like my world was crashing down around me, and it was all because of how I looked.

For a whole year, I felt completely broken. I had lost myself. People at school identified me as the girl who was going bald. They were cruel to me. The thing about having an anxiety disorder is that people don't understand unless they have gone through or are going through similar issues. However, everything happens for a reason, and light stems from the dark. Although I didn't know it at the time, my shame led me to who I am today, as well as what I have a passion for; makeup. During that incredibly dark year, I had begun to wear makeup. At first, it was just to hide the fact that I had no eyelashes. Shortly after, it grew into something more.

I became obsessed with finding ways to look good. Researching makeup and watching YouTube videos became an after-school activity. My skills began to build over the course of a few months, and I found that people were looking at me differently. I loved the complements I got. It only made me more hungry for knowledge and skill.

The following year, I got a hair extension piece. I felt like I was unbreakable, untouchable --absolutely incredible! Despite this, my self-love was only superficial. I had to be wearing makeup to feel beautiful, because that's how society had taught me to be. I was always wearing a face full of makeup, no matter what time of day or what I was doing. Even on the days I knew I wasn't going to be leaving the house, I had to have makeup on. I hated seeing myself without it. I thought that makeup had completely taken over my life; however, I now know that my insecurities had taken over my own life. Even though I felt beautiful with makeup on, I still hated myself. I had blamed myself for every single thing that happened in the two previous years.

For the next two years, I gradually became more self-accepting. I began to let go and allow myself to go out without makeup on. At first, it was nerve-wracking and I was so self-conscious, but it got easier. Now, I could care less about wearing makeup to the grocery store!

I still love makeup just as much as I first did, but I've learned to love myself as well. I don't need makeup anymore, but it still remains a great passion of mine. A few weeks ago, I decided that I would get my GED, rather than finishing out my junior and senior year of high school, and move on with my life. High school was not a great experience for me, but I have so much ahead of me. It's time to put all of the judgmental, cruel, and immature teenagers behind me and move on with my life. The adult world is waiting for me, and makeup school is calling.

Sending love and confidence,
Katie x