mark. Eye Shadow Overview

The simplicity of mark. eye shadows appealed to me from the first time I saw them- they're square, have a the "mark." logo imprinted in the center of the shadow, and can easily be popped in and out of palettes and rearranged. Initially I started with 8 colors in the spring of 2009, and after using them several times I sort of forgot about them...

Then, when I discovered an Avon Store in the San Francisco Bay Area (who knew there were Avon stores?!) I decided to pop in and check out the other colors. Several of the shades I wanted to try were out of stock, so I hopped online and placed an order for some colors I didn't have but wanted to try. I already owned a couple mark. palettes, but instead of purchasing more, I decided to house the shadows in a MAC palette (for storage reasons- something I plan to talk about in a subsequent post).

18 colors fit nicely into the MAC palette. As pictured above, I created a nice neutral palette that I really like.

Below you can see the size difference as compared to the mark mega palette that holds 8 shadows.

There are two other sizes of mark. palettes available, the mezzo (pictured below) and the mini that fits two colors.

As for the colors in my neutral palette, I think all of them would be flattering on almost any skin color. I think that mark. has aimed to create very wearable colors, for the most part. The only thing to watch out for with these shadows is the finish- some of them have micro glitter, and I think that is something most of us over the age of 20 want to avoid (for daily wear). See my descriptions and swatches to get an idea of how the colors will appear when applied to the skin.

Neutral Colors

whisper (matte)

Flat pale ivory-beige that is great as a highlight or base color. Pigmentation is middle of the road (i.e. not sheer but not totally opaque either).

biscotti (shimmer)

Shimmery (with micro glitter/ large shimmer- however you want to look at it) sheer ivory color. this works well applied across the entire lid and in the inner corner. I wouldn't use it as a highlight due to the level of shimmer. This color doesn't have great color payoff, so I would use it to add a touch of shimmer, more than anything else.

nomadic (shimmer)

Shimmery (with micro glitter/ large shimmer) sheer pale buttery gold. This works well applied across the entire lid and in the inner corner. I wouldn't use it as a highlight due to the level of shimmer. This color doesn't have great color payoff, so I would use it to add a touch of shimmer, more than anything else.

stellar (shimmer)

Light shimmer/ sheen finish pale golden yellow. This color is beautiful applied across the entire lid, or in the inner corner of the eye. Pigmentation is good, but is not totally opaque.

magic (shimmer)

Light shimmer/ sheen finish pale golden copper. This color is beautiful applied across the entire lid. Pigmentation is good, but is not totally opaque.

cake (shimmer)

Light shimmer/ sheen finish baby pink. This color is beautiful applied across the entire lid, or in the inner corner of the eye. For light to medium skin tones, this may work well as a warm highlight color. Pigmentation is sheer.

latte (matte)

Flat warm beige. This is a nice highlight color for tan- deep skin tones, and words well as a crease/ blending color for fair- light skin tones. It would also work well as a base color applies across the entire lid. Pigmentation is middle of the road.

fairy dust (shimmer)

Shimmery (with micro glitter/ large shimmer) rosy warm beige. This works well applied across the entire lid and in the inner corner. I wouldn't use it as a highlight due to the level of shimmer. Pigmentation is middle of the road.

minx (shimmer)

Light shimer/ sheen finish mid-tone taupe with cool undertones. This is beautiful as a base color applies across the entire lid, or as a standalone color. Pigmentation is middle of the road, but can be intensified by layering.

gioia (shimmer)

Shimmery/ sheen finish mid-tone neutral brown. This color is beautiful as a stand alone color across the entire lid, or when used to subtly deepen the crease. Pigmentation is good, but is not completely opaque.

tiki (shimmer)

Shimmer (micro glitter/ light shimmer) finish warm golden brown. This color is beautiful as a stand alone color across the entire lid. I don't think it is the best color for the crease, given the level of shimmer. Pigmentation is middle of the road, but can be layered for more intensity.

espresso (matte)

Flat warm brown with red undertones. This is a nice color for deepening the crease. Pigmentation is good but is not completely opaque.

glitterati (shimmer)

Shimmery/ sheen finish pale silver. This color is beautiful when applied across the entire lid. Shimmer fallout can be a problem, so patting this color onto the lid rather than sweeping it will help to prevent fallout. Pigmentation is a bit sheer, but can be built to medium opacity.

lotus (shimmer)

Shimmery/ sheen finish pale lilac. This color is beautiful when applied across the entire lid. Shimmer fallout can be a problem, so patting this color onto the lid rather than sweeping it will help to prevent fallout. Pigmentation is a bit sheer, but can be built to medium opacity.

wink wink (matte)

Flat beige with purpley- grey undertones. This color works well when applied as a base color across the entire lid, or as a crease color for subtle definition. Pigmentation is middle of the road.

plum velvet (shimmer)

Shimmer/ sheen finish mid-tone burgundy. This color is beautiful in the crease, but can also be applied across the entire lid for a bold eye look. Pigmentation is good, but is not completely opaque.

java (shimmer)

Shimmer/ sheen finish deep neutral brown w/ copper shimmer. This color is beautiful in the crease, but can also be applied across the entire lid for a bold eye look. Pigmentation is good, but is not completely opaque.

corset (shimmer)

Shimmer/ sheen finish charcoal black. This color is a few shades lighter than a straight-up black, so some may find it easier to blend. Pigmentation is good, but is not completely opaque.

Bright Colors

I also have six bright colors. I don't wear them very often, but they are nice to mix with neutrals, or even to wear alone on occasion.



(The blush pictured is angelic. It is filled with chunky glitter. I would not recommend it to anyone. I believe this color has been discontinued.)

dragonfly (shimmer)
Shimmer/ sheen finish lime yellow. Pigmentation is middle of the road, but can be layered for more opacity.

retro peacock (shimmer)
Shimmer/ sheen finish deep blue-teal. Pigmentation is very opaque.



night owl (shimmer)
Slightly shimmery finish deep blue. Pigmentation is good, but is not completely opaque.

pool (shimmer)
Light shimmer finish aqua color. Pigmentation is middle of the road, but can be layered for more intensity.

picadilly (shimmer)

Light shimmer deep purple. This color actually looks more matte when applied. Pigmentation is opaque, but applies patchy.

apple (shimmer)
Shimmer/ sheen finish coral. Pigmentation is good but is not completely opaque.

Swatches

whisper - biscotti - nomadic
latte - fairy dust - minx
glitterati - lotus - wink wink

stellar - magic - cake
gioia - tiki - espresso
plum velvet - java - corset

dragonfly - retro peacock - ocean drive
pool - piccadilly - apple

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 Is Not For Me!

In the last month, Laura Mercier's mineral foundation has received a lot of praise from beauty gurus on youtube. I have been happy with my Bare Escentuals foundation, but decided to try this foundation to see if I would prefer it...!

A little about my skin issues:
- I have very very fair skin, and I usually find that most foundations are too yellow or pink for me (even BE foundation falls to either side, but I make do).
- I have a lot of discoloration (inflammation, acne scarring, freckles) that I need to cover.
- My skin texture isn't the greatest... I have some acne scarring and visible pores that I don't want to accentuate with makeup.
- My skin is sensitive.

(the jar is only half filled, so the packaging should be smaller)

To get to the point: I didn't like this foundation at all. Here are the reasons:

1. The color I picked was too little bit too light for me, but I won't be trying another shade for the reasons below...
2. The finish of the foundation just looks ridiculous. It looks like I took a highlighter and applied it over my face... Not a good look. To me there is nothing subtle about the pearl powder in this product- it is noticeable and is not in the least flattering or natural in appearance. I don't think anyone with even the slightest skin texture issues should go anywhere near this product (as a full on foundation).
3. The packing is cheaply constructed, and is too large for the amount of product that is provided. I know it took Bare Escentuals over 30 years to improve their packaging, but at least they have finally done it!

Bottom line- I just don't like it. It doesn't give me enough coverage (it is a light- to medium coverage foundation), it emphasizes skin texture flaws and looks very unnatural on the skin. I am assuming some of the more medium-tones colors are not as bad as the lighter toned ones (my guess is there is probably less pearl powder in those).

This could be nice as a highlighter, but I think there are better products for the price (and in more convenient packaging) so I don't think it is worthwhile to use this solely for the purpose of highlighting. I will say that the foundation didn't irritate my skin and wore about the same as my BE foundation (as far as lasting power is concerned).

Oh well!

My first NARS Eye Shadow Duo: EGEA

NARS EYE SHADOW DUO, EGEA

Described by NARS as a "frosted sage and smoky lilac", I thought this would be the perfect introduction to the brand, since I tend to gravitate towards cooler-toned light colors to compliment my fair skin. Because the duos are a bit more expensive, I also wanted to pick one that contained two unique, slightly complex colors. I have many different colors of eye shadow in various finishes in my collection, but none quite like this.


Both colors have a fairly frosty finish, although the sage color is a bit more intense in its light reflecting properties. It almost borders on neutral, but is ever so slightly warm. The smoky lilac is definitely cool- toned. Mixed together they create a very unique, pale color that is hard to describe... When paired with other shades of eye shadow, the duo is very chameleon- like, and I think it would work with a lot of colors.


Unfortunately, when I actually wore the duo, I didn't feel that it was complimentary to my skin tone. I was also surprised by how powdery the finish was. I have heard others say that the NARS shadows and blushes are not nearly as creamy as the testers in stores are, so I wasn't totally surprised by this, but I didn't think I would feel as underwhelmed as I do. Another disappointment with this duo is the packaging- no matter how clean I keep my vanity area- seemed to show off any and all traces of makeup, fingerprints, dust... It was impossible to keep clean. I should also say that I tend to prefer using shadows from a custom palette, so reaching for this duo, given my feelings for it, would be somewhat of a chore.

For $32, I wasn't as impressed as I wanted to be. Sadly this went back to Sephora. I'm thinking next time I'll go with a larger pallette from Nars.com, and see if I have better luck in the future.