Avon

Call me old fashioned, but when it comes to my eye makeup, I love a classic application.  Light on the lids, dark in the crease, a mild highlight on the brow bone and a dark, defining liner.  Sometimes I mix it up when I am feeling a bit crazy (imagine my Friday nights, right?), but most of the time I stick with what I love.  So naturally I am drawn to palettes because of the ability to use a few different colors to create the dimension I am looking for.  But with all the makeup I have, I realized I always reach for the same 5 eye palettes over and over – ah yes, I am seeing a pattern.  All of these shadows and combinations are incredibly wearable for every day with the option often to amp up for evening.  If I am going on vacation, one (if not all)  of these are always with me, and I always say that what you pack for vacation makeup is a tell tale sign of your favorite pieces.  Here are the my palettes currently in heavy rotation:

1. Avon True Color Eye Shadow Quad in Berry Love (c/o) – I have said before that little surprises me with makeup, but I had truly not expected this palette to knock my socks off the way it did.  The pigmentation is unreal, the colors wear all day and blend effortlessly.  And 3 out of the 4 shades are matte.  Basically it’s perfect.

2. Stila In the Garden Palette – There are a few Stila palettes that people talk about (this and this being two of the most buzzed about), but I fell in love with these colors after I brought this with me on vacation one time.  Though there are 2 or 3 less neutral shades in the mix, I was shocked to see how easy they were to wear when blended with other basic colors.  The pigmentation is rich but not enough that any of these are overpowering.  Most give a nice wash of color and that is what appeals to me the most.  Plus the packaging is just so darn cute.

3. Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in Les Fumes – When am I not loving something by Guerlain?  I rave about their products over and over again, but it’s worth every accolade.  To describe these shadows as buttery smooth is an understatement, it’s almost velvety to the touch.  And this color combination gives the most stunning daytime smoky eye, subtle enough for the workplace but a great segue into an evening look if needed.

4. Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Prelude – This was my first Chanel eye quad and it certainly won’t be my last.  Nothing gives me a more perfect crease-style eye look than this quad.  And naturally Chanel strikes the perfect balance between shimmer and matte – which so many companies try to achieve but fail miserably.  The colors have good pigmentation but I find do require an eye primer so make sure you apply one first.

5. Dior 5 Couleurs in Greige – Ugh, the color greige is such an awful word to say but truly is my favorite color family.  Nail polishes, clothing, makeup, shoes – give me all the greige.  This palette definitely has a strong shimmer but the colors blend so smoothly that it works well for day or evening.  I often grab this palette to pair with many of my favorite single shadows, because the colors are great accent colors to add into the crease and outer corner of the eye to add dimension.

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People always gravitate towards the new – the new car, the new baby, and in the beauty blogging world – the new products! Recently I have been giving these new products a spin and if I don’t share my experience, do the products even really exist?  Something to contemplate……..(Of course they do).

1. Avon Mega Effects Mascara – I have two words for you – THAT BRUSH.  I began seeing this mascara all over my Instagram feed and on my favorite beauty blogs a few months ago and it looked too intriguing to pass up.  When I first opened it, I have to admit I was a tad intimidated by the brush and using it took a few seconds to get used to.  But once I found my brushing groove, I enjoyed how the brush enabled me to get every last hair coated with mascara.  The finished look was bold, long and dark lashes – not too thick and not too thin – a perfect balance.  A few more coats would have built the drama up quickly but I loved it with just two coats.  

2. Dior Instant Gentle Cleansing Oil – If a brand makes a cleansing oil, I am going to try it.  I find them the most effective at removing makeup and giving the skin a deep cleanse.  I was a bit surprised this Dior formulas was so thin, as typically cleansing oils are thick and emulsify when mixed with water.  I found it quite gentle however, as the name indicates, but not particularly great at removing my makeup as thoroughly as I wanted.  It did leave my skin feeling smooth and hydrated which I enjoyed, and for those days when I wore little to no makeup, this made my skin feel great.

3. Mario Badescu Peptide Renewal Cream and Serum (c/o) – The excitement I felt when I heard that MB, one of my holy grail brands, had launched 2 new products could be matched by little else.  Their products are the epitome of efficacious and I knew this launch would be no different.  Designed to target anti-aging concerns for dry and mature skin, I was a tad nervous to try it knowing that it would be rich – but I found my oily skin took quite well to it.  I regularly struggle with dry patches on my skin from treating my regular breakouts, and this immediately worked miracles on them.  My skin absorbed it instantly making it feel soothed and nourished – a result I knew quite well using Mario Badescu products.  I anticipate giving this duo a lot of attention this winter – as I know the frigid temps will wreak havoc on my poor face.