Every couple of years, or so, I will go through a phase in which I think eye shadow might be a good idea. I have pretty sensitive skin around my eyes so a wrong move with makeup and they'll be puffing out like a puffer-fish.
Considering I had a bad day at work yesterday and I needed to replace my press powder, since I dropped it on the bathroom floor and it totally shattered, I decided that I needed some retail therapy and headed off to the nearest MAC counter to replenish some of my makeup.
MAC has this cool deal where you can bring any six containers of MAC makeup (used or empty) back to their counters and you get a free lipstick (freebie does not include Viva Glam colors). I have been hoarding my empty containers for about two years because I go through makeup slowly and so from move to move to move, I have been hauling these containers around with me just so I can take advantage of that free lipstick. Well, yesterday was the day. When my press powder broke, I was annoyed, but at the same time, I just packed it up in a bag, went to the linen closet to grab the other empties and headed to MAC.
I got this really nice woman to help me - I tend to like minorities or gay men to help with my makeup because they seem to understand my coloring better than Caucasian women. Plus the fact that it's usually the Caucasian women at the makeup counters that have the scary, dark eye shadow that makes me not want to look like them and therefore go to the safe harbor of another minority or gay male. Anyways, Kema (nice, black woman) was so patient. We started off easy - I need to replace my press powder. Check. Next, I need a new lipstick for fall/winter. After smearing seven different shades of berry-browns on the back of my hand, it was time for the lip liner. I picked one and she put it on my lips only to look in the mirror to see that the color looked better on my hand and not on my face - I looked quite vampy. So we wiped my lips clean and went for a more brown tone - which I've never done - but it worked out great. So now I have new lipstick and lip liner...check. Finally - here was the million dollar issue - I would like to try a new eyeshadow.
I've never really understood how to apply eyeshadow. I don't know if it's cause I'm Asian but I don't exactly have typical Asian eyes. So there it is - one of my weaknesses - applying eyeshadow. It looks good when professionals apply it for me - but when left to my own devices, it can go either way - passable or complete disaster.
Kema was so excited (probably because this was going to be a pretty good sale) but I told her that I would like to try what I've been seeing in all the fashion mags - smoky lids but not totally dark - subtle smoke. So we went over to the eye shadows and she tested this med-silver shadow on me and smudged it with black lid liner and when I looked in the mirror to assess, all I could say was,
'I think I look like a corpse.'
Maybe smoky isn't for me. I guess everything always looks better in photos than in real life. So then I said,
'Let's try for something more earthy (since smoke obviously doesn't agree with me) but still with some color.'
She reached over for some copper and proceeded to apply onto my eye along with my black liner - I would not budge on the black liner. I held up the mirror when she was done and took in a quick breath. She asked me what I thought. I didn't want to say. She said,
'We have all the time in the world and lots of colors so just tell me what you think.'
'I look like someone just punched my eye,' came my reply.
And then we wiped the eyelid clean and tried again. Finally I just said,
'Let's go with natural but with slight color so at least I know that something's there.'
We settled for this light moss-brown color and it looked nice. I made sure to pay attention to how she was applying it on my lid - how high, where to blend, what brush she was using, etc. I think I have the hang of it - but I guess I won't know until I put some on this weekend for the wedding I'm attending.
Having finally settled on all the new colors and replenishment of my stock, I went home happy, with one eye in shadow and liner, the other eye just in liner, new lip color on my lips, and smudges of lip color on the sleeve of my snowy white fleece. Good thing it was dark already!
I have the same issues too - I love eye shadow but I don't know how to apply it. The lady at the Clinique counter tried to teach me how to apply eyeshadow for your wedding. My problem is that after a couple of hours, the shadow just disappears from my lid - am I supposed to constantly reapply throughout the day? Let me know how the shadow works for you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think you are just not use to seeing yourself in darker colors and that's why you don't like it, Jen. You need to try a little darker and then go from there. Sometimes those MAC employees apply makeup too dark, tho.
ReplyDeleteAs for Amanda, eyeshadow should not disappear unless it is whiped off or sweated off...
I am horrible with applying eye make-up too. My mom is an expert. And I think, I would like that look too. Of course, she has those striking big blue eyes while I had to settle for brown. So the fun blue colors she chooses often look ridiculous on me. Regardless, I just suck at putting the stuff on. I have no idea what I'm doing, and as soon as it's on there, I feel like rubbing it off. I say we go back to the electric blue mascara from 1987. That was a good time!!
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