Today we´re off to NYC, where Patty and I plan a grueling schedule of sniffage at Bergdorf, Takashimaya, Aedes, Barney´s, CB I Hate Perfume à¢â‚¬¦ too bad it´s hotter than Hades there right now. We´ll make do. I guess we´ll have to drink a lot and eat a lot of really good food. *sob* If all goes According To Plan, tomorrow and Friday we´ll feature posts from the field. If all Doesn´t Go According To Plan, you´ll be looking at this until Monday.
We had such a blast last time with the blind sample swaps, we did another round with a larger group of scentbloggers à¢â‚¬” me, Patty, Colombina, Katie, Ayala, Marlen and Ina. Here´s a link to today´s Big Reveal on Perfume-Smellin´ Things, where yours truly comes out either smelling like a rose or an idiot à¢â‚¬” you decide. Katie and I each commented on the same set of samples, without any notes to guide us. Go see. More to come in upcoming weeks à¢â‚¬¦
So let me wander off topic today (WARNING: PETULANT SCREED AHEAD, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK) on my search for eye makeup. Really, the search for the Grail was easier. As you know, I recently jettisoned my glasses, and I thought it would be fun to get some eye candy à¢â‚¬” something fun and easy, a little shadow, maybe some liner, something flattering and maybe a little sexy and appropriate for a woman over the age of 35. If you get my drift. How fricking hard could that be? Piece of cake, right? I´ve now had two scheduled consultations, and numerous suggestions from 8 or 10 helpful SAs in the makeup field, and here we come to the heart of my problem: I have pale skin with a pink-ish cast. So, first they cover up my pink around-eye area with concealer. (So far, so good.) Then, having done so, I get one of two looks, no matter how hard, and in how many ways, I ask for something else:
1) A broad sweep of something pink-ish on my lid (which makes my eyes look red and looks like crap)
2) A broad sweep of white under my brow (which looks dated and like crap)
The pink is wrong, wrong, wrong. I look like a guinea pig. And frequently it´s metallic and pink-ish, accentuating every tiny line on my lid. The white looks marginally better on someone with a tan (which isn’t me) and 20 years younger. On me it looks like I´m trying to pretend I´m 20 years younger; it looks … silly.
What really frosts my cookie about both of these looks is that they´re presented to me as the Universal Way One Puts On Eyeshadow. As if a pink shadow base is the Way It Has Always Been Done; as if it were written thusly in the Ten Commandments. As if we´ve been putting white shadow below our browbones since Cleopatra first dipped her brush in the kohl. Both these stupid looks are trends, people!!! à¢â‚¬” trends I wish would go away already!!! In fact, I am old enough to remember White Eyeshadow, Round One à¢â‚¬” although I wasn´t old enough to wear it then à¢â‚¬” and I still don´t think it´s attractive. Sue me. Yesterday I approached the MAC counter (they have some great eye colors) and the SA spins around and (ruh roh!) she´s 22 and wearing bright matte powder blue eyeshadow with à¢â‚¬” you guessed it à¢â‚¬” the big swoop-o-white above that. And her skin was flawless, in that weird matt-i-fied way young makeup gals like to do, and her eyes were gorgeous. But that blue and white eyeshadow? Looks stupid. As far as I’m concerned, white eyeshadow is this year’s Trucker Hat.
All I want, which I can´t get anyone to show me how to do in a flattering way, is something non-pink and non-white that doesn´t involve three colors. Two I´ll consider. I have nice hazel eyes à¢â‚¬” maybe a burnished gold or bronze? Or how about a khaki? A deep grayish-purple? At the Bobbi Brown counter (I was trying to reproduce something I saw in Allure using her shimmer bricks) I finally gave up and said to the young man, rudely, look, just give me a brush, please, and I´ll let you know if I need anything. What triggered this snafu? I completely baffled him by insisting that no, really! — I didn´t want the white under my brow.
Okay, done now. Whew. Glad I got that off my chest. Anyway, P promises maybe we´ll play in the makeup at Bergdorf. How fun does that sound?
Hi there! I’d like to recommend Cargo Kentucky eyeshadow duo. It’s a fabulous silvery smokey khaki/green color combo that looks wonderful with hazel eyes. Finish it off with the Lancome bronze eyeliner kohl pencil and I just know you’ll love it. Good luck!
Tara
Everyone — where the hell are you?!??! Where are the comments on today’s post?:-w
Okay, kidding — BTW this is March, on Patty’s computer, although …. no, that’s not true. This is Patty, and I want you all to know I think David Hasselhoff is the hottest hunk on Earth. Also that I was totally unprepared for how charming, beautiful, well-spoken and chic March is.
Anyway, we’re off for Day Two — I (er, March) have written down all the recommendations for eye makeup specifics, which I will be checking out today at Bergdorf!
March, I have a similar complexion with green eyes.
Pink shadows simply make a person look either ill or sleep-deprived. (I have to stay away from brown shadows with reddish undertones for this reason).
While I don’t have suggestions for specific brands, I think all of the suggestions from the ladies above are lovely. Stick to soft all-over lid colours with vanilla/yellow undertones. For crease & liner colours, deep plums, greys, slate blues, and deep sage greens are all great.
While glittery sparkles are a no-no for anyone over 21, check out shadows with a slight pearlesence to them. These have a luminous quality that is flattering to people of all ages.
I love playing with eyshadow, but unfortunately I have the world’s oiliest eyelids, and it tends to disappear quickly!
Have a blast in New York! 😉
Hi March. I’m over 40 and I while I agree that ya shouldn’t do sparkle, I think you can do a bit of shimmer. Isn’t 40 supposed to be the new 30? You’re too young to lose your sassy. Just don’t do it all over at one time.
There are plenty of e/s formulations out there where a girl can get great color payoff (so as not to tug the delicate skin of our old-lady eyes, and hey–who has the time?) and get a little shimmer while we’re at it. You can do “luminous/silky” with MAC or “shimmer” with Bobbi. Those are just two lines that come to mind. I agree with Greeneyes that Shroom is lovely. It’s one of those ones where if you can’t decide what to wear and you’re in a pinch, you can slap some on and it’ll do. However, it Is a little white. Whitish–shroomish. Hey, at least there ain’t any pink in it. Soba is another that is easy to wear. Use a good brush and a light hand, and the pay off is that a girl can look a bit more wide-eyed and rested, and have a little fun. I’m all for looking less tired. You know….with your coloring, that sold-out BB Choco e/s palette reallly would be the bomb.
Anyhoo, you’re going to NY and there’s simply no way that Patty is going to let them Bozo you. Looking forward to hearing all about it.
Atta girl, March- you spank that baaad boy!
He’s got a fricking nerve!
Seriously, my friend- I, too, have greeny/hazel eyes, and what is awesome [AND cheap- thus leaving our precious dinero to the perfume counter!] is Revlon’s Colorstay eye pencil in Vixen [bona nomen, bona omen!], named in our collective honor…
It’s a deep, plummy brown that flatters without creating the “DSS…take me away!” look. Clip a few coupons, and you will ALWAYS find it in Walgreens, Target, and Wal-Mart…
Our pals are right about the colors; believe it or not, Almay has 2 great powder shadows for our color- a lovely brown, and a sapphire [aka, blue-grey] that really make eyes pop without bling, and they wear well…
This coming from a woman who wears both Maybelline mascara AND Cle de Peau concealer/lipstick… guess what I save on one , goes for the other- hot damn…
I miss eyeshadow…these days, I shvitz everything off, so waterproof is the way to go-
I just LOVES this time of life…SIGH..
Enjoy yourselves, and party hearty…
Love,
your thermally-challenged friend
March, I agree they all went to the Universal School of Eyeshadow Application – something very similar to my 3-year-old’s idea of beauty, too, IMHO! (And the matte skin is creepy!)
Not sure if they carry Laura Mericer at Bergdorf’s but, she has a great range which is online, too – which I like because I can take all the time in the world deciding after I test. They even have a whole section without SPARKLE (gasp!) called, Matte. I know they aren’t as exciting but they blend well and can be soft or dramatic. There might be one called Vanilla Nuts or Toasted Almond or Buttercream – these are more in the yellow range. Morning Dew is pink – keep away! Also nice neutrals and gray-purples, too. MAC has great colors (and they’re cheaper) but I haven’t had interest in eyeshadow in a long time – only time for 2 sweeps these days. I did find some eyeliner pencil at MAC which I love. I wear contacts and it stays put – Power something or Perma something. Tell us if you have success.
Shop away and have fun!
March, I just wear a lot mascara, so I am no help at all. I have a “thing” about putting stuff on my eyes, and it wasn’t until my very critical teenager told me I would look “younger” if I put on mascara that I started doing it again. Kids…gotta love the little rascals. 8-|
Anyway, have a ton of fun with Patty and a safe trip. If you guys are too busy whooping it up in NYC don’t worry about posting immediately. We will all be here on Monday. 🙂
Hugs!
NYC/Patty/Fine dining and drinks/perfumes…and now makeup? Could this trip sound a bit more attractive?
Interested in whatever you come up with, eye makeup wise, as I’m in the same age, skin tone and eye color categories. Thanks to all for the suggestions found in the comments already.
I’m a part of the over-40 crowd and have found that there are two cardinal rules to eye makeup for the ‘mature’ eye:
1. NO frosty, shiny stuff EVER
2. The end result should be ‘you, only better’, not ‘look at that woman’s lovely makeup’
I can’t advise on any specific brands or shade names, because I buy across brands and color classes and then blend the colors to suit me. I also have the pale-pinkish coloring and the hazel eyes and have found that mushroom/mauve/greyed-green colors work very well for me.
Since my hazel eyes trend to green, I’ve found that a greyed-green or a brownish-plum eyeliner, lightly applied, makes the green ‘pop’ beautifully.
For an evening look, I darken the colors a bit and add a little charcoal grey or taupe.
Smokey eyes are in-in-in. Keep the rest of your makeup neutral (including lip color) and let those pretty hazel eyes take center stage! 🙂
March…I feel your eyeshadow pain, but have no suggestions, which is why I’m still hanging on to my glasses….Good luck and have fun in NYC!
Ooohhh….makeup! If pink is your problem, I’d stay away from the purples, as it’ll cover the pink but you might end up looking bruised.
Being in the over-35 crowd myself, I know you’ve gotta be careful how much shimmer’s in a shadow, or it’ll show every little crease. That’s why I avoid Stila liek the plague. Here are my suggestions for you!
MAC shadows in Shroom and Bateau. Shroom is a wonderful all-over lid color, a soft shimmery base. Bateau is between brown and bronze, and you can do this all over the lid with a light hand, or use it as liner. Gorgeous with hazel eyes.
Clinique…their (Color Surge?) Duo shadows. I find these have just enough shimmer and don’t crease. Color is easy to apply. Like Mink or Double Scoop would be good with your coloring, with their Touch Base (keeps shadow in place, forms nice base) in Canvas or Up Lighting. Copper Canyon might also be pretty, but you’d have to try it in person to see if the copper brings out the pink too much.
Anything in grey might also be pretty, for an evening eye, especially. Use a yellow-based shadow all over your lid first…
Happy hunting! 🙂
So how about a nice pinkie white base? 🙂
I hate that one size fits all mentality. They have gorgeous bases in browns and tans and violets, it’s not for a lack of choice, but just MA/SAs with a lack of imagination. Sad, really.
We’ll get you something!