Makeup palettes are seductive, tempting women with the promise of paring their makeup routines to a few simple swipes of shadow, blush and gloss. But how many times have you purchased — with high hopes — one of those slim, sexy palettes only to find it months later, barely used, in the bottom of a drawer? Either something is missing, or that tangerine sparkle shadow that looked so yummy in the store just doesn’t work in real life.
Fed up with our formerly fruitless search for the perfect palette, we headed to Woo Skincare and Cosmetics, where a team of experts helped us. The options ranged from full face palettes like the Pretty Face palette by Bobbi Brown to the custom palettes offered by a range of cosmetics companies. And there are those particularly troubling eyeshadow palettes that send many women into panic mode.
Whatever the choice, international makeup artist Michael Hanz advises us to take it easy. “Makeup should be fun and enjoyable. Play with it,” he said.
Eye palettes can leave even the most makeup-savvy women in a panic. International makeup artist Michael Hanz makes the blues in Yves Saint Laurent Ombres 5 Lumieres Eyeshadow Palette in Riviera wearable by blending the darkest color on the model’s lids and crease and adding the shimmery blue just above the crease. The more neutral blue mixed with the highlight color was applied to the inner corner of eyes. He also used the highlight color to line the eyes as shown.
Hanz’s tips for choosing and using eyeshadow palettes:
1. Use sheer bright colors as a highlighter. Use heavily pigmented bright colors as liner.
2. Mix colors to make them lighter or darker as needed.
3. Use palette colors with other colors in your makeup collection. “Don’t feel you have to use all the colors in a single palette at once,” he said.
Many lines offer customizable palettes like this one from Laura Mercier, $142 as shown (available at Woo Skincare and Cosmetics). If you decide to make your own palette, Angela Hicks, national artist for Laura Mercier, says make it work for day and night. Include at least one eyeshadow for evening, a blush and a liner. Add one bright color you are not accustomed to wearing and take the time to experiment with it.
Using a customized palette, Hicks applied Gilt on the model’s lid and Violetta above the crease to enlarge eyes. For a bit of smokiness, she applied a sweep of Truffle and used Vanilla Nuts to highlight the brow bone. With a flat liner brush she applied liner along lower lashes. Spiced Cider on the cheeks finished the look.
Bobbi Brown is known for customizing makeup, and the brand does offer custom palettes, but this spring there are also two limited edition palettes: The Pretty Face palette, $60, for fair to medium skin tones and the Powerful Face palette, $60, for medium to deep skin tones.
Wendy Berry, Atlanta regional makeup artist for Bobbi Brown, uses the Pretty Face palette to give the model a daytime look. She uses Ivory and Pink Flannel on lids. Chocolate Caviar is used as liner and Pink Chiffon goes in the corners of lids. Berry applied a sweep of Pretty Pink blush on cheeks and Sandwash Pink with Bubble Bath lip gloss on lips. To intensify the look for evening, Berry suggests using Chocolate Caviar as eyeshadow instead of liner and building up the color on cheeks and lips.
Woo Skincare and Cosmetics
Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, 2339 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-477-5000, www.wooskincareand cosmetics.com.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday
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