The Eyeshadow Edit

From day one of my makeup-loving life, eyeshadow has always been the thing that excited me most. The colour possibilities, the formulas, whether it was a shimmer, glitter or matte finish, I was obsessed with covering my eyelids in the stuff. Obviously, little eight year old Izzy didn't know any better than to run for the bright pink glitter, (I blame Sabrina's Secret and Mizz magazine for that!)

Anyway, History lesson over.

I'd like to think I have refined my taste in eyeshadow ever so slightly since then; so I thought I would show you my absolute favourites of the moment, as well as a more in-depth review and explanation of the Makeup Geek shadows at the end!

 Products clockwise:

1. Younique Moonstruck Minerals Pigment in Beautiful - £10

2. Makeup Geek Pressed Pan shadows in Frappe, Peach Smoothie, Vanilla Bean and Bitten - £4.95

3. Maybelline Leather Effect Colour Tattoo in Creamy Beige - £4.99

4. Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Vintage Selection - £16

5. Makeup Geek Foiled Pan shadow in Grandstand - £7.95.
6. Nanshy Shader, Blending and Pencil brushes - £49.95 for set of 12

(Clockwise - Younique pigment, Maybelline Leather Effect, Mac Paint Pot)

The Younique Moonstruck Minerals pigment is my first delve into the brand, and I was lucky enough to receive it as a gift from the lovely Natalie, one of the Younique distributors, (or presenters as they are formally called). I usually steer clear of pigments as I normally find them too messy or fiddly to work with, but I was really pleasantly surprised with how silky the powder was, and how easy it was to get the right amount of product onto my lids! The colour is aptly named 'Beautiful', and is a sandy, warm toned brown, that looks perfect all over the lid and as a subtle crease colour. At £10 a go, they may seem quite expensive next to the Makeup Geek shadows, but there's so much product, I don't see this ever running out! If you're interested in purchasing any Younique products, please do go to Natalie's page as she's super lovely.

The Maybelline Leather Effect cream shadow is one of the more recent additions to the Colour Tattoo line, which I'm a massive fan of in general. The formula of these new colours however is much more creamy and long lasting, so it's brilliant for days when I haven't got time for a full face of makeup, but still want a nice sweep of colour on my lids. Plus, it works best when applied with fingers so there's no brush washing to be done. Yay for lazy makeup days!

Swatches L-R are: Younique 'Beautiful', Maybelline 'Creamy Beige' & Mac 'Vintage Selection'

Mac Paint Pots have been a staple amongst beauty lovers for years on end - this I am fully aware of. This product is actually a rediscovery; moving back home from my Uni digs I'd somehow managed to misplace it, and I finally came across it again about a month ago and have fallen back in love! (It was actually part of a limited edition collection from Mac about 2 years ago, so if you were looking for something similar, Benefit's RSVP is a close match). The colour is a peachy champagne, with a really gorgeous shimmery finish, that isn't chunky in the slightest, and again, super easy to apply. Mac can do no wrong in my eyes to be honest...

(From L-R: Makeup Geek 'Grandstand', 'Frappe' & 'Bitten')

Makeup Geek eyeshadows are probably one of the most hyped-up products on the blogosphere. The brand was created by Marlena, a Youtuber, Makeup Artist and beauty lover herself, so I knew these were going to be good. Plus Jaclyn Hill has raved so much about them sooooo many times - well let's just say I didn't need much convincing to purchase a few shades from Beauty Bay a few months back. Oopsie! I feel like Jaclyn is to blame for my next choice of words, but these shadows are so buttery it is ridiculous. They blend like a dream, are so crazily pigmented and yet there's next to no fall out? Oh and at £5 a shadow (for the normal 'pressed' pans), they're really reasonably priced for the high quality you're getting. Amaze-balls.

(Swatches L-R: Vanilla Bean, Peach Smoothie, Frappe, Bitten & Grandstand)

The lightest colour didn't show up brilliantly as a swatch, but its a beautiful matte highlight and brow bone colour; Peach Smoothie is a silky peach matte, the perfect transition shade for blending out crease colours; Frappe is a warm-toned brown, similar to but less ashy than the Maybelline cream shadow, and is a great crease colour for an every day look. Bitten is a beautiful cranberry shade that is surprisingly wearable, and yet really brings depth to a neutral eye look. Finally Grandstand is the most eye-catchingly shimmery copper colour, and one of the most pigmented things I've ever laid my hands or eyes on. If you do end up ordering any MG shadows, just try one of these and I assure you, you'll be blown away!

Lastly, I have to give a little shout out to my Nanshy makeup brushes. I got the Masterful Collection as a Christmas present from my parents and I love how easy the brushes are to use, as well as being completely cruelty free and vegan! I actually find synthetic brushes the easiest to work with, plus they dry much quicker in between washes, AND no animals are being harmed in the process, its a no brainer really!

I hope you enjoyed reading my makeup-related ramblings and I'd love to hear what eyeshadows you are loving right now!

Thanks for reading your Dose of Shadow