Love in Paris – Easy Smoky Eye

I’m always looking for a good neutral (inexpensive) eye palette to use for travels. I love the options that a large palette can offer, but when I travel space is limited, so the smaller the better! For the last couple of years the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette has been my go-to, but recently I’ve fallen for the Love in Paris Parisian Chic by NYX. I picked it up because I like that it has grey and brown in the palette. It also has a good range of light and dark.

I could go on about the options with this palette, but I decided to show a look that I’ve been doing recently. It’s a super easy smoky eye look that mixes the grey and brown shades. I can do this even when I’m running late…it’s that easy! It doesn’t go too dark so it’s perfect for daytime.

1. Starting with a primed lid, I apply the medium grey shade and press into the base of the lid – stopping just below the crease. I use the e.l.f. smudge brush to apply.

2. Using the Sonia Kashuk No. 116 blending brush, I apply the medium tan shade into the crease of the eye, blending blending blending…and blending. It starts to combine with the base color nicely.

3. I use the same brush, wipe it clean on my hand, and apply the lightest shade just below the brow bone and blend slightly with the crease shade.

4. With a small blending brush (something like this would work), I take the deep tan shimmer and apply it to the outer corner of the lid. Then I work it slightly upward into the crease. If you’re really in a hurry you could skip this step, it just adds a little extra somethin’.

5. Finally, I take the light nude shimmer on a small shader brush and apply it to the inner corner to highlight.

For liner I use my current favorite – L’Oreal Infalliable Liner in black. I smudge it and smoke it out further with the black shadow and an angled liner brush. The finishing touch is mascara (of course).

There are a few steps to the process, but this is honestly the easiest way for me to do my eyeshadow. I find it’s much easier to blend when starting with a dark color at the base of the lid and working into a lighter shade at the crease. It’s not as messy and when time is crucial it goes faster!

As for the shadow itself, I’m loving it. The colors are pigmented and they’re easy to work with – especially for the price! Run to Target or Ulta to find this palette along with several others in the line. Note, my local Ulta seems to have more options…as in, several other colors in this line.