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!
