With the Makeup For Ever Artist Color Collection, you can create a custom eyeshadow palette or face powder palette, allowing you to find your inner artist and explore the shades that work best for you. I put an Artist Eye Color eyeshadow palette to the test to see just how versatile it could be.
{10 Looks, 3 Shadows: Playing with the Makeup For Ever Artist Eye Color Eyeshadow Palette}
The Struggle
Makeup can be an expensive hobby. It seems like every day, a new “must-have” palette is released, and makeup lovers scramble to buy it for that one amazing new shade it contains. But what happens with all the rest of the shades? If you’re anything like me, you have an eyeshadow graveyard of sorts; stacks of palettes with 2-3 colours completely used up and the rest almost untouched. You don’t want to buy the whole palette again, but the colours you love aren’t available in other sets. So frustrating!
The Answer
Rage no more, my friends. Makeup For Ever has released a line of customizable palettes of eyeshadow and face powders to help you get exactly the shades you need, every time. Here’s how it works: pick a palette size, select shades to fill the palette, and pop the shades into the palette in whatever order your heart desires! The individual pans are magnetic, so they easily snap in and out of the palette, making it a breeze to switch out an individual shade when you need to re-order, or when you’re feeling like a change.
Some of my favourite things about this system:
- It’s less wasteful, since you’re only buying exactly what you need
- Inserting and removing the individual pans is easy
- The range is much more diverse than traditional palettes, as you can pick what works best for your skin tone rather than what sells to the widest demographic
- The powders feel light on the skin, but last all day
- The shades are highly pigmented and look good with wet or dry application
- Everything is highly blendable, meaning you can build up the exact color you need but can also transition seamlessly to other shades
- The shades come in a wide range of colours and finishes that provide endless opportunities for mixing
The Challenge: How Many Makeup Looks Can I Create?
Since a big part of this collection is about channeling your inner artist, I decided to challenge myself to see how many looks I could create using only the eyeshadows and face powders included in my Artist Color palettes, while changing up my eyeliners and lipsticks. I used Tarte Cosmetics Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara in Black for each look.
The Artist Face Color shades I chose:
- H-102 (shimmer highlighter)
- S-114 (matte sculpting powder)
- B-206 (matte blush)
The Artist Eye Color shades I chose:
- M-402 Mimosa (matte yellow)
- D- 826 Fig (sparkly deep red)
- S-238 Blue Cedar (satin green-teal)
Looks 1-3: Lashline Love
For these 3 looks, I kept my standard black winged eyeliner on top, but applied the Artist Eye Color shadows along my lower lash line. This is such a quick & easy way to up your makeup game while still remaining totally work-appropriate.
Other products used: Lise Watier Féline Eyeliner in Blackest Black, Filorga Nutri-Filler Plumping Lip Balm
Look 4: Not Your Basic Blue
This was another easy look to put together, but one that I loved because of that incredible Blue Cedar shade. To create this look, I applied Blue Cedar all over my lid (blending slightly past the crease), drew on a little eyeliner to help define my eye shape, and created a bit of contrast by emphasizing my waterline.
Other products used: Lise Watier Féline Eyeliner in Blackest Black, NYX Cosmetics Faux Whites Eye Brightener in Mint Cream, Filorga Nutri-Filler Plumping Lip Balm
Look 5: Fake-out Cut Crease
Cut creases are huge in the beauty industry right now, but getting yours on point can be a real challenge. Here, I’ve done a fake-out version of this trend by applying Fig to my crease, blending it upwards, and then applying concealer all over my lid (using an angled brush to draw a crisp line) and finishing with black eyeliner to heighten the contrast. You get the cut crease look without the stress (or wrist pain from too much blending)!
Other products used: Lise Watier Féline Eyeliner in Blackest Black, Shiseido Cosmetics Rouge Rouge Lipstick in Curious Cassis
Looks 6-7: Hello, Yellow!
Mimosa is both a really fun eyeshadow shade and my drink of choice at brunch. Its bright color and matte finish make it a great way to liven up any look. Playing with contrasting eyeliners and lipsticks helps to really show off this sunny shade.
Other products used: (on left) NYX Cosmetics Coloured Felt Tip Liner in White, Flower Beauty Lip Suede Velvet Lip Chubby in Coral Floral; (on right) Annabelle Cosmetics Kohl Eyeliner in Lapis, Buxom Shimmer Shock Lipstick in Va-Va-Voltage
Looks 8-9: Power Play
For these two looks, I played with the balance of red and yellow. On the left, you’ll see a two-tone version of a smoky eye where Fig takes centre stage. I applied Mimosa on my lid as a base, then created an exaggerated tapered shape by blending Fig into my crease and over my brow bone. To finish, I smoked out my lower lash line with Fig, joining it with the shades on my lid.
On the right, I emphasized the yellow instead. Again, I applied Mimosa to my lid, but this time I wet the brush to ensure the color was as saturated as possible. I blended a small amount of Fig into my crease to create depth, and set off the yellow by drawing thick black winged liner.
Other products used: (on left) Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Notte; (on right) Lise Watier Féline Eyeliner in Blackest Black, NYX Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Maison, NYX Cosmetics Faux Whites Eye Brightener in Mint Cream
Look 10: The Trio
I used all 3 shades of my eyeshadow palette together for this last look: Mimosa on the lid, Blue Cedar in the crease and into the brow bone, and Fig on the lower lash line and to create a winged eye. I love the balance of colours and finishes!
Other products used: Annabelle Cosmetics Retractable Eye Liner in Peacock, Filorga Nutri-Filler Plumping Lip Balm
The beauty of this eyeshadow palette is its versatility: whether you use just one shade, a pair, or all three, you’ll be able to create a striking look that is perfectly suited to you. I had so much fun playing with these eyeshadows and combining the shades to see what I could create. I hope you have as much fun with your custom palette!
The Makeup For Ever Artist Color Collection is available at Sephora and Sephora.ca. Prices range from $37 to $77, depending on the size of palette and number of shades you choose. Individual shade refills retail for $22-$29.
