Basics for Beginners: Eyeshadow | Palettes + Singles

This is the final installment of the Basics for Beginners: Eyeshadow series. Click here for Part I regarding Eyeshadow Primers, or click here for Part II on Eyeshadow Brushes.

This finale of the series is regarding my favorite options for eyeshadow palettes and singles. My favorite palettes are the Urban Decay Naked 1 and 2 palettes and my favorite singles are the NYX matte shadows. So, let's jump right in! 

Urban Decay Naked 1 + 2 Palettes ($54 at Ulta)

The Urban Decay Naked Palettes are collections of different varieties of neutral eyeshadows. Naked has cool-toned neutrals, Naked2 has warm-toned neutrals, and Naked3 (not pictured) has rose gold-toned neutrals. I am a fair-skinned, blue-eyed redhead, so I did not think that Naked3 would be suited for me. If I had to choose one that suites my hair, skin tone, and hair color the best, I would say it would be the original Naked palette since it is cool toned. The blue color and cool-toned neutrals in the Naked palette seem to compliment me the best. However, you can see I've hit pan in a lot of the Naked2 shadows as well. I love them both very much. 

These were my first high-end makeup purchases and I've been very very happy with them. They satisfy so many looks from everyday, to night, to dramatic and are perfect for travel. I would say that even though the price point is pretty high, this is great for beginners who aren't really sure what they like, but want to try some different things. All of the shadows have great pigmentation and are such great quality.
In an every day look using the Naked 1 palette, I use Naked all over the lid, Buck in the crease, and Virgin to highlight the center of my lid and my brow bone. My other favorites in this palette are Half Baked, Toasted, and Hustle.
My every day look using the Naked 2 palette includes using Foxy all over the lid, Tease in the crease, and Bootycall as a highlight. I also like to use Verve and Pistol as a metallic smokey eye for nighttime. 

NYX Nude Matte Eyeshadow ($4.99 each at Ulta)

These shadows are such a bargain and are my favorite drugstore/budget eyeshadows. There are 16 available colors in this range and they are all neutral matte shades. I love to use the Underneath it All shade as a crease contour color and I use the Skinny Dip color as a night time plum smokey eye when I want to do something different than a brown or black smokey eye. The color payoff is great for a drugstore product and there is minimal fallout. I love to use these when I want to mix it up a bit from my Naked palettes. NYX makes some great products in general so if you want to try something different, check them out at Ulta and select drugstores. They also carry some shimmery shades that would be great as a highlight.

If you try out any of these palettes or singles, please tweet me a picture of your makeup look @TheRegularGirl1

I hope this little mini-series gave you some guidance in where to start exploring when it comes to applying eyeshadow and what tools to use in order to get the best out of your money. I think I may continue the Basics for Beginners theme and do some different series with lip products, foundations, etc., so be on the look out for that. 

If there is anything in particular you would like to see up next, please do so in the comments below! Until then, thank you for visiting!

Basics for Beginners: Eyeshadow | Brushes

This is Part II of my Basics for Beginners: Eyeshadow series. Click here to read last week's post about eyeshadow primers!
Now that we know all about eyeshadow primers, it's important to talk about brushes. I firmly believe that your brushes can easily ruin an eyeshadow look. My favorite are the EcoTools and Real Techniques eyeshadow brushes. Both brands have kits you can buy specifically for eye makeup that include all of the brushes for applying eye shadow. 

EcoTools ($17.99 at Ulta)

I bought these brushes in a set a long time ago, so the exact kit isn't available anymore, but the link will take you to the closest thing that is currently available (the blush brush included in this kit is wonderful as well and is a brush I use every day). This brand can be found at most drug stores and at Ulta. The handles are made with bamboo and recycled aluminum and the bristles are made with a synthetic fiber called Taklon. These brushes are great for applying shadow all over the lid and for highlighting the brow bone with a light, glowy color such as Virgin from the Naked 1 palette, or Bootycall from the Naked 2 palette. The description lists the larger flat brush as a concealer brush, but I use it as a shadow brush for all over the lid. 

Real Techniques ($17.99 at Ulta)

This kit comes with 5 brushes, but the 2 pictured above are the ones I use the most. This brand is at Ulta and at some select drug stores. The bristles in these brushes are also made with the synthetic fiber used in the EcoTools brushes above and are super easy to clean. The "base shadow brush" is a bit fluffier than the EcoTools flat shadow brushes and I use it for blending a medium color into the crease of my eye lid. The "deluxe crease brush" is round and has a lot of bristles that is perfect for blending. I usually use this clean in order to blend any harsh lines out of my eyeshadow look. This brand of brushes is so great and I own a lot of their other brushes as well. They are very versatile and are very easy to clean because of the material they are made out of. I truly believe that these brushes are the best value for your money. 

Brushes are a very personal thing, so if you try these out, please let me know what you thought of them. Do you have some different brushes that are your favorites? Please share them with me in the comments below. 

Basics for Beginners: Eyeshadow | Primers

I had a friend ask me for some eyeshadow tips yesterday and, after answering her (in a very lengthy facebook message complete with pictures), I decided that this would be a great blog post series. She just got a new job and really wanted to up her makeup game. Specifically, she was wondering what eyeshadow I use + recommend and what products were the best value for her money.
I've decided to do this as a short series, starting this post with eyeshadow primers. There will later be posts regarding brushes and eyeshadows.
So, let's dive right in, shall we?

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of eyeshadow primer. Eyeshadow primer changed my makeup life and it will change how your eyeshadow applies, whether your eyeshadow is high-end or drugstore. I have a few favorites that I want to share with you that are both drugstore and high-end.

Revlon Photoready Eye Primer + Brightener ($10.49 at Ulta)

This is by far my favorite eye primer at the drugstore. It claims to also be an eye brightener, but I strictly use this product as an eyeshadow primer. The applicator is a twist-up brush. I apply this product by putting it on the tips of my ring fingers and gently rubbing it onto my entire eyelid. A little goes a long way, so you just need a little bit to get the job done. While this is on the more expensive side of drugstore products, it's still cheaper than a high-end primer, and does a much better job than other drugstore primers I've tried. After it has dried, I apply my eyeshadow. It enhances the pigmentation of my eyeshadows and keeps them in place without creasing. Definitely a holy grail drugstore product for me.


Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($20 at Ulta)

This primer by Urban Decay was the first high-end eyeshadow primer I ever tried and is what got me completely and utterly hooked. This photo is not the full-size product (because I ran out and haven't repurchased yet), but this sample size comes free with the Naked 1 palette by Urban Decay that I will be discussing later in this series. This primer comes in a few different varieties (Shimmer, Color-Correcting, etc.), but the Original is my favorite. The only downside that I found with this product is that when you get toward the end of the primer, the oil starts to separate itself from the product, so I had to make sure I shook the container before applying it on my lids. At the very end of it's life, I just had to throw it away and buy another one because it was just too oily.

NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base ($25 at Sephora)

This, fellow Regular Girls, is my holy grail eyeshadow primer. I decided to try this after running out of the Urban Decay Primer Potion and it was the best decision I ever made. This product is perfect if you have oily skin and/or you live in a humid place. It enhances the color of your eyeshadows, keeps your shadows in place all day, and doesn't crease. As with most primers, a little goes a long way, so it will last you quite awhile. I have no complaints about this product and I will continue to repurchase.

No matter which of these primers you use, they will enhance your eyeshadows whether they're high-end or drugstore. What primer did you use or did you try, and which one is your favorite? 

Keep your eyes peeled next week for the next post in this series about my favorite eyeshadow brushes! 

First Impressions | Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner

Good evening (or good morning, rather), fellow Regular Girls!
I went to Sephora recently and, in a moment of weakness, purchased Benefit's They're Real! Push-Up Liner. In insurmountable excitement to try this product, I decided to do a First Impressions video with my reaction and initial review. Enjoy!



If you'd like to see me do another First Impressions video with another product, please let me know in the comments below! 

New URL!

Fresh Mani Friday | Half-Moon Manicure

It's Friday and I have a new manicure that I wanted to share with you all. I decided to try something different, so I thought I'd give the half-moon trend a go. It was very easy and I like how it turned out.

First, I painted all of my nails the gold color (Nicole's The Next CEO). After it had completely dried, I placed circle stickers across the top of the nail to create the half-moon shape and painted the exposed nail the grey/taupe color (Wet n Wild's Wet Cement). I then finished it off with Seche Vite top coat (as always). I'm looking forward to trying this in the future with different color combinations.

What is your current favorite nail trend? Take a picture and tag me on Twitter: @TheRegularGirl1
I'd love to see what creations you guys have been doing!