Eyes

I’ve written about Jelly Pong Pong in the past, but must confess I initially brushed off the brand as an adorable novelty, rather than a serious cosmetic contender. Two recent product samples have this beauty blogger rethinking that opinion and Nude and Improved is one of them!

This shadow primer, in a hard-to-find pencil form, is a great solution for women who aren’t fond of liquid primers. It’s a snap to apply, simply draw onto lids and blend with a fingertip.  Coverage is incredibly easy to control, and shadow appears more vibrant and lasts forever when applied over it.

But wait… there’s more!  This handy little pencil isn’t just a primer, but can act as a concealer too!  Retail price is 12 GBP on the Jelly Pong Pong website, for my Brit chick readers.  Yankee girls can find it at Cherry Culture for $15.

Click HERE to check out Nude and Improved on the Jelly Pong Pong website.

Click HERE to check out Nued and Improved at Cherry Culture.

Trends come and trends go… but neutral shades are always "in".  This seasons browns range from sparkling champagnes to deep, ashen chocolates.  Here are some great choices for the perfect neutral eye this season. 

	Looking for a feather-light eyeshadow that glides on like silk?  Benefit Silky Powder Eyeshadow is the solution.  Part of the Love Your Look collection, these shadows are amazingly refined.  No need to worry about creasing!  They wear well, and the shade "soft shoulder" is a warm medium brown that creates a gorgeous neutral eye.  Retail price is $18.  Click HERE to buy these shadows from Benefit Cosmetics.
	Who says matte equals flat?  Urban Decay's matte shadow collection proves that shadow can be dramatic without the shimmer.  This Fall, Urban Decay launched "Shakedown" pictured at left. This matte shade is a gorgeous mushroom brown color.  This shade is equally perfect to add drama to your office look, or to wear to an evening event!  Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow retails for $16, and can be found at Urban Decay and Sephora.com and Beauty.com.
	I've written about BECCA's Ultimate Mascara in the past.  I was so excited to hear that this Fall Becca has added a new shade of mascara to the "ultimate" family!  This bronze mascara is a deep chocolate brown with just a hint of metallic shimmer.  Best of all is that it's tubing technology makes it impervious to smudging.  Retail price is $24.  Check it out at the BECCA website.
	TINte recently introduced the Match Book.  Three palette shades take the guess work out of creating a smoky eye, a blushing complexion, or a beautiful neutral eye.  Each palette retails for a mere $28, and includes two eye shadows, a dreamy cream eyeliner, blush and two lip shades.  The "Natural Beauty" palette comes with 2 applicator brushes, and step-by-step instructions on how to achieve that perfect, neutral look!  Click HERE to check it out at TINte cosmetics.
	This Fall, tarte has expanded their emphasEYES eye pencil from one color (the original emphasEYES is black) to four!  Options like green and plum are super-fun, but the classic brown shade named "chocolate" is the one you'll turn to over and over again.  Use this pencil on the inner rims of the eyes for a dramatic smoky brown eye, or on the outside for a natural, minimalistic look.  Retails for $18 at tarte online, Sephora.com and Beauty.com.
	CARGO recently expanded their PlantLove brand (previously only lipsticks) to an entire line of cosmetics… eyeshadow, bronzer, illuminator, eye pencils, lip pencils and so much more! PlantLove is made with the finest natural and organic ingredients and free of parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, and synthetic dyes and fragrances. The shadows are high- pigment and long-wearing.  The shade "Pelican" is a gorgeous, pale champagne that works as a fantastic base shade for a shimmery neutral eye.  CARGO's PlantLove shadow retails for $20, and can be found at Sephora.com

I'm a former frequent traveler, and always hated whittling down my makeup collection to carry-on size. Luckily, today's business woman on the go needs no such sacrifice. These adorable shadow duos by MAC in the Suite Array collection are roughly the size of a matchbook, and are available in 8 different color combos.

I'm loving the shimmering Sweet Liaison (a pale yellow gold and dark metallic brown) and the sultry Smoke & Ash (perfect to create the smokey eye).  The surprise was how much I liked the Rose Suites shades (top image).  The pale pink/deep pink combo wasn't overkill at all.  The combination was eye-opening!

The best part?  These adorable sliding compacts are also economical.  Retail price is $16 for each compact!

Click HERE to shop MAC online.  These compacts can also be purchased at Nordstrom.

Colors available:
Sweet Liaison
Small Pan: Pale yellow with gold pearl
Big Pan: Deep brown with gold pearl
Rose Suites
Small Pan: Intense blue pink
Big Pan: Light yellow pink with silver pearl
Team Violets
Small Pan: Dark burgundy with burgundy pearl
Big Pan: Mid-tone violet with gold pearl
Counterparts
Small Pan: Deep forest with gold pearl
Big Pan: Mid-tone orange with gold pearl
Shallow V. Deep
Small Pan: Bluish green with gold pearl
Big Pan: Mint with silver pearl
Blue Zone
Small Pan: Deep grey/green with silver pearl
Big Pan: Light ice blue with silver pearl
Ocean 2
Small Pan: Mid-tone blue with silver pearl
Big Pan: Light blue with silver pearl
Smoke & Ash
Small Pan: Black with silver pearl
Big Pan: Mid-tone grey silver pearl

Shop the makeup counters at your local department store and you'll notice one color dominates this fall:  PURPLE!  Whether it be a vibrant plum or an almost-black aubergine, there are countless options for working the color purple into your look this Fall.  I've had the opportunity to give many of them a test-drive.  Here are some must-try purple options for Fall!

	Urban Decay launched three new matte shadows for Fall, including "Heist" pictured at left. This matte shade is a smoky grayish purple. Just a tiny hint of the color purple, perfect for those of you fearful of vibrant eye color! Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow retails for $16, and can be found at Urban Decay and Sephora.com and Beauty.com.
	Thought you couldn't wear a purple lipstick?  The deliciously sheer plum lipstick shade by Urban Decay named "Vinyl" will make you think again.  This baby is universally flattering, and the formula is creamy and nourishing!  Retail is $22.  Check it out at Urban Decay, beauty.com or Sephora.com.
	Satin, lustre and matte finishes are all combined in this extremely rich shadow quad by MAC. "Shadowy Lady", part of the Cult of Cherry collection, contains limited edition shadows in shades of lilac, purple and a deep electric blue. Retail is $36.  Check it out at MAC online.
	tarte cosmetics offers this incredible dual-ended product for creating the perfect purple eye.  Indelible Wink in plum is a combination liquid liner and matte shadow that is perfectly portable and so simple to use. Indelible Wink can be found for $22 at tarte online, Sephora.com and beauty.com.
	Creating a purple smoky eye for yourself this fall?  tarte's legendary emphasEYES is now available in plum!  Intended for use on the inner rims of the eye, this precise pencil retails for $18 at tarte online, Sephora.com and Beauty.com.
	Benefit Cosmetics certainly knows how to play with color to make the eyes "pop"! The recently launched BADgal plum makes any eye-color look more intense and vibrant… while making lashes appear longer and more voluminous!  BADgal products by benefit can be found at benefit cosmetics online and Sephora.com.  BADgal Plum retails for $19.
	This ever-so-versatile creaseless cream eyeshadow/liner by benefit is available in a gorgeous lavender shade named "gossip".  Ideal for subtly working some purple into your routine, this amazing product blends like a dream. I'm a fan of using this as a shadow on my lids, or as a liner at times I'd normally opt for gray.  Snag this shadow for $19 at benefit cosmetics online or Sephora.com
	Not one… not two… but three Milano Trio eyeshadow palettes will help you achieve a perfect purple eye, courtesy of Borghese Cosmetics!  These silky shadows wear forever, and are even formulated to help soften the delicate skin around the eye.  Puccini Plum (top), Tuscan Plum (center) and Violetta Venezia (bottom) provide color options from warm brownish-plums to cool royal-purples.  Retail price is $33 at Borghese.
	Don't be surprised.  In OPI's new Couture Collection, La Collection de France, four of the twelve shades are gorgeous shades of purple.  Yes, 1/3 of the entire collection!  The image to the left is Parlez-vous Opi?, a smoky violet that is white hot this season.  (Please try to ignore my raggedy cuticles!)
	Looking for purple with a bit of an edge?  OPI's Eiffel For This Color is an extremely dark black grape shade with a hint of shimmer.  Fantastic for those looking for something to wear to a special party.
	OPI Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not is a grape/fuchsia combination that transcends season.  This vibrant purple would look equally great slopeside or seaside.
	OPI's Yes… I Can-Can! is a deep, dark eggplant shade that is urban-chic in a bottle.  OPI polish retails for $7.50 and is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP.  Click HERE to head over to the OPI website to check out the whole collection.  For locations that sell OPI, click HERE to find a retailer near you, or head to drugstore.comto buy a bottle online!
	butter LONDON's Prince's Plums is a deep purple with an iridescent bluish hue.  How can I describe this unusual shade to do it justice?  Ok:  If a human could see the color "ultraviolet", this is what I imagine it would look like.  It's almost super-natural!
	This extremely dark royal purple has a touch of a champagne shimmer to it, making it classic and regal.  Branwen's Feather by butter LONDON is the shade of purple you should choose if you'd ordinarily select a shimmery burgundy.  Click HERE to head over to butter LONDON to check out their fantastic selection!  A bottle of butter LONDON polish retails for $12, and is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP.
	I first wrote about sukicolor pure cream stain back in April… and certainly haven't forgotten about this gem!  This pigment-rich cream can be used on both cheeks and lips, and it's deep purplish-burgundy hue is on-trend for Fall!  Head over to sukicolor online to read more, or you can shop the complete line of sukicolor makeup at Upurea.com.  Retail is $40.
	Dior jumped on the purple bandwagon by introducing the shade "Plum" in the Diorshow Mascara family! This almost-black shade of eggplant is a fantastic way to add length and volume to your lashes. Naturally, this 2008 best of Sephora winner does not disappoint where mascara is concerned!  This limited edition mascara retails for $24 at Sephora.com.
	The Princess Palette by Bella Il Fiore is an excellent choice for those in search of a fantastic purple smoky eye.  Six different shades of purple are complemented by a military green shade, and a bronze shade.  Pigment-rich and super shimmery, this palette strives to get you noticed!  The Bella Il Fiore palette retails for $14, and can be found at Bella Beauty online.

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