Make Up For Ever + Pantone Color of the Year = LOVE

I have huge - scratch that - MASSIVE love and respect for Make Up For Ever ever since I was first introduced to the brand over a year ago. What started as an idyll fascination has developed into an active, working relationship based on learning and developing skills that no other make up brand has taken the time to teach. How does that old saying go - something about teaching a man to fish instead of just giving him one and sending him on his merry way? Well, though different programs like one-on-one Make Up School and weekly Make Up Mastery Courses, MUFE has put education first, ensuring a loyal customer base that includes make up artists and beauty enthusiasts alike.

Last night at the "With Flying Colors" Event at the Robertson Blvd boutique in L.A., the focus was obviously on color and how to incorporate it into your makeup repertoire. What a great excuse to play with my favorite shades including, by some celestial coincidence, Pantone's Color of the Year: Emerald. I could not have planned this better as it was an ideal pairing of the new Technicolor Palette and Aqua Shadow 8E to create a look that is 100% me!

Eyes by Make Up For Ever
Products used: Technicolor Palette and Aqua Shadow in 8E

The lovely duo: Technicolor Palette and Aqua Shadow in 8E

 What is so unique about the palette is that it combines neutrals with brights, ensuring experimentation and wearability. To achieve this look, almost every color was used, starting with the white in the inner corner, all over the lid (white under a color makes it POP) and to highlight the brow bone. Then the lighter champagne color was swept all over the lid and the darker brown concentrated in the crease. A touch of the black added depth when placed in the outer corner. (For an everyday smokey eye, I could have stopped here but where's the fun in that?!) Next came the color in the form of that light green. With color this bright, it is very important to place the color by patting it on the eye, not swiping or blending. You'll be much more color payoff and won't diffuse the color all over the place. The green is placed in the middle of the lid, where it will have the most impact. The yellow is added to the inner corner and blended in towards the green so that it comes off golden. The blue was added on the outer lash line before adding the green Aqua Shadow pencil in a diagonal shape towards the middle of the eye. This sounds like a lot but the whole thing took less than 5 min including mascara (blue makes eyeballs look whiter!) and brows (Aqua Brow is da bomb!!) The result is totally wearable, emerald green smokey eye that begs to be taken out for a night on the town.

Color is EVERYWHERE this spring so don't be afraid to play and have fun! I, for one, can't wait to try some other looks even though this combo might be a hard one to top.