My Eye Shadow Collection and Organization

So I don't have as many eye shadows as some beauty bloggers or YouTubers, but I do have more than enough to last me a lifetime. Also, I've figured out pretty much what I like to wear and what I don't, so my collection consists of mostly things I would use at one time or another throughout any given year.

Now probably 99% of my collection is depotted, meaning I have removed it from it's original packaging. Once I have just the pan of eye shadow remaining, I stick a thin magnet to the back and put it into one of three of the new style MAC pro palettes that don't have an insert in them and have a clear lid. I like these because they feel sturdier to me than a Z Palette, but I can still put pans of all shapes and sizes in them and arrange them however I desire. I have one palette for cool colored eye shadows, one for warm colors and one for matte shadows that are either warm or cool. The reason I separated the mattes out is that I cannot stand when glittery bits get into my matte shadows. Completely defeats the purpose. I try to avoid this entirely by segregating my mattes from my shimmery and glittery, even just satin eye shadows. The only shadows not one of the three MAC pro palettes are my one MAC eye shadow (in the shade Sketch) which sits alone in my MAC quad waiting for 3 more friends, as well as my Guerlain Coup de Foudre shadow quad from Spring '13 (the packaging on this one is just too pretty to destroy) and some individual shadows I list below.

My eye shadows have come from various and sundry sources. Here's a list of brands/palettes they have come from:

• Urban Decay Naked palette
• Urban Decay Naked 2 palette
• Urban decay Naked Basics palette (so I like neutrals...)
• Lorac Mint Edition palette (was available in spring '13 and came with a blush and a higlighter)
• Mary Kay individual shadows
• Bare Minerals The Next Big Thing Quad
• Revlon Colorstay quads in Sea Mist and Siren
• the yellow and red shades from the Kat Von D Starstuck quad (discontinued if I am not mistaken, I didn't hold on to the bronzey shadows because the UD palettes provide all the bronze I'll ever need in this life or the next)
• Wet 'n Wild palettes including Comfort Zone and others I can't remember, but I'm not too worried about remembering
• a few (4?) shadows from a Stila palette that had a cream product in it as well (can't remember the name of it as I got it in a swap and started depotting it almost immediately)

I also have individually potted shadows:

• MAC pigment in Tan
• L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Amber Rush and Endless Sea
• Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink, Barely Branded and Bad to the Bronze

Here's my eye shadow collection. If you have questions on the origin of an certain eye shadow, I will do my best to identify it.

                                                      

Summer Full Face Routine

 This is the makeup routine I've been using this summer when I want a full coverage, flawless face. I find Revlon Colorstay Whipped holds up extremely well in the Midwestern summer heat and humidity. I use this routine when I've got plenty of time to put on my makeup because this uses a bunch of products and takes a decent amount of time to do.

Face

1. Spray Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray all over face
• I use this as a primer since siliconey primers don't seem to do much for me
2. Apply an thin layer of Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in Nude 220 - does not have to be "perfect"
3. Blend out foundation with damp Beauty Blender
4. Apply NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla to imperfections on face and blend out with Beauty Blender
5. Apply Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment in Brightener in a triangle under eyes and across tops of cheeks and blend out with Beauty Blender
• this is my attempt at the Kim Kardashian highlighting technique, just a more wearable version
6. Apply Benefit Erase Paste in No. 1 in a smaller triangle under eyes and blend out with Beauty Blender
7. Apply Cover Girl + Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 215 Light Medium under eyes and Blend out with Beauty Blender
8. Pat Tarte Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder under eyes with Sigma F86 brush and over face with Sigma F30
• I prefer pressing in the powder to sweeping it on as I feel it can drag your face makeup around
9. Contour with MAC Emote blush and 109 brush on cheeks and ELF Flawless Concealer Brush on sides of nose
10. Bronze above contour, on temples, bridge of nose, chin, jawline and neck with MAC Pro Longwear Bronzer in Nude on Board using Sigma F40
11. Apply MAC Ripe for Love blush to cheeks with Real Techniques Blush Brush
12. Highlight cheekbones, center of forehead, down nose, Cupid's bow and chin with Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls in Beige Pearl with Sigma F50 brush
• This is a really subtle highlighter which is nice for summer so I don't look greasy
13. Set with Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray

Eyes

1. Prime eyelids with Urban Decay Primer Potion
2. Cover lid with Urban Decay eye shadow in W.O.S. (from Naked Basics palette) using Sigma E55, bring into inner corners
3. Contour crease with Urban Decay eye shadow in Tease (Naked 2 palette) and an old-style Mary Kay Eye Crease brush
4. Darken outer V with Urban Decay Crave (Naked Basics palette) using the same Mary Kay brush
5. Blend with Urban Decay eye shadow in Naked 2 (Naked Basics palette) using Sigma E40
6. Highlight brow bone with Physicians Formula Beige Pear highlighter used on face using Sigma E70
7. Tightline upper lash line with Urban Decay Blackout (Naked 2 palette) using MAC 212 brush
8. Create small winged eye liner with Physicians Formula Eye Booster Pen in Ultra Black
9. Curl eyelashes with Revlon Beauty Tools ExtraCurl  Lash Curler
10. Apply Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara with Cover Girl Clump Crusher mascara wand (see Products I Would Repurchase post for explanation)
11. Line outer 3rd of lower waterline with Milani Liquid Eye eyeliner in 01 Black

Lips

1. Apply ELF Matte Lip Color in Natural to lips
2. Top with YSL Rouge Volupte in #1
3. (Optional) Top with NARS lipgloss in Chihuahua

Summer Fast Face Routine

This is the makeup routine I've been using this summer when I can't be bothered to put on three concealers, I'm running late for work or I'm not going to be outside for extended periods of time and don't need the staying power of the Revlon Colorstay Whipped. It's quicker and simpler than my full face routine and generally gets me to work on time.

Face

1. Spray Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray all over face
• I use this as a primer since siliconey primers don't seem to do much for me
2. Apply thin layer of Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup in 3.5 - does not have to be "perfect"
3. Blend out with damp Beauty Blender
4. Apply Cover Girl + Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 215 Light Medium under eyes and blend out with Beauty Blender
5. Pat Tarte Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder under eyes with Sigma F86 brush and over face with Sigma F30
6. Apply MAC Ripe for love blush to cheeks with Real Techniques Blush Brush
• I skip contouring and highlighting when I'm in a rush
7. Set with Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray

Eyes

1. Prime eyelids with Urban Decay Primer Potion
2. Apply Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Gel Shadow in Bad to the Bronze on eyelid  with Sigma P84 and blend into crease with Sigma E40
3. Tightline upper lash line with Urban Decay eye shadow in Crave (from Naked Basics palette) using MAC 212 brush
4. Curl lashes with Revlon Beauty Tools ExtraCurl Lash Curler
5. Apply Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara with Cover Girl Clump Crusher mascara wand (see Products I Would Repurchase post for explanation)

Lips

1. NARS lip gloss in Chihuahua OR a bright lipstick like Milani Color Statement Lipstick in 14 Rose Hip