Smokey Eye ft. Burberry shadows

Hello darlings!

I, after many months of doing very simple makeup, was inspired yesterday to do a bit of a smokey eye. Every now and then you just need to switch it up, ya know? This is a fairly easy eye to accomplish and I'll walk you through it step by step. All you'll need is:

A black eye pencil (I use YSL's waterproof liner)
A black eyeshadow (I used Illamasqua's Zeitgeist pigment)
A deep brown shadow with shimmer (I used Burberry's Midnight Brown)
A warm taupe shadow with shimmer (I used Burberry's Pale Barley)

Firstly, I laid down a rough base with the pencil, smudging it all over my lid just up to the crease. It did not have to be precise- I immediately smudged the entirety with a shadow brush (RBR's shader brush) in order to soften the edges and blend it slightly into my crease.

Next, I packed a black eyeshadow all over the lid to intensify the inky black color and aid in blending with the next couple of shadows.

As a means to soften the harshness of the black, as well as to continue blending the eye into the crease, I used Burberry's Midnight Brown on a MAC 224 brush right into my socket line. This started to create a nice fade of color that allowed the black to transition nicely into the brown. I also smudged a bit of Midnight Brown under my lower lashline using the side of a MAC 239 brush to give a haze of sexy, dirty, smokiness around the eye.

The last shadow I used was Burberry's Pale Barley. Using my MAC 224, I used Pale Barley on top of Midnight Brown to fade the color towards my brow bone. The key to a smokey eye is just layering colors- light and dark. This creates a watercolor effect sans any harsh lines which should be avoided at all costs. Pale Barley was also used under the lower lash line as well as in the tear duct to highlight.

Lastly, line the eyes with your black pencil of choice and finish off with a few coats of black mascara (I used Tom Ford's Extreme mascara)

I like this smokey eye because it's both easy, effective, and looks more difficult than it actually is to create. All in all this took me about ten minutes for both eyes, making it the perfect night out look for when you're in a rush!

Hope you enjoyed!

The finished look

L-R: Illamasqua Zeitgeist, Burberry Pale Barley, Burberry Midnight Brown 

xo Seth

Burberry Pale Barley

There are few other ranges of eyeshadow that have created a bigger buzz on the internet than Burberry's. I, being the maven of beauty that I am, felt the need to drink the Kool-Aid and see what all the fuss was about. Neutrals, I figured, where the safest way to go, so with that in mind I ordered Pale Barley, a new shade that came out this past spring, and have enjoyed every moment it's been in my possession.

Per the Burberry Beauty website:

• Burberry Eye Enhancer comes in weather inspired shades from iconic trench to smoky metal
• The shadows can be blended to create a range of eye enhancing colours
• The innovative formula uses silicones for smooth and flawless application and contains micronised satin smooth pigments to ensure long-lasting colour

We'll get the price out of the way first. $29.00 for an eyeshadow is a hell of a lot of money for most people. For that price, you could get a palette at Sephora or better yet, multiple eyeshadow sets from the drugstore. What you are paying for my friends is quality. (Also keep in mind that a MAC eyeshadow is $15.00 for .05 oz, the Burberry is just slightly more expensive per ounce with .088 oz) The sheer luxury of this eyeshadow is insane. Buttery, soft, smooth, pigmented; all of these adjectives do not even touch the surface of how beautiful this formulation truly is. The texture of Pale Barley is oh so creamy and smooth- it feels genuinely like cream made to powder. Whether you apply with a brush, the sponge applicator, or even your fingers, it applies beautifully without a smidgen of fallout or patchiness. The packaging is luxe and weighty- a checkered gunmetal that magnetizes shut with nary a wayward click or loose hinge. It truly makes you feel like your hard-earned $29.00 went towards something of value. The only other brand I've encountered with such a beautiful formula and artistic packaging is Rouge Bunny Rouge. At a similar price/quality point, either one is worthy of my money- some people may though be turned off by the fact that RBR is only available online whereas Burberry has locations in select Nordstroms and Saks. 

The color is perfection. Utter perfection. A sandy taupe-beige with the most delicate and complex golden shimmer running throughout. It reminds me of fields of wheat swaying in the afternoon sunlight- Pale Barley is certainly an appropriate name. It gives my eyes the slightest amount of warmth and definition, making it the perfect everyday shadow. When I prefer a smoky eye it works as a beautiful transition color in the crease. I could also imagine it being a gorgeous highlighting shade for tan-deep skin tones. 

Burberry Pale Barley- the new neutral. 

Look at how it glows!

A neutral taupe with a bit of pizzazz. 

My Pale Barley's been well-loved!

* All items were purchased with my own money for purposes of review.