Single Shadow Series #1 – Brow Bone & Nude Shades

I AM SO EXCITED TO FINALLY BE PUBLISHING THE FIRST POST OF MY NEW SERIES! This is one I have called the ‘single shadows series’, which is pretty self explanatory haha. I have a great many single shadows in my collection and I’ve wanted to review them all as efficiently as possible. So I devised a thorough system of firstly sorting my shades into colour families, and then selecting four shades for my quad, using them consistently for a couple of days and writing up a short review in my notes section. It’s obviously going to take some months to get through them all! But its the only way I can really test out each shade properly and write a detailed review for my readers, so I truly hope they’re helpful.

My collection mainly consists of Makeup geek which you can purchase from beautybay. Unfortunately they have increased their prices, which is a shame, but nonetheless the quality is amongst the best on the market. A regular MUG shadow costs £6 and a foiled shadow costs £9.25. I also have a couple of Anastasia Beverly Hills shadows, which are £10 each, BUT they have a great permanent promotion where when you purchase 8 shades, you only pay £50 AND you get a free sturdy plastic palette too! So if you buy 8 in total the price goes down to £6.25, which is pretty much the same price as MUG considering you get that free palette too ^_^

Here are the five shades from the brow bone and nude shades in my collection. I think these kinds of shades are essential, although you definitely don’t need all of them. For me a good matte shade and a good satin one are the two I need for sure. With the swatches, I did one swipe with no primer and one swatch on top of a nude coloured eyeshadow primer. The reason being is I NEVER wear shadow without any sort of base. 9/10 I will put concealer on and then set it with a translucent powder firs, so its not really fait to show shadows without a base too.  Okay onto the swatches and of course the reviews!

 The most intense brow bone shade of the lot, Rapunzel is a satin silver/golden shade which I only really use when I want my brow bone to stand out. So think weddings, evenings out, parties etc. I also use this as an inner corner highlight because its great for brightening up that area. The formula of this shadow is beautiful, no fall out whatsoever and the pigmentation is decent too. However I don’t think its a super unique shade and I’m not sure I’d be desperate to repurchase it. It does the job and I think if you’re looking for a strong satin brow bone shade, Rapunzel is for you! But I just really really like mirage and I don’t use this as much as I perhaps could.

THE MOST PERFECT BROW BONE HIGHLIGHT EVER. This is the one shade that I will continue to repurchase over and over again, because I adore it! It is a beautiful sheen finish and the colour is an off white with a tinge of gold, which makes it wonderful for olive skin tones, because its not too stark and doesn’t look ashy at all. I only need one sweep for the whole brow bone area and I love how its effective enough to lift the eye and whole face, but equally its not over the top at all. Mirage is not too strong but equally the pigmentation is really good. Again it works as a stunning inner corner highlight, I sometimes build it up a little if I am using it for the evening, but otherwise it just works a treat with minimal effort.  Seriously mirage is a game changer when it comes to brow bone highlighters and I really do recommend this shade above all others.

A slightly off white shade with faint shimmers in it, vanilla bean is a decent ‘clean up’ sort of brow bone shade, when I have used quite strong colours and its all looking a little bit much, I pop a little bit of this along the brow bone. I find vanilla bean to be pigmented, however I don’t think its the most versatile shade. I wouldn’t apply it all over the lid, as I much prefer a slightly warmer shade for my olive skin tone. Whilst the formula isn’t bad, with little to no fall out, to be honest with you its a bit of a meh shade and I COULD live without it. Although I can use Vanilla Bean, (and of course and I am using it now and again) it’s definitely replaceable and I do reach for mirage more often.

The name for this shade is spot on, because this colour is exactly that, a cream shade which has the most beautifully buttery matte texture. I tap of the brush and you have enough for both brow bones, so a little stretches far.  This shade is one that I will often use as an all over the lid shade, when I don’t have the time for anything more, or for when I want a simple/bright and low-key look. It also lasts well all day long, which makes me so happy because I feel like I am definitely getting my moneys worth!  Cream is a shade that really cleans up any eyeshadow look and its not TOO bright if you have an olive skintone, so it won’t look too stark against your skin. Definitely one of the most versatile shades in my collection, and although my first impressions of it were kinda meh due to it being a lil pink in tone, I have used it so much! And I know it’s gonna be a shade I’ll keep in my collection for a long time.

A muted peach colour, which would definitely work as a transition shade for fairer skin tones. Beaches and Cream is beautiful and it’s often a great all over the lid shade for me, when I have less time to get ready. It sits nicely on the lid and doesn’t crease or fade throughout the day when I’ve used a concealer/base beforehand (which is everytime!).  The reason why I included it in this colour family, is because I had used this as a brow bone matte highlight before and it also works well. So if you have a medium skin tone this’ll be a good all over the lid base shade, or a lowkey brow bone shade. I really like the formula of this shade, one swipe is all you need for decent pigmentation and it blends really well.

Do you own any of these shades? Which are your favourite?