Lavender Lids

So Radiant Orchid is apparently THE color of the year, huh? When I found this out, I was pretty excited because I love purple, but a peak into my closet and makeup stash will assure you that I don't like purple on my body or on my face. The only place I'll usually put the shade is on my nails, which is of course always easy and open for experimentation. But what about purple makeup? Colored eye shadows in particular are becoming more and more prominent, and I think they can actually look really beautiful, modern and fresh when done right - opposite of the bold (and scary) 80's colored shadow look I like to keep in the back of my mind so that I can avoid that look at all costs...

So I decided to put purple shadow to the test. Looking through my makeup, I discovered I only own 1 purple shadow that is by Rimmel, and is a little too dark than what I had in mind, so I decided to do some product searching at Target. Passing by the E.L.F department, I saw a couple of their eyeshadow quads, and their purple one caught my eye immediately. Because I knew I was experimenting and this was only a mere $2, I decided to pick it up so I could keep my options open without forking over too much money.

Upon application, one dip of my MAC 224 brush revealed that these shadows were a bit on the powdery side - not that I was exactly expecting top-notch quality here. I decided to start off with applying a bit of primer so that the shadows would appear more pigmented and stay off longer, and I chose to apply a coat of MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. I was especially drawn to the top lighter color of the palette, but decided that it might look a little too pale all over the lid, so I decided to mix the top two lighter purple shades together in order to create the shade I wanted. I kept the rest of my face clean in fear of overpowering the look, and only applied moisturizer, concealer, mascara, a rose tinted blush and lip balm.

I really liked the way the color came out, and ended up being pleasantly surprised with the overall quality of these eyeshadows. They've got a bit of shimmer but nothing too overwhelming and didn't result in too much fallout after I tapped off my brush, making them a great option if you're on the hunt for some inexpensive purple shadows.

What do you think about purple shadow? Are you willing to try out any other pastels on the lid this spring?