You know me. I’m forever on the quest for the ultimate ‘no makeup makeup’ find for each product category and whilst I feel like I’ve nailed it in the base and lips category (with Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser and Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors respectively taking each top spot), there’s always been a bit of an opening in the eye category. I thought I had it with Burberry’s Sheer Eyeshadow in Pale Barely, but against my warm skintone it’s a bit too silvery to pull of as a ‘I woke up like ‘dis’ look. MAC’s Eyeshadow in Soba is another one that I crack out when I want it to look like I’ve just got a bit of a natural, but flattering shadow going on on my eyes, but it leans too yellow for it to be considered the epitome of subtle. Though let me tell you guys and girls – I’ve found ‘the one’ and it comes in the form of MAC’s Paintpot in Groundwork…
I’ve never really given MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots much love in the past (except for the L.E shade Eclair which is AWESOME). I think I picked up the shade Rubenesque from a blog sale back in the day and it arrived as a solid puck that no matter how much I warmed it up with my finger still gave off absolutely zero pigment and I’ve played with some of their limited edition shades, but always been a bit underwhelmed with the high glitter content and low colour pay-off. Groundwork on the other hand has been raved about by MUA’s for years, so I took the plunge while having a ‘MAC moment’ about a month ago now – you know the ones – and it’s become my go-to, ‘have no clue what to throw on’ eyeshadow option.
OK, time to quit the blathering and get onto business. It’s a thick cream eyeshadow in pot form that can be smudged over the lids with fingers, a brush or a combination of both, which is the method that I prefer. I take it on a MAC 242 all over and under the eyes and then smudge out the edges with my digits. The colour is a tough one to describe. It’s like a warm-toned, very milky hot chocolate shade. On my skintone it looks like my natural lid hue, but better. Like you know when some people just have the most gorgeous natural shadow to their lids and it looks schmexy? Yeah – that. I can’t work out if there’s shimmer in it or not, but whether it has or hasn’t it transfers into a satin effect on the eye. Not matte, or dewy, just natural. On me the longevity isn’t too fab without a primer, so I pack on my usual NARS Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base underneath to halt-up creasing and as always it works like a dream.
Pair with a tonne of mascara – because I woke up with lashes that are naturally this bushy and voluminous, ok? – and your other ‘no makeup makeup’ finds for the ultimate low-key day of makeup.
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