Kevyn Aucoin The Essential Eye Shadow Set #3

Because a girl can't have enough taupe eye shadows.

The Essential Eye Shadow Palette #3 from Kevyn Aucoin goes and fits everywhere. The sleek compact is slim enough for the tiniest purse pocket or evening clutch and is all one needs to create an elegant eye look, from understated and natural (well, almost natural) to dramatic.


Here's what we have there:

1. Probably the weakest link in this compact, it looks like a shimmery sand/ivory in the compact but it's actually pale gold. Nothing is wrong with that, except for the texture- it's not fine enough and looks a bit rough in daylight. However, it looks very pretty at night and in candle light. Very light but still has quite a bit of pigment that shows on the brow bone.

2. A warm gold. Silky smooth but way too yellow. It's lighter than appears in the compact.

3. A perfect taupe on the gray side.

4. Dark charcoal with subtle shimmer for lining. Also works as a brow filler for dark brunettes in a pinch. The shimmer is not too obvious.

5. Milk chocolate. As basic as they come, warm base.




It's not the best brown-taupe-neutral compact ever, mostly because the lightest colors both have a little too much yellow than needed. Still, it creates beautiful looks and the quality is very good- most of the eye shadows are very finely milled and the pigments are rich.

Kevyn Aucoin Essential Eye Shadow Sets ($55) are available from beauty.com and Sephora (online and is select stores), which is where I bought mine.

All photos (and freaky looking inner wrist) are mine.