Haaaay, shady lady! Okay, I know you’re not shady… It’s just that for some reason every time I think of the MAC Shadowy Lady quad from last week’s Cult of Cherry collection I am compelled to shout “shady lady!”
A few days ago, reader Lexi asked to see a face of the day with the Shadowy (Shady!) Lady quad. That sounded like fun, so here’s the look I wore to work yesterday — a light purple eye with a bright blue liner.
Lips
Products
How to Get the Lip Look
- First, I lined my lips with Pink Treat Cremestick.
- Next, I applied one layer of Lightly Ripe Lipstick directly from the tube onto my lips, blotted my lips with a tissue and then added a second layer for good luck.
- To finish the lips, I topped them off with a layer of Rich & Ripe Lipglass.
Cheeks
Products
Get the Cheek Look
- Using a 129 powder/blush brush, I swept Blooming atop the apples of my cheeks and then up into the hairline.
- Next, I applied Stila Sun Bronzer with a 116 blush brush, starting near the outer corner of my right eye and swiping down the curve of the cheek bone (under the apple of my cheek). Then, I swiped back up the same way. From there, I swiped the brush over the right temple onto my upper forehead just below the hairline (reverse and repeat the process on your left).
Eyes
Products
- MAC Concrete Eye Shadow
- MAC Painterly Paint Pot
- MAC Shadowy Lady Eye Shadow Quad
- MAC Fix+
- MAC Prep + Prime Lash
- MAC Zoomlash Mascara in Zoom Black
The Eyes: Step by Step
- First, with a 266 angled brush, I shaded in my brows with Concrete.
- Then, I patted Painterly Paint Pot over the entire eye with a 239 eye shading brush.
- Next, I dusted Light Fall over the Painterly Paint Pot on the eye with a 252 eye shader brush.
- Using a 217 blending brush, I applied Smudged Violet onto my lids, blending out the edges with the same brush.
- To make the outer corner look a bit smokier, I added Shadowy Lady with a 224 tapered blending brush and applied the color with a small, circular motion.
- To line my eyes, I wanted something a bit different than my regular old black liner, so I wet a 212 flat brush with a spritz of MAC Fix+ and swept the wet brush head across a pan of Deep Truth eye shadow. I applied the wet shadow to my upper lash line, thickening the line as it got closer to the outer corner my eye.
- To finish the eye look, I curled my lashes and added two coats of Prep + Prime Lash followed by two coats of Zoomblack mascara (on the upper lashes only).
The Completed Shadowy (Shady!) Lady Look
I am *lurving* the colors in this quad, particularly Smudged Violet and Shadowy Lady. I dig wearable purple shades. I think Deep Truth, the shimmery blue, is also gorgeous, but I’ll have to work with it a bit more. I tried using it in my crease the other day but wound up with a hot blue mess. If you’ve got the color and have some ideas for pairings with other MAC shades, I’d love to hear ’em!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Elle says
This is stunning on you!! I love what you did with the quad, and I like how Blooming looks with the Stila bronzer. These CoC quads are all sorts of awesome…and I think the Lightly Ripe/Rich and Ripe combo is going to be really popular. I’ll send over my pic tonight of the Spiced Chocolate look…I tried to re-create it this morning and think I did a semi-decent job. 😉
Ooh, and those earrings are so pretty!
Paula says
Oh, this is such a pretty look. I love the blue as eyeliner. That is exactly what I thought of when I saw this palette. Out of all of the Cult of Cherry palettes, this is the one I have had my eye on.
And I gotta ask, I love your FOTD’s, and I wanna know how ofter you wear mascara on your bottom lashes in the day? I have always worn mascara on my lower lashes since I was taught how to hold the wand, but I see more looks with no mascara on the bottom. Should that just be an evening/more dramatic look? Just curious for your opinion.
Have a great day!
Eru says
I’m so in love with shadowy lady!:D I got it in the cool palette from last winter, it’s so versatile! ^-^ The look’s gorgeous. The shimmery lips fit so well.
I’d pair Deep Truth with a lighter blue. Maybe it could look great with Moonflower! 😀
Hugs :3
cloudburst says
A very pretty day friendly look. I was undecided about the blushes in CoC, but I see they are very wearable & pretty – I’m gonna get them!
abigail says
ohhh…those purple are so gorgeous! 🙂
Karen says
Hi Elle,
I think the quads are kinda awesome, too! I will look out for your Spiced Chocolate look… did you do the same look from Sunday?
I didn’t realize until after I put the earrings on that they matched the liner. H&M, baby!
Hope you’re having a good one. Right now I’m trying very hard to wake up. I didn’t sleep well last night. ZzZzzzz!
Karen says
Hi Paula,
Thanks! This is a great palette and well worth the $.
Regarding mascara, I rarely wear it on the bottom during the day. Mostly it’s because I don’t like really drawing attention to the lower eye area because of my dark circles. I think that it is appropriate to wear during the day, just as long as you don’t go too over the top and it still looks natural!
You have a great day, too!
Karen says
Hi Eru,
OOoOoo, I don’t have Moonflower. I will investigate that. Blue is relatively new for me so using it is always an adventure. 🙂
Are you almost on your fourth Twilight book?
Karen says
Hi Cloudburst,
Thank ya, girlie! I wasn’t wowed at first by the blushes either, but turns out they’re great! I didn’t think I’d be able to wear Blooming until winter so this was a nice surprise. 🙂
Karen says
Hi Abigail,
Thank you! 🙂 I know you love the purples!
Tali says
KAren.. 1st i just want to say i am obsessed with your beauty blog..its amazing
2ndly.. im in the uk just foaming at the mouth for cultof cherry. I already have my wanted list.
In the uk they wont let us see the mac usa site (redirects straight back to the uk one) so you have been my only link to the world of CoC!!
3rd.. that eye shaddow combo looks amazing on your skintone!
Karen says
Hi Tali,
Aww, thanks! I am glad to hear you like the site. 🙂 What’s on your Cult of Cherry list so far?
Tali says
Unofficially everything but paying attention to the budget
Spiced chocolate quad, lipglass in CoC & Cherry blossom
russian red & lightly ripe lipstick!
But when have girls ever payed attention to the budget?! 🙂
Mariah says
Love it! I passed on this quad because I already have the FABULOUS Deep Truth, and have an overabundance of purple shadows already. But it looks SOOOO good on you! Before I even clicked the link today I thought, “OOh! She lined with Deep Truth!” Very pretty Karen!!
Evie says
So pretty!! I always get inspired by your eye looks 🙂
I just got all three CoC quads yesterday and lurrrve them. I’m wearing the shadowy lady one today too with lightfall on browbone, shadowy lady on the inner corner, deep truth on the outer corner, and a light sweep of smudged violet over the whole lid to tone it down a little.
Eru says
I’m already on page 150 (more or less) of Breaking Dawn! Every night I reach for the book, I read about 200 pages so I’m trying to take it easy.:D
I’m so happy I discovered Twilight! Hope the films are as great as the novels.
More hugs! :3
Dao says
Nice tutorial Karen! I love the blue eye color as well as your earrings. You look great! P.S: love the new Tabs banner on top 🙂
Daos last blog post..A Quick Guide to My Makeup Blog 2.0
lexi says
Yay – my begging paid off! Thanks girl – it looks super cute and I will try deep truth as a liner. I did buy Lightly Ripe too and I still want the Tempting quad! Since I’m taking my daughter for a walk in the park today I think I’m just going to do a neutral eye but with “O” on my lips! I’ll save this eye look for my first date in a long time with my husband!
Megan says
Very Pretty Karen. I may actually find time to hit the mall Sunday or Monday and check out some makeup for the first time in forever.I’m kinda excited. I’ll be sure to stop by the MAC Counter to check this out. I will probably quickly go into lemming overload though. Lately I’ve been up in home depot and Walmart like every day. By the way…I’ve decided to have a love/hate (with an emphasis on hate) with Walmart. Why does the blue painter tape have to be like $1.50 a roll cheaper than home depot which is right next door. 🙁
Elle says
Hiya Karen!
Yup, I did a pretty similar look, but a bit less dramatic, I think. I didn’t wear as much Brash this time around. I also kind of had a hard timd keeping the shadow liner on my bottom eye line (or whatever it’s called…lol 🙂 ) but it looked pretty good for a first-time attempt at this look on my own.
I also got sucked into buying some MAC brushes for the first time, and I have to say that I love them. I’m used to my brush sets from Sephora, which are still good, but the MAC brushes are a bit denser and easy to work with, if that makes any sense. The 266 is my new favorite 🙂 I know you like MAC brushes, but are there any other brands you happen to like too?
Bisi says
Hi Karen, I decided to come out of my “lurking and hiding” stage and officially say I am addicted to your blog, and love reading your posts. I’ve been perusing your site for a few months now, and although its been horrible for my bank account, it’s been great for my makeup skills! 🙂 Thanks for posting your looks, recommendations, etc. Now I just need to decide which of these CoC quads will go best with my blue eyes, NW25 complextion, and brown hair! 🙂
Amanda says
this is soooo wearable, yet colorful and fun (what I strive for quite a lot with makeup and faces of the day!)…..another great look to try to copy. smudgeable violet looks amazing on you. your eyes look just overall sparkly in that last photo, yet close up there is a little surprise pop of blue.
Karen says
Hi Tali,
True, true! I end up telling myself I can return products if I don’t absolutely love something; unfortunately I find myself falling in love with products all the time, ha ha ha!
Are you into the dark lip shades? Cause if you’re budgeting then I recommend that you only get one Mattene. They’re pretty but super dark.
Karen says
Hi Mariah,
Thanks girl! What do you use Deep Truth with? I need some ideas!
Karen says
Hi Evie,
Pretty! I will have to try a dark shade on the inner corner one of these days. I can’t always pull it off because of the dark circles thing (boo) but I do like the look! Did you use a base underneath?
Karen says
Hi Eru,
Oh! I can’t believe you’re almost done with the story! Let me know when you get to the part when you say to yourself, “OH NO HE DIDN’T!!!”
Karen says
Hi Dao,
Thanks Dao! Do you have Deep Truth?
Karen says
Hi Lexi,
You’re welcome! 🙂 Oh… and you can always smudge it on top of a pencil line if you’re in the mood for smokey!
Have fun walking in the park today. The weather up here in the Marin is really nice. I wan to play hooky!
Karen says
Hi Megan,
Girl! You are officially a homeowner if you’re always kicking it at Home Depot and Walmart! That’s so great.
Hopefully when you hit the mall the new Laura Mercier Lip Velvets will be out so you can try them. I’m still stalking the counter and they haven’t arrived… Did you ever pick up any fall goodies from the Estee Lauder?
I am about to have an Emergen-C in a second. I got about 2 seconds of sleep last night!
Lucy says
OMG…I love this look on you! I have the same colorings as you so I’m definitely going to try this look with my Shadowy Lady quad! yay! I heard purples really brings out Brown eyes!
gio says
This look is beautiful. I love the blue as eyeliner.
gios last blog post..Product Review: Britney Spears Believe Fragrance
Karen says
Hi Elle,
Yeah, I know what you mean about the lower lash line shadows staying in place. If you have any “clear” primer, like Urban Decay Potion Primer or Too Faced Shadow Insurance around, you could try running a lil’ bit underneath the lash line before you apply the shadow to give it something to stick to. Also, another trick is to apply a pencil liner first, and then smudge the shadow on top. I find that this helps keep it in place, too!
For brushes, I’ve recently “re-discovered” Sephora brushes. I have a few eye brushes from their Smokey Eye Kit and I like ’em more than I thought I would. The Sonia Kashuk ones are also good, too, and cheeeeeap!
My MAC brushes will always be my faves. They have seriously taken a beating for the last few years and they still perform great.
Karen says
Hi Bisi,
It’s good to meet you! I’m glad you decided to de-lurk and say hello. 🙂
When are you going to the MAC counter? I think you’ll have fun playing with the quads…. get the one that makes you go “OoOoOOOOh!” when you swatch it, LOL. Seriously!
Karen says
Hi Amanda,
Thanks! Girl, and it’s so easy to do, too. I hope you try it! 🙂
Karen says
Hi Lucy,
Purples make brown eyes pop! I am finding greens also look great, too. 🙂 Have fun trying this look out… lemme know how it goes!
Elle says
Thanks for the tips, Karen! Hope you catch up on some sleep tonight 🙂
Karen says
You’re welcome, Elle. Forgot to ask you earlier — which MAC brushes did you pick up? The 217 better be in that batch, girlie! 😉
I’m SOOOOO sleepy right now. I’m listening to some music on Pandora and that’s helping a bit, but seriously, I feel like the walking dead!
This is what I get for watching scary TV before bed and having a cat that wants to party all the time!
Bisi says
Thanks, Karen. I’m hitting the MAC counter (and sephora, and god knows what else) on Thursday night, after my hair appointment. Fall is the perfect occasion for a mini-makeover, isn’t it? I’ll let you know what I end up getting!
Evie says
Hi Karen,
I usually use UD primer potion and then the lightest shade I’m wearing as a base, although that’s mostly because my application skills aren’t super great so darker shadows tend to look splotchy if I apply them right on top of the primer potion.
I know what you mean about the dark circles 😛 I’ve been going light on the lower lid liner for years because of those things…
Karen says
Hi Bisi,
You’re welcome! Have fun hitting all the counters… say hi to all the Dior shadows for me while you’re shopping, LOL. I’ve been loving them lately!
You’re right — tall is the perfect time for a makeover. I want to cut my hair now, too. I know I should probably keep it long since the weather will get cold (long hair keeps me warm!) but I’m itching for something different. Are you going for a dramatic cut?
Karen says
Hi Evie,
I used to use UD Primer Potion back in the day! I quit, though, because of the same issues — I couldn’t put dark shadows on top of it without it getting all splotchy and crazy. You aren’t the only one, girlie!
I hear ya on the light lower liner! That’s one of my tricks, too, LOL.
Asta says
This is super cute! I haven’t even touched this quad yet because I’ve been all over the other two. I’ll have to try a few looks before the weekend. I stopped by MAC again today and grabbed the rest of the lipglasses (Liquer and Cherry Blossom) and O. The MA was wearing an amazing look: Sharp all around the inner half of her eye, top and bottom, and the Spiced Chocolate quad on the outer half and crease. She blended the browns and green together so that it formed an angle from her pupil slanted inward. It was soooo pretty! I’m going to try it and I’ll send you a pic if it works!.
Karen says
Hi Asta,
I wanna see! It sounds dramatic and theatrical.
Get on your Shadowy Lady, lady!
Dao says
I don’t have Deep Truth but I do have something similar in another brand that looks like ink, very pretty.
Kerry says
Hey Karen
Its me again…do you have a prefered primer for the eyes? and does wearing primer make a big difference?
Marisol says
What a hottie! I like this look a lot. The blue gives it a pop which is awesome!
Marisols last blog post..Yes We Can
kia says
your eyes look awesome with those hot earrings!
kias last blog post..Yummy411: TLC with Keisha Nash Whitaker – Who Are You Wearing?
Glosslizard says
Heeyyy! I’m back from my camping trip (thank gawd)! This may sound silly, but every night (both) as I lay freezing in our tent, I distracted myself by thinking about MAC’s COC collection! Even the colors I don’t have and don’t want! They’re so dramatic, they occupied my thoughts quite nicely! 🙂
That said, this is the quad I have, and I love it! I love this look! It’s so stylish and quite lovely! Well done!
Elena says
Karen!
How do you manage to keep getting (even) better with these looks? I’m going to sound like such a broken record but this is one of my favorite looks on you. I was so bored and down and out today, this post inspired me to go for a make-over at the MAC counter tomorrow. Wish me luck! 😀
Lilan says
Hi Karen,
Happy Tuesday!
I’m loving the lippie today and the blue liner from the quad. Also, is it just me or are your brows looking extra hot as well??
Hope all is well! 🙂
Brenda says
You will be surprised, but try pairing the blue shade (mid lid to outer corner) with a warm dark brown color (on the outer corner crease)…use a beige golden light shade on the inner corner and make sure to blend well…..it is a beautiful but unlikely pair. I learned that combination from a makeup artist that has worked on Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova, Lady Diana, etc…..beautiful!
Tiera says
You look gorgeous! I took a pass on the Shadow Lady quad, but I might reconsider…
Tiffany says
Hey Karen!
Gorgeous, as always! And I’m loving the new banner, lol!
Miss QQ says
Hi Karen. I think there’s something about your lips. Every time you show a lip look, it’s always stunning! Makes me wanna get the lip products but they never look the same on me. But I will still try this combination when CoC launches.
Kerry says
I am thinking about changing/upgrading my skincare regime any suggestions for a line of products I could try?
Kerry
Aleks says
You look so hot! Love it how you’ve matched everything together! 🙂 What’s up? Long time no speak!!
Karen says
Hi Dao,
Oh! That sounds very pretty. I bet it’s very dark, yah?
Karen says
Hi Kerry,
I know a lot of people like Urban Decay Potion Primer, but I hate it. I really like Too Faced Shadow Insurance as an all purple primer.
Read the review here.
MAC Paint Pots and Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows are nice, too. If you’ve got super oily lids, these might crease on you. A way to remedy the sitch is to apply Too Faced Underneath!
Hope this helps. 🙂
Karen says
Hi Marisol,
Thanks, m’ dear! Do you ever rock the blue shadow?
Karen says
Hi Kia,
Thanks, hon! 🙂 Wouldja believe they were just $2.90? I loves me some H&M accessories.
Hope you’re doing great!
Karen says
Hi Glosslizard,
Ha ha ha! That sounds like something I’d do. It would help distract me from the pain caused by not showering, LOL!
What is your favorite look from your quad so far?
Karen says
Hi Elena,
Awww, thanks! 🙂 How did the MAC visit go?
Karen says
Hi Lilan,
Happy Tuesday to you, too, girlie!
Ha, I just plucked those bad boys. You know my shizz is hairy, LOL. It’s a never ending battle!
Have a good week. 🙂
Karen says
Hi Brenda,
Thanks for this look idea! I can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Karen says
Hi Tiera,
It’s fun… if you don’t get it you’ll have to pick up Deep Truth at the least! So pretty!
Karen says
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you! LOL, yah, that banner is fun. Tabs thinks he’s a star…
Karen says
Hi Miss QQ,
I think my lip color changes the shades of lipsticks and glosses. I once tried applying foundation on them to cancel out the color but it dried out my lips, boo hoo.
I hope Cult of Cherry launches soon. 🙂
Karen says
Hi Kerry,
I bounce around different skin care lines, but there are few things that are staples for me:
Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser
Shiseido Sunscreen
Clean & Clear advantage
My skin is dry/acne prone. How bout you?
Hope this helps!
Karen says
Hi Aleks!
What’s going on, girl? How is life? 🙂
Marisol says
I do like the blue shadows. Freshwater is my fave but Deep Truth is a close second. I like to mostly use it as a liner to avoid the 80’s blue eye shadow look.
Marisols last blog post..Yes We Can
Kerry says
Hey Karen
Thanks I will definately investigate. My skin type not really sure…the best bet would be combination skin.
Glosslizard says
I’ve been lovin’ on the Kirsch mattene (patted on lightly since it’s still warm weather), so I’ve kept the eye look subtle. Lightfall all over with Smudged Violet (<3) smoked out in the outer V. I also tried Shadowy Lady wet as a liner with this look and it is sooooo beautiful! I can’t believe I even considered for a moment NOT getting this quad! 🙂
I did try lightly blending in a little Deep Truth at the outer edge and it sort of intensifies the colors into violet rather than plum! It’s a pretty option for getting a broader color range out of the palette!
Lilan says
You did a great job plucking, Karen!
I’m a total mess when it comes to tweezing so I just get them waxed. And even then, I don’t get ’em groomed as often as I should 🙂
Lilans last blog post..My Quest for Bombshell Brows