
Critics are calling Smoky Plum “The sleeper hit of spring shadows!”
Well, not really… I have no idea what they’re calling it, but I’m calling it ohmygoshLURVE! 🙂
Watch out! — or this shadow will steal your heart (like it stole mine).
I mean, I love Clarins and all, but when I think of sultry, pulse-quickening smokey shadows, Clarins doesn’t usually spring to mind. Most of the time I head over to NARS, MAC, Chanel or Tom Ford for that.

But Smoky Plum, one of 14 pieces in the new Opalescence spring collection, could confidently hold its own with the smokiest of the smokey. Surprisingly complex, I think it’s definitely worth considering if you’re on the prowl for your next great smokey shadow.

A shimmery bronzed purple with taupe tendencies, it’s designed to be worn wet or dry, which just means that applying it with a wet brush head coaxes out more of the pigment and enhances the metallic finish.

Either way, applied wet or dry, I think Smoky Plum is pretty damned hot, and I used a combination of wet and dry applications for my makeup in these pics to get those light-to-dark gradients I love when I wear smokey eyes (incidentally, I like to spell smokey with an ‘e’ before the ‘y,’ while Clarins spells it without one).

Wait ’til you get this purple puppy on your lids. Smoky Plum swatches beautifully on the back of a hand, but I think it’s infinitely prettier on eyes.
The first time I applied it, I remember looking in the mirror with the finished look and blinking incredulously a few times. Suddenly, tiny little flecks of silvery glitter appeared out of nowhere!
