Eyes

“If you’re going to San Francisco,” the song goes, “be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” Flowers like the ones that bloom 365 days a year inside the gigantic 19th century greenhouse that is the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. It’s the oldest municipal wooden conservatory remaining in the United States and one of my favorite places in the city to visit with a camera.

From the steamy, lush jungles of the Lowland Tropics Room to the giant Victoria amazonica water lilies of the Aquatic Room, the structure must contain every conceivable shade of green (they practically drip from the walls!). Not only is it a very peaceful, beautiful place filled with exotic plants, but by virtue of it basically being a gargantuan greenhouse, it also reminds me of one of my favorite MAC shadows, the appropriately named Humid ($14.50).

A MAC artist introduced me to Humid a few years ago. I told her I was looking for one green to rule them all! “This is the only green you’ll ever need,” she said, as she handed me the pan.

Homegirl was NOT kidding. You know the whole “desert island” scenario? Where you can only bring one thing? Well, assuming of course the island had air conditioning, running water, a Trader Joe’s (gotta get my Mango & Cream Bars, yo!) and Channing Tatum, I’d bring Humid Eyeshadow. 🙂
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What I wouldn’t give to learn the story behind the name of today’s MAC Unsung Hero, Naked Lunch ($14.50).

Was there really a lunch in which the attendees were naked (eww!)? If so, I wonder what was on the menu… I assume that soups and other hot foods were absent, as well as beans and cheeses that encourage, um, bloat.

I’m all for culinary adventures, but when it comes to my lunches, I think I’ll stick to wearing clothes and this powder shadow from MAC’s permanent line. 🙂

When I need something foolproof to wear with my favorite browns, I often reach for Naked Lunch. It casts a candlelit glow on my skin that ignores my fine lines, and it blends like a makeup dream.

On me, it’s a champagne peachy pink with a subtle sheen — a demure, slightly warmer, less glittery version of Stila Kitten, perhaps, and its flexibility could rival Olympic gymnasts! I wear it as a lid color (fab for a wide-eyed look), as a highlighter along my brow bone, at the inner corners, and sometimes even as a face highlighter.

Swatch of Naked Lunch with the flash
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Wow. I just realized that my love affair with MAC Vex Eyeshadow ($14.50) has spanned almost 10 years… And you know what? I love it as much today as I did the first day we met — the first time I swiped this duo-chrome powder shadow on the back of my hand.

Vex can be vexing hiding in its pan like a boring blah gray, but it comes to life when it touches skin, gracing it with a really pretty glow. A beige with greenish pink pearl and a frosty finish, it flashes pink from some angles and green from others — almost like crushed pearls under a bright light. I think of it as the MAC Strobe Cream of the eyeshadow world.

When I first got Vex(ed), it was to wear it with smokey eyes, and I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve used it for that (usually with MAC Soft Brown, Print and Brule).

But smokey eyes aren’t the only ways I’ve worn Vex. I also love it dressed down…

• Clean, classic cat eye: When I want to do a clean, classic cat eye with a little twist, I’ll apply Vex from the lash line to just below the brown bone, pop a matte brown shadow into the crease for definition (a few to try: Soft Brown, Saddle and Folie) and then line my upper lash line with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.
• Glowy eyes: When I’m short on shuteye and lookin’ beat, I pat Vex on the lid and into the crease with either a MAC 217 (or my fingers if I’m in hurry), curl my lashes and add a few coats of mascara. It’s quick, easy, and I swear it’s looks like getting an extra three hours of sleep.
• Glowy Eyes 2.0: After applying MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush to my lids, I apply Vex to the inner corners of my eyes with a MAC 219 Pencil Brush. A quick lash curl and a few coats of mascara later, I’m glowing. 🙂

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