I have to admit being a late bloomer when it comes to makeup, and I am in no way proficient when it comes to anything beyond lipstick, and maybe mascara, but over the past year I have found myself drawn to the intimidating, yet fascinating, world of eye shadow.   I LOVE color!   I recall in high school drawing a blank face in art class and then filling it in with different shades of pastel chalks.  That face lives to this day in my bedroom at my parent’s house tucked under the glass top of the skirted vanity that my mother made for me.  That was my first and last stint as a makeup artist.  I have never been one to take chances with my face, never ever go to bed with makeup on, and rarely wear bright colors on my lips.  My mother, on the other hand, will go to her grave with Revlon “Love That Red” lipstick on and look fabulous.  But I digress.  As for my new fascination with eye shadow, last summer I picked up a palette of Kirkland Signature mineral eye shadows by Borghese.  Of the 8 shades, I am consistently drawn to “Mystique”.  It is a beautiful, soft, yet striking, earthy nude with just the right amount of shimmer and I think it compliments my skin tone well.  It is like the color of shimmery, wet, earthy sand.  The size of the compact is a bit large, but still travels well.  Unfortunately, aside from “Mystique” “Citrine” which really looks like shimmery, creamy, white sand, and “Cocoa” just like it sounds, I have yet to really play with the other shades – “Copper Kiss” “Smokey Amethyst” “Crystal Pink” “Satin” and “Slate”.   And I suppose I haven’t really gotten daring or effective enough in my application as I have only gotten one compliment on my eye makeup in recent months!  However, since I have decided to embrace this new layer of myself, I must continue with the experiment.  I do well putting together clothes, picking out paint colors and fabrics at home so surely I can do the same with eye shadow and be impressive.  After all it is not rocket science!  So onward I go, and find myself back in Costco one day to look up and see an inviting Stila Ultimate Color Palette (which I recently noticed Camille Grammer using during an episode of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills so clearly I have arrived!).  The Stila palette has 39 eye shadows (oy-vey!), 15 lip colors, and 4 cheek colors. 

 It took me months to open it.  Months!  I have only touched two colors, and unfortunately I have no idea what the names are as either it didn’t some with them or I inadvertently threw them away.  Of course I defaulted to a neutral similar to the Borghese “Mystique” and also played with a dark green for night thinking it was less severe than gray or black and would still give me the same smoky look.  Not bad.  The Stila palette so far for me is nicer to look at than use.  But what really prompted this post is my newest score, Urban Decay’s Naked Palette.   First of all I just love the packaging!  Chocolate brown, slim case with big gold lettering NAKED in all caps across the front.  Inside are the most beautiful shades of eye shadow with even more beautiful names – “Virgin” “Sin” “Naked” “Sidecar” “Buck” “Half Baked” “Smog” “Darkhorse” “Toasted” “Hustle” “Creep” and “Gunmetal”.  They are a combination of some experience, cocktail, feeling or evening most evolved urban girls have had or wouldn’t mind having.  I am drawn to every single one of them and I cannot wait to dust them on, and layer them on in combination with whatever experience, cocktail, feeling or evening I am about to have!  Kudos Urban Decay I think I just may have really found my eye shadow home!  After all, what could ever be wrong with Going NAKED?