I absolutely adore the Nvey Eco eyeshadows, I recently purchased the palette of five shades in Palette #3 and I am totally enamored of the colors, wearability, blendability and all around "conventional eyeshadow behavior." They are really finely milled so they go on beautifully and the shimmery ones are pearlescent, not disco glitter ball like some of the other mineral shadows I've tried. In particular I love that they are pressed colors, something that is difficult to find in natural or organic makeup. Hence, I am not decorating my countertop each morning with sprays of loose minerals. I'll be honest, I love natural brands, but the loose powder thing really drives me crazy! I always end up with way too much in the sifter tray, spill it on myself in the car when I am touching up, or the cap ends up unscrewing itself in my makeup bag and making a huge mess. Needless to say I am thrilled with the packaging and ease of use of these shadows. The fact that they really are fabulous colors and give conventional shadows a run for their money is the icing on the cake.
Like many of you I was a lover of the MAC counter, in particular the eyeshadows. Since I mostly only wear browns, I had a small treasure trove of everything from sparkly golden brown to dark espresso colors. Hey- I'll be honest, I don't branch out much in my shadow colors these days. In my teens and early twenties I was a little more "free-spirited" with my color choices. Years later, when cleaning out all my old makeup I would come across these bizarre colors and wonder which of my alter-egos decided to visit the MAC counter for a day of shopping.
Luckily for you if you're a little more adventurous like my former selves you can choose from a plethora of gorgeous colors from the Nvey line. In particular I like the palettes- you get a lot of product, they are easy to travel with and I think they are a really good deal, with 5 colors for $63 on the Nvey site. Although if you google them you can find the same palettes for $45.
I also highly recommend the cake eyeliner. I have it in brown and it lasts pretty much all day without smudging and really does rival my old fave: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Espresso. I love it applied wet for a really clean and precise look, but used dry it does a great smoky eye too. Surprisingly, it does a fantastic job of lining your waterline as well, better than any conventional pencil I've tried which always end up smearing all over and disappearing by the end of the night. The cake liner will cost you about $25, and will last you seriously for years. (Although you should toss your makeup after a while to avoid icky bacteria buildup)
It has been a long search to find the right liner and shadows that compare to my old stuff, so here is a quick rundown of what I have tried........ They are still good clean options, but they didn't work for me, but they might for you if for some reason you don't agree with my opinions on the Nvey line.
Shadows:
RMS Cream shadow in Magnetic- beautiful color, super easy to apply with fingers and moisturizing, however it ended up super creased on me even with serious eyelid prepping beforehand.
Vapour Mezmerize Cream Stick Shadow in Charm- I actually love this shadow and still use it as a base, it does crease a little after a while and the color doesn't last all day, but it is still a great option if you like cream shadows. (I prefer powders myself)
Alima Pure Shadows- I tried about 20 different colors with their sample program and I absolutely love this company, their beautiful color line and the overall cuteness of their website, web content and packaging. However, for myself I find that I'm not adept at blending these colors, they get really "muddy" on me. Also, the shadows don't last on my skin for some reason. (I would say I have normal skin- sometimes drier or oiler depending on the weather, but I don't break out really ever, so probably on the drier side of things.) They have a fantastic sample program though, so try them out, they might be perfect for you, especially if you are willing to use a conventional shadow base. Urban Decay makes a fantastic one that I used to love- I'm sure the ingredients are sketchy at best though.
Liners:
Dr. Hauschka Liqid Liner in Black- Ouch ouch, it burns my eyes! Plus it lasted about 30 seconds until I curled my lashes and then pulled a houdini like disappearing act ending up on my Shu Uemura curler, even after ample (15 minute) drying time. 'Nuf said!
Honeybee Gardens Pencil Liner in Jet Set- nice color, probably would do a great smoky eye if you're into that, for me, it is waaaaay to smudgy.
Jane Iredale Pencil Liner in Black Brown- a good pencil liner option, pretty similar to my MAC liners, soft, easy to sharpen and wears pretty well. If you prefer a pencil liner over the Nvey Eco cake liner than this is the one for you!
