I am not a makeup artist. Are you? If so, would you care to live in my handbag? Because I really need to you to apply my makeup in the most kick ass way and then be on hand for touch ups. Not appealing? Well, excuse me, makeup artist who doesn’t want to live in my handbag. Because I found something that does the trick and without feasting off the crackers I’ve stolen from last night’s restaurant.
Who is the eager interloper ready to replace my imaginary, petite makeup artist friend? It’s Tarte’s Lock & Roll 12-Hour Eyeshadow ($17). New for summer, this gadgety eyeshadow makes application easy for the most basic makeup artists – like me! It is formulated without parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, phthalates, SLS, synthetic fragrances or dyes. It comes in recyclable packaging printed with soy inks, and it is cruelty free.
Called a “creaseless cream and powder shadow duo,” this eyeshadow is a little wand with a brush cream applicator on one end and a powder shadow roller on the other. As Tarte describes it, “the matching loose shadow in a roller ball applicator easily glides over cream shadow to lock color in and add luminosity so color lasts all day.” It is also waterproof and crease proof.
And yes, it works. How do I know this? I have the skills of a trained monkey when it comes to eyeshadow application, and I managed to apply it without major issue. The cream side is a little tricky – make sure you “drain” the brush as you would before applying nail polish. I didn’t on the first round and ended up looking like the climatic end of Rocky – pre-Sylvester Stallone plastic surgery makeover.
But the roll-on side works like a charm. I found the roll-on end really easy to apply. I was also able to get a clean line that went straight into “favorite tool for smoky eye” territory. The color schemes for this line are shimmery bronzes, pinks, blues and greens, so you should be able to find something for your color palette.
And best of all? It fits into your clutch a whole lot easier than Monique, your area makeup artist.