When I was flipping through the latest issues of all the fashion magazines, I kept noticing the same thing all over the place -- an emphasis on color, and no color was more prevalent than lavender. I haven't been a big fan of the lighter purples in my clothing wardrobe, I confess, because they make my pale skin with light hair look positively pallid. But after seeing so much lavender makeup, especially with lighter skin tones, I had to give it a shot. And I am so glad I did!

One thing that is easy to find in drugstore cosmetic shopping is eyeshadow and eyeliner in just about every color of the rainbow. I looked through several brands, but decided on Rimmel's Eyeshadow Duo in Slow Motion (Walgreens, $3.99). I liked that it contained a lighter purple for the entire eye area and a darker one for the crease. While I was at the drugstore, I also bought a Prestige Eyeliner Kohn Pencil in Poly (Walgreens, $3.29) that coordinated with the Rimmel eyeshadow.

You might think that some bright colors like these might bring some stares out in public if they were ever to see the light of day. Well, I wore these products to work for an entire week at various intensities. In order to make the colors more intense, just keep on piling on the color. I never felt like "that girl" (you know...that girl...the one who always wears too much makeup). I wore it with pinks and blues and gray and black. It went with a lot of my wardrobe, and I didn't even have to put on anything purple! The colors worked well with my complexion, and did a lot to brighten the eye area.

Apply the lighter color of eyeshadow to the entire eye area, all the way up to the eyebrow. The light color will highlight the area under the brow and brighten your face. Then, follow with the darker color along the crease and then exand the coverage so that there's a wider band of color on the outside edge of the eye. The Rimmel eyeshadow comes with the cheapy little applicators. Sometimes those guys work, but for the Rimmel eyeshadow, throw them out the window. You will not get the preciseness you need with the applicator that comes with the set. Use an eyeshadow brush so that the darker color only goes where you want it to. If you are sloppy with the application, you will look like your eyes are swollen and bruised. Since the intensity increases as you layer it on, I recommend applying the darker color judiciously and taking a look frequently to make sure you haven't crossed the line. If it looks too dark, use a tissue to remove what you can on the top layer without smudging it too much.

Once the eyeshadow is in place, apply your coordinating eyeliner. The Prestige Kohl pencil I got is certainly the right color, but it's not nearly as good as their automatic eyeliner product. I wanted to try something new, but I was definitely wishing I had stuck with my old favorite. The kohl pencil drags on my eyelid, requires too much pressure for any real color application, and doesn't allow you to get close enough to the lash line for blending. After the eyecolor is complete, use a dark black mascara that will really make the lavender eyeshadow pop.

As great as the colors were from my drugstore purchases, I didn't find the eyeshadow or eyeliner to be longwearing. They were both fairly dry, so chances are I rubbed them away throughout the day. At any rate, a quick glance at the mirror before heading to an afternoon meeting showed that it had pretty much disappeared. What a shame.
With all the shortfalls of the drugstore products, I decided to try out a department store product, and since I've been dying to try out Clinique's Colour Surge Super Shimmer eyeshadows (Clinique, $13.50 each), I headed directly to their counter. I tried to choose very similar colors to the Rimmel shades and ended up with Crystal Berry and Purple Pixie along with their Quickliner in Grape (Clinique, $14.50). Clearly, this was a much more expensive venture than the drugstore purchase.

My first impression of the eyeshadow application was that I couldn't believe the nice creamy texture and how smoothly it applied. The color goes on more boldly even with a light hand. I guess that's what they call it colour surge. Plus, it actually lasts throughout the day. The Quickliner for Eyes, applied after the eyeshadow, is always a favorite of mine, and it does everything right -- the coverage is good, it blends in easily with my eyelashes, and it lashes hours longer than my inexpensive drugstore liner. However, my color choices were poor and the shimmer just made it all too much. This is not a color palette that I would wear to work on a regular basis. There's nothing subtle about it, even in the mellow lavender shades that I chose. I am saving the Clinique shades for a night on the town.

The picture at the top? Those are the Rimmel eyeshadows with the Prestige eyeliner pen. That's a look that I would wear to work on a regular basis, or even to the grocery store. If I vary the intensity, it's really a look that I could wear anywhere.

Can I wear this trend? Absolutely! Now what do you think? Is this a trend in your makeup toolkit or one that you would consider?