Pure Cosmetics Buff Collection Palette Tutorial
Because of a horrifying past experience, I’ve never really played around much with rosey toned eyeshadows. When I was first starting to experiment more with makeup, I remember covering my eyes in pink eyeshadow. Of course, back then it was just one shadow and go. There was no blending or defining. As I got older and looked at those old photos, I never wanted to touch a pink eyeshadow again! It made me look so sick! But Urban Decay started bringing it back when they released their Naked 3 palette, which led other brands to do the same. The Pure Cosmetics Buff Collection palette has all rosey tones and although I wasn’t a complete fan of the formula (you can read my full review here), I still wanted to post a tutorial showing an eyelook you can create using just this palette. And I’m happy to say I’m not as scared using these shades anymore. It’s darker than what I usually do, but I’m really liking it!
For my base and primer, I’m using the Elf Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in the shade Soiree. To be honest, I’ve never even used this product before and I’m not sure what I was thinking when I bought it. But the formula on this is so smooth! I applied it with my finger and it blended very nicely while providing a good bit of base color.
Going straight into the palette, I’m using Clay on a Morphe MB23 blending brush to carelessly apply it in my crease, outer corner, and a little above my browbone. This will create a soft definition and a matte backdrop behind everything since all of the other shades have some sort of shimmer in them.
Taking a little bit of Mojave mixed with Canyon, I’m applying that on the outer half of my lid with a Sephora Professionals blending brush. This brush is slightly more dense than the other Morphe one I just used and will help to focus the color a little better while blending it at the same time to make the job easier.
After I applied those shades, it looked a little too dark and intense for what I was going for. So instead of using this Sonia Kashuk blending brush clean like I usually do, I took some of Quartz and Dune mixed together to lighten it up. Using lighter shades on a very fluffy blending brush will also help to make the blending process go faster.
Then, combining even more shades! I mixed Dust and Barren on an Elf Contour Brush to apply that on the very outer corner of my eye. This will create more definition and dimension between the colors, as well as make it more of a smokey eye effect. It’s even more important to blend these darker shades because these are the ones that can make things look harsh. Take your time blending!
For the lower lash line, I’m using Sandstone on a C513 from Crown Brush. Putting shadow under the lower lashes will keep things from looking too top heavy on the upper lid. This shade has more brown tones in it than the other shadows that we’ve used, so it will also help ground the look a bit.
Finishing up on the upper lid, I’m taking a combination of Sahara and Mesa and applying that on the inner half of my eyelid. These two shades are very similar and ones I wish were a little brighter than they are, but it’s okay for this particular look. I like to apply it with my fingers first to get a more pigmented application and then clean it up with a BH Cosmetics #103 Small Shader brush from their Eye Essential Brush Set. I definitely recommend looking into that set if you haven’t already. The brushes are great quality and it has everything you would need to complete this look.
To highlight my inner corner, I’m using Quartz on a small smudge brush from the Sephora Professionals collection. This is one of the three matte shades in the palette, so it will help to create some contrast between the finishes that we have on the lid. You could also use this shade to highlight underneath the eyebrow.
You could use black liner if you would like, but I’m sticking to this palette for the entire look so we’re going with a dark purple. I like to apply a pencil liner first and then a matching eyeshadow on top. You can read more about that trick here. The pencil that I’m using is a Jordana Cosmetics Retractable liner in the shade Eggplant. To set that in place, I’m putting Mirage directly on top of it with an angled eyeliner brush from Ecotools.
Finish up with your typical mascara routine and your favorite mascara. I usually like to use two mascaras to get my lashes the way I want, but I’ve really been loving the Benefit Roller Lash lately and think it performs nicely on its own. If false lashes are your thing, this would also be a great look to pair them with.
Here’s a close up of what the final product looks like:
And our typical reference guide showing each step we just did:
For previously being terrified to even touch a pink toned eyeshadow, I’m actually really happy with the way this look turned out and it is one that I would do again. Although the eyeshadow formula and shade selection in this palette aren’t necessarily my favorite, I do like that I was able to complete an entire look without having to reach for anything else. If you try this look yourself, please tag me on social media. Links are at the bottom of the post and on the right sidebar, I would love to see your creations!
~Mani Monday~
I realized I haven’t even tried the Butter London nail polish that I received in my December Boxycharm yet! So that’s what I’m wearing this week and I decided to pair it with a Nicole by OPI gold glitter in the shade On A Gilt Trip because I love the way these dark reds look with gold glitter. On A Gilt Trip is my favorite gold polish and we will see how this Butter London polish (Ruby Murray) wears throughout the week. I wasn’t a fan of their formula on the last polish I tried from them, but this color is really pretty so I’m keeping my hopes up!
What’s on your nails this week?
~Christina~
Don’t forget to follow me on all of my social media!