Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow Event

Over 200 choices

I usually spend my lunch hour eating a salad while reading Gawker but on Thursday, I got to do something a little more fun: I attended an event to celebrate the launch of Make Up For Ever’s re-formulated Artist Shadow eyeshadow line.

This line has been around for 30 years and is known for its high rate of pigmentation. While most eyeshadows aren’t even 10 per cent pigment, Artist Shadow was around 40; “Was” because this new line delivers “up to 88 per cent concentrated pigment which is the highest on the market.” That means that the gorgeous colour you see in the container is the one that ends up on your eyelids.

But increasing the pigmentation isn’t the only improvement that’s been made with these shadows. The texture is slightly different. While these are powder shadows, they now have a gel-like quality to them that feels amazing and make them really easy to apply and blend. I was amazed to try out an intense blue shadow that delivered the exact, intense blue colour that was in container with one quick sweep of my finger.

Building my mood board

Since MUFE was already changing the formula of this product, it took this opportunity to also overhaul its colours, finishes and even the Artist Shadow naming convention. “With 210 shades consisting of matte, satin, metal, iridescent and diamond finishes, the Artist Shadow range is the most extensive range available to consumers,” says MUFE. I know that this sounds like an exaggeration but I think it might be true; the options are incredible and I completely agree with the press release’s statement that “this vast range of shades offers endless possibilities and the ability to create infinite looks from beautifully natural to highly artistic.”

At Thursday’s event, I first had to do some arts and crafts in the form of creating a mood board. Once that was done, I was able to learn about the new formula and then pick out three colours to take home with me, for free.  With all the choices, this was a very hard decision. In the end I decided to go for one “fun” colour and two that would work for daytime, which you can see pictured below.

I414, M-700 and D-326 

D-326 is definitely the fun colour. It’s a diamond finish, which means it’s packed with sparkle. It’s dark, dramatic and I’m going forward to wearing it out tonight.

I-414 is an iridescent bone-coloured product that’s flattering and works with just about any outfit. Then there’s M-700. I have to admit that I sort of regret picking this one. It has a metal finish and it might be a bit too much for daytime wear. Still, it’s a great, coppery colour that contrasts really nicely with my blue eyes.

In addition to the shadows, I also got to pick out a new eye makeup brush. I went with #210, aka Small Round Shader, a precision brush that I wish I’d picked up years ago. I’ve only had it for two mornings but I’m already using it efficiently apply powder eyeshadow as eyeliner. This is something I’ve always struggled with doing but with this brush, it’s actually really easy.  It retails for $25, which I know isn’t cheap but it works and is part of MUFE’s excellent Artisan Brushes brush line.

As for the updated Artist Shadow collection, well, it’s not cheap either. One colour goes for $25 though you can get a trio for $50. But if you want easy to apply eye colour that’s vivid and that lasts, it’s worth the investment.

The full range will be available online at Sephora and in MUFE boutiques in September, which gives you a bit of time to figure out which colours you want (it’s really hard!).

My mood board; I am a talented artist