Bronze eyed girls

Costume National AW15, Zac Posen AW15 and Dsquared2 AW&5. Copyright: M.A.C

Summer is finally here, which means I normally get my bright blue and green eye pencils and eyeliners out or go for a bright red or pink lip and a bare face. But lately, I’ve been keeping it a lot more toned down. Blame it on the professional autumn mood I am in, working on the September issues and catwalk trend reports. There was quite a lot of metallic (brown) going on at the fashion weeks, giving winter a slight summer feel.

I adopted this trend in two ways: easy peasy with a hint of gold eyeshadow on the eyelid and some smudged metallic brown eye pencil. Or I’ll go all the way and go for a smokey metallic eye. With one of these products.

Nude Dude Volume 2 by The Balm

Great packaging and a lovely selection of 12 (not so) nude colours, so you can either go for an I’m not wearing any make-up look or a full-on smouldering smokey.

Urban Decay’s Naked Eyeshadow Palette

A favourite amidst beauty editors and bloggers: this palette contains 12 matte, shimmery, satin and sparkly shades to create great nude and smoky looks. I like to use Sin, Smog and Darkhorse to create a subtle smokey eye. And I always use the brand’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion as a primer so my smokey stays put all day (and night) long.

Yves Rocher’s Botanical Eye Color Pencil in 03 Brun Ecorce

The French brand has just launched this new range of eye pencils. It has some very bright colours – pink, yellow or orange, anyone? – but this brownish metallic colour is great for brown eyed girls who want to emphasise their eyes in a subtle way. These color pencils really stay put (you do get a bit of wear after a couple of hours but nothing too dramatic) and glide effortlessly over the eyelid. Great value for money.

Sisley’s Phyto-Eye Twist in 7 Havana

You can use these eyeshadow pencils as an eyeliner, to create an easy cat eye or mix them up to create a smokey eye. Pricey, I know but the slightly metallic colours are very pretty and they stay put, too.

Chanel’s Stylo Eyeshadow in 147 Caroube (limited edition) 

I love the cold sensation you get when you apply this eyeshadow stick. Very nice on a hot summer’s day. The formula stays well put and has the right amount of metallic. Apply, smudge and done. Although I like to create some depth with a slightly darker eye pencil in the lashes.

Pencil n° 7 by Jacks Beauty Line

This eyeshadow brush is ideal for blending or for applying a light colour eyeshadow. (All brushes by this German brand are hand painted, which means each brush is unique. And they’re made out of animal cruelty-free hairs. So most of the brushes are synthetic, although this one’s made out of goat’s hair. But no goats were hurt.)

Jane Iredale’s Pure Pressed Eye Shadow in Golden Girl

You only need a little eye shadow powder to create a summery smokey. (I like the gold shade with a hint of turquoise eye pencil, too.)

Maybelline’s Color Tattoo 24Hr in Chocolate Suede 96 

I love these budget cream eyeshadows: they’re perfect as a base for a smokey eye but they’re great on their own, as well. They stay perfect all day long and are very easy to blend. A soft metallic brown.

Giorgio Armani’s Eye Tint in 11 Rose Ashes

This liquid eyeshadow turns to powder on your eyelids, giving you enough time to smudge two colours but once it has dried, it won’t budge. This rosey gold looks great with 50’s eyeliner or some khôl

MUD’s Eye Color in Cajun Spice 

A nice coppery shade that gives warmth to your eyes. Great pigmentation.

Burberry’s Eye Colour Cream in Gold Copper No. 100

Burberry’s latest eyeshadow impressed me: I wore it without a primer and it stayed put a long time without creasing. It comes with a handy tiny brush so you can apply it as regular eyeshadow or use it as a liner. This is copper for women who are a bit afraid to wear full on copper like MUD’s Cajun Spice. The powder leaves behind a subtle hint of colour that you can build up if you want something a bit more dramatic.