Like you know when some people just have the most gorgeous natural shadow to their lids and it looks schmexy? Yeah – that. On my skintone it looks like my natural lid hue, but better. It’s like a warm-toned, very milky hot chocolate shade. I take it on a MAC 242 all over and under the eyes and then smudge out the edges with my digits. It’s a thick cream eyeshadow in pot form that can be smudged over the lids with fingers, a brush or a combination of both, which is the method that I prefer. OK, time to quit the blathering and get onto business. Groundwork on the other hand has been raved about by MUA’s for years, so I took the plunge while having a ‘MAC moment’ about a month ago now – you know the ones – and it’s become my go-to, ‘have no clue what to throw on’ eyeshadow option. I think I picked up the shade Rubenesque from a blog sale back in the day and it arrived as a solid puck that no matter how much I warmed it up with my finger still gave off absolutely zero pigment and I’ve played with some of their limited edition shades, but always been a bit underwhelmed with the high glitter content and low colour pay-off. I’ve never really given MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots much love in the past (except for the L.E shade Eclair which is AWESOME). Though let me tell you guys and girls – I’ve found ‘the one’ and it comes in the form of MAC’s Paintpot in Groundwork… MAC’s Eyeshadow in Soba is another one that I crack out when I want it to look like I’ve just got a bit of a natural, but flattering shadow going on on my eyes, but it leans too yellow for it to be considered the epitome of subtle. I thought I had it with Burberry’s Sheer Eyeshadow in Pale Barely, but against my warm skintone it’s a bit too silvery to pull of as a ‘I woke up like ‘dis’ look. I’m forever on the quest for the ultimate ‘no makeup makeup’ find for each product category and whilst I feel like I’ve nailed it in the base and lips category (with Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser and Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors respectively taking each top spot), there’s always been a bit of an opening in the eye category.

Mac paint pot painterly vs. bare study