Have you ever stood at a cosmetic counter and been totally bamboozled by which eyeshadows to choose?

There are so many brands, colours and textures to choose from and why do the prices vary so much?

Believe it or not, in most cases you don’t need to buy the expensive eyeshadows to get the good quality ones, you just need to know the secrets that the professionals use to pick out their products. I am going to share with you how to get that perfect product and how to look after it so you and your prized shadows will have a long and happy life together.

The right stuff

So let’s get down to the basics, what exactly is a good eyeshadow? Well, a good quality eye shadow is a highly pigmented one which means it has a strong colour transfer from the pan to your eyes. There is nothing more frustrating than having a beautiful eye shadow colour, only to find it doesn’t really show up when you apply it.

Luckily, there is a very simple test to check if the eyeshadow of your choice is highly pigmented. All you need to do is take your finger and run it lightly over the eye shadow and if your finger has a solid coating of colour then it means it has a lot of pigment and will be easy to get the colour onto your eyes. If you have to press down or rub firmly to get any colour onto your finger then it will be hard to get any onto your eyes. It really is that simple!

Handle with care

Once you have your new gorgeous highly pigmented eyeshadow there are a few care instructions you should abide by. The most important rule is to avoid touching your own eyeshadow with your fingers! The oils on your skin can set the powder to solid and alas you will have a damaged product that is no longer as fabulous as when you bought it.

If it is too late for some of your current eyeshadows you can easily fix them by lightly scratching off some layers off using a clean mascara wand or the fluffier side of an eyebrow brush. Once you have removed the oil damaged parts they will be as good as new.

To avoid any oily issues all together, it is worth investing in a good quality eyeshadow brush. They say “a workman is only as good as his tools” and having the right tools for your cosmetics will save you time and money. Brushes are the hygienic option and if you treat your brushes right you could own them for the rest of your life. Although they can be expensive, you should think of them as an investment in your beauty future.

A couple of my favourite eyeshadow brushes for home use are the Stila Double Ended Brush No.15 (RRP $52) or Nars Eyeshader Brush No.3 (RRP $88). Both of these brushes are easy to use and are a good size, shape and firmness.

Picking up the pieces

If disaster strikes and you drop your eyeshadow or you have travelled with it and it has disintegrated into dust, it is still salvageable! Just gather all the powder and crumbs back into the pan, then wrap a tissue around two fingers and press the powder back into the pan. Keep pressing from all different angles and quite firmly until the eyeshadow is pressed in and solidified back into the pan.

Unfortunately, due the already crumbled state it won’t ever be completely as good as new, so be gentle and keep it in your bathroom and not your makeup bag.

Now you know all the top tips and secrets to purchase and care for your eye shadows. Treat each one as a precious gem and they will reward you for a very long time!

[box] MY TOP 5

1: Stila Eyeshadow – $29 These are my absolute favourite eyeshadows! Soft textured, high impact and great for every day use. Colours to look for: Kitten or Oasis

2: Mac Pigment Powders – $39 Pigment is a highly concentrated colour powder that will last forever! Colours to look for: Naked or Tan.

3: Nars Eyeshadow Duo – $55 Long wearing, crease resistant colour combinations! Nars is a luxury buy but the quality makes it worth your time and money. Colours to look for: Sugarland or Kalahari.

4: Napoleon Perdis Eye Shadow Quad – $55 I like these because they are an entire set of four colours with applicators that you can keep in your handbag for on the go touch ups! Colours to look for: No. 4 and No. 11

5: Hourglass Visionaire Eye Shadow Duos – $58 These are for our ladies with sensitive eyes, a completely mineral eye shadow that comes with a beautiful little brush for application. Colours to look for: Gypsy and Dune.[/box]

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://hercanberra.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lesley.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Predominantly involved in fashion and dipping into freelance television and celebrity event make-up, Lesley has been working with make-up since 2006. For Lesley, it’s not just the creativity of make-up art, but the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people that keeps it interesting; “Every woman is different in what she needs to feel beautiful and I enjoy finding out what that is and showing how to achieve that look.” Visit Lesley’s website to see her amazing work and follow her on Facebook for the latest news. [/author_info] [/author]