Taupe is Dope - Eyeshadow Swatches

I love taupe. I wish I had more taupe, because it's fun to wear as a more intricate EOTD, but it can also look pretty on its own.

I've rallied up the five taupes that I have, swatched 'em, and reviewed all five (yes, just five) for you! Three of them are from palettes, so they have no specific shade name. I've photographed them without flash and with flash, as the flash shows off the shimmer/metallic finish more.

 

L-R: MAC Satin Taupe, Christian Dior Incognito, Majolica Majorca Majotrick BR711, Majolica Majorca Jewelling Eyes BL711, Laura Mercier Alloy.

MAC Satin Taupe: This is a Veluxe Pearl shadow, which is my absolute favorite finish from MAC. It's soft, creamy, and pigmented and applies like a dream. For the longest time I would just wear this with Naked Lunch as my go-to look. It also looks incredible on its own.

Christian Dior Incognito: This is one of the five shades in the Incognito quint by Dior, and it's my only matte taupe. I find that the matte Dior shadows are easier to work with than the shimmery ones, which are so sheer I look like I have discoballs on my eyelids once the color is built up enough. The entire quint is neutral but I have to say the light pink and the grey-toned taupe are the standouts of the group.

Majolica Majorca Majotrick BR711: This is part of a quad from Shiseido's popular drugstore line in Japan. It's actually quite similar to Satin Taupe, but not quite as warm as it has a silver flash to it whereas MAC's has more gold in my opinion. MM shadows can be hit or miss, especially their palettes, but I found that it applies very well on the eyelid even without a primer.

Majolica Majorca Jewelling Eyes BL711: Brand new for Spring 2010, this quad has a lovely cool taupe as the darkest selection. I haven't tried a complete look with the quad, only with the green and blue, but the taupe is lovely and I'm sure I'll be using it soon.

Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Color in Alloy: I have another of LM's metallic cremes (in Platinum) and Alloy does not disappoint either in terms of pigment, staying power, and ease of applying. It's one of the best formulas for creme eyeshadow that I've tried, and Alloy is such a gorgeous color. It's more red than Satin Taupe. It is definitely the warmest of my taupes, and I'm a NW10 so I'm amazed I can pull it off.

And that's the last of them! I'm hoping to get my hands on some more taupes in the future, as they are so wearable and my favorite neutral. There are so many different kinds! Please feel free to drop a comment with your recommendations for other taupes. :)