Today's Look + Avon Smoke and Mirrors Limited Edition Collection.

I fell in love with Smoke and Mirrors the moment I saw it on the pages of Avon's 'Hello Tomorrow' March 1-15 issue. For those who are wondering, 'Hello Tomorrow' is a supplemental magazine to every Avon campaign. And like the regular brochure, it is also published bi-monthly.

Every issue of this magazine is filled with ideas, tips, and offers exclusive to Avon representatives. As you may know, I'm not just an Avon costumer, I'm an 'Avon lady' as well. Being one has its perks, with the Advanced Try Me Offer as my most favorite Avon lady privilege. This is the opportunity to purchase and try the newest items before they are made available to the public. Of course, when we're talking about new makeup releases, expect me to seize each and every opportunity I can get.

Smoke & Mirrors Limited Edition Collection.

And because Smoke & Mirrors (1) has a pretty purple packaging, (2) is intended for the smoky eye look, and (3) sounds very Neil Gaiman, I knew I had to get that eyeshadow palette. Plus the lipsticks and eyeliners that are also part of the Smoke & Mirrors collection.

As I've promised earlier, here are the swatches from the entire collection. First up, the eyeshadow which I got for Php 309.

Clockwise from top left: Island Breeze, Gray Illusion, Perplexed Purple, Nude and Infused.

The greens and the purples in this palette compliment each other beautifully. The autumn-toned colors are warm, rich, and very sophisticated. Highly-pigmented and guaranteed long-lasting, these shades can be worn  day or night, or even from day until night! For instance, you can create a subtle, office-appropriate, daytime look which you can tweak and retouch later on for that smouldering, nighttime, smoky eye look.

From L-R: Island Breeze, Gray Illusion, Nude and Infused, Perplexed Purple

And you know how much of a fan sucker I am when it comes to smoky eyes. Especially when there's purple / a touch of purple going on with the look.

Now these gel eyeliners (Php 189 each) are something new to me, as I am more familiar with the conventional eyeliner pencil and liquid eyeliner.

Golden Fawn.

Blackberry.

Blackberry (left), Golden Fawn (right).

These are actually my first gel eyeliners ever, and I'm amazed at how easy it was to work with this product. Unlike liquid eyeliners (which actually took me a long time to get the hang of it), the gel eyeliners glide smoothly and for someone with wobbly hands, these babies are quite easy to control. They don't smudge or flake, and are pretty long-lasting, too. 

Golden Fawn (left), Blackberry (right).

But it's the unique and intense colors of these Avon gel eyeliners that I love the most. Golden Fawn is a metallic pewter shade with gold undertones, while Blackberry has a brownish-slash-blackish plum vibe to it. The former is great for making your eyes appear brighter, while the latter is a gorgeous alternative to the usual black waterlines.

The lipsticks (also priced at Php 189 each) are just as stunning.

Apricot Mystery.

Apricot Mystery.

Apricot Mystery has a coral shade with orange undertones. It may look dark and intense from this point of view, but when worn it's actually light, creamy, and almost sheer.

Purple Hazed.

Purple Hazed.

Purple Hazed, as the name implies, is a purple lipstick with light pink undertones. It may look too pale or too frosted, but in actual, this product has a creamy yet glossy finish - characteristic of most Avon lipsticks from the Ultra Moisture Rich line.

Apricot Mystery (left), Purple Hazed (right).

I love it because it's purple, and its sheerness is just to my liking. It's the kind of icy plum shade that works best when you're sporting those dark, smoky eyes.

And speaking of which, here's the look I've created using the Smoke and Mirrors collection.

Gray Illusion on the lids, Nude and Infused on the creases.
Perplexed Purple on the outer V, Island Breeze on the brow bone / highlight. 

I love my cheekbones, lol. Pardon the narcissism. :)

I've been obsessing over Big Bang's Fantastic Baby these days, and I'm totally digging TOP's smoky eyes in the music video.

Fantastic Baby! :)

So yeah, this look was inspired by the best Korean rapper with the sexiest smoky eyes ever. (Sorry, Jun Ki! You come in second, though!) And yes, I was listening to Alive the entire time I was doing my makeup.

Smoke and Mirrors, success! :)

Capping off this post, here are the products I used for this look.

L'Oreal Base Magique Primer
Avon Healthy Makeup BB Cream in Light
Avon Ideal Luminous Dual Powder Foundation in Shell
Avon Ideal Luminous Concealer Stick in Almond
Fanny Serrano Eyebrow Liner in Dark Brown
Avon Smoke and Mirrors Eyeshadow Quad
Avon Gel Eyeliner in Blackberry
Avon Super Curlacious Waterproof Mascara in Black
Human Nature Love Minerals Blush in Pink Quartz
Jordana Lip Liner in Rose
Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipstick in Purple Hazed

The Smoke and Mirrors collection will be available to the public starting March 16, 2012. Better pre-order from your Avon reps now, as these goods will be out for a limited time only.

And now I'm off to remove all this gunk from my face and get me some sleep! :)

Sharing the purples with Color, Click, Capture and Artistic Tuesday.


A great euphonious in every box