Cruelty-free Color Obsessions: Purple!

Let’s just say when I like something, I really commit.  One of the first things that got me thinking about this series was actually thinking about my closet.  I once went on vacation with a friend, with whom I was sharing a hotel room.  After we’d both hung our clothes up in the closet, I heard her laughing to herself and went to investigate the sartorial humor.  She was standing in front of our hangared garments, chuckling, and said “Can you tell we’re two girls from NJ”?  The landscape was black, black, black, white, black, black, burgundy, white, black.

While my cosmetics collection is bit more varied than that, there are definitely shades toward which I clearly gravitate.  I’ve mentioned before that my all time favorite color is burgundy.  I had been thinking about starting this series with that color, but, frankly, the sheer volume of my burgundy beauty products overwhelmed me.  So I decided to start with a slightly less daunting color.

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From amythest (thanks to Princess Amy(thest) in M.M. Kaye’s The Ordinary Princess) to aubergine, I do love purple!

At first, I was just going to share my whole collection, but on reflection that seemed like overkill.  So, what I’ve decided to do instead is show off my particular faves.  Now, even just winnowing down which products deserved consideration was a challenge.  When does dark purple have so much red in it that it transitions to burgundy?  When does lilac have so much pink in that it turns into mauve?

These are the tough questions we must each answer for ourselves 😉  But, I’ve persevered and here they are in case you’re looking to add a little purple to your life 🙂

I have twenty-nine (yes, 2-9) total eye products that I’ve purchased for their purple charms.  From palettes to powder and cream shadow singles all the way to liners and glitters.  I’ve chosen one(ish) from each beauty category to share with you.

You may have figured out by now that I am completely obsessed with Makeup Geek’s Foiled Shadow in Mesmerized, so that had to be the pick for powder shadow single.  I think I’ve featured it in at least 3 prior posts, a cruelty-free favorite of the day, my 1-shadow wonder post, and, of course, my MUG eyeshadow-palooza!

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For cream shadow single, I had to with my ELF Studio Long-Lasting Lustrous Shadow in Festivity.  It gives a gorgeous sparkly shine, and wears surprisingly well throughout the day for a cream shadow.  In fact, it was a crucial component of my look for day “purple” during the cruelty-free color of the day challenge!

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I would be remiss if I didn’t also include my Trish McEvoy 24-hour Shadow + Liner in Smoky Quartz.  Since it’s a combo product, I’m giving myself a pass on including it 😉  It wasn’t included in a featured look, but is one of my favorites as a 1-shadow wonder.

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For actual liners, I’ve chosen the Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pencil in Deep Plum. Great for definition at the lash line, but can also be smudged out for a nice smoldery look.

Hmm, it would appear that all of my faves are somewhat metallic…. if you’d like some recommendations on matte purples, comment below!

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I’m sorry to report that with my ghost-of-Christmas-past skin tone, I’ve not been sufficiently brave to delve into the purple blush category, but, I do think my lip pick is somewhat bold…  I have six lip products that I think could be safely categorized as members of the purple family and my favorite is none other than Too Faced Melted Villain!  Yes, it is that dark, and yes, I’ve happily worn it outside of the house 🙂

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Before I leave you, I have to give an honorable mention to a long-time favorite that wasn’t considered a winner because, sadly, it appears to no longer be available.  It’s ELF’s Essential Brightening Eye Shadow Quad in Day 2 Night.  I love this little thing, and the purple shadow was definitely the clincher in me purchasing this $1 gem.  Maybe we can start a petition to get ELF to bring it back?!

Please do share any of your purple passions and also let me know which color you’d like to see featured next in the cruelty-free color obsessions series!

*These are only my opinions, formed through my personal experience as a consumer.  I am not a medical doctor, an aesthetician, or a health/beauty professional.  There is no guarantee what effect, positive or negative, these products may have on anyone else.

**All products were purchased by me from brands that, to the best of my knowledge, are cruelty-free.