We haven't had an Edward Bess morning in a while, and there are still a few of his marvelous Ultra Luminous Eye Shadows that I haven't shown or discussed here, so let's have a look at Mystery. Once again, Edward Bess takes an unassuming neutral brownish shade and infuses it with his magic. It's usually hard to be excited about a simple cool brown color- haven't we all been wearing them from the very beginning of our love affair with makeup? But as some of you already know, it's all in the way these eye shadows look on your lids.
Between the silky smooth finely-milled texture, the way it melds with the skin and Edward Bess' way of selecting pigments that bring out the best in one's skin and eyes, the Ultra Luminous eye shadows have become one of my favorite go-to no-brainer items. I wear them alone, combined or as a backdrop for a bold hint of color on the lid or lash line and know I can always trust them to look polished and just right. It's one less thing to stress about when doing my makeup- if I don't have the time or inclination to experiment I wear Edward Bess. However, as Edward himself has shown me a couple of times, the eye shadows can also be used more heavily to create some of the more dramatic and sultry looks. Smoky eyes, big dark lids- a look out of an old black and white movie with the same products you use for a clean everyday look.
Mystery is cooler and darker than Escape but more brown than Intimate and Dusk. It looks more shimmery in the pan than it is on my eyes- it truly is Luminous, not sparkly. It adds dimension and focus to the most simple eye looks, and works beautifully under the lower lashes without ever spreading all over the place or making me into a sleepless brown raccoon. The eye shadow can be applied with a pencil-type brush, packed on with a flat sable one or sheered and diffused with a fluffy crease/blending brush such as Edward Bess eye brush.
Bottom Line: essential and versatile.
Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Eye Shadows ($30) are available from Bergdorf Goodman, select Neiman Marcus location (as well as online) and edwardbess.com.
All photos are mine.
That's a lovely colour. I'm tempted to give it a try sometime as I often find browns a little awkward. I totally appreciate the Bess magic. Nothing in the least bit ordinary about these neutrals!
ReplyDeleteNice review and great pictures. I have always wanted to try Mystery, but browns can be so tricky on me, and I am already so happy with Intimate and Dusk. I am also a huge fan of his extremely flattering shades and textures. I love how his shadows make my eyes gleam.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Mystery lovely? I'm sure that many women who haven't tried an EB shadow yet are wondering what the big deal is. The big deal is the soft glow that his shadows have when the color settles, it's the way they play with and enhance natural skin tones, it's the soft and silky texture that blends beautifully, it's the way they remain color true for hours of wear. Need I say more? I like Modesty's reference to "the Bess magic." I see his magic as being able to transform basic colors into something that looks anything but basic when applied.
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