Trish McEvoy Beauty Emergency Card for Eyes

Trish McEvoy's new Beauty Emergency Card for Eyes ($38) is a precious little thing. About the size of some of my new Le Métier de Beauté palettes, it's small. There's a lot to love in this little bundle, which fits in the palm of your hand. It's sized to go in a Trish McEvoy planner.

The Beauty Emergency Card for Eyes includes one base shadow, one highlighting shadow, four crease/lid shadows, one eye definer, and one eye definer/brow shaper for beautifully defined eyes.

Here are the shades in the palette. The first four shades are those on the top row of the palette shown above, left to right, and the second four are those on the lower row, left to right.

• Deep Aubergine Eye Definer
• Peach Shell Eye Shadow
• Sugar Plum Glaze Eye Shadow
• Gilded Bronze Glaze Eye Shadow
• Rose Quartz Glaze Eye Shadow
  
• White Peach Glaze Eye Shadow
• Gilded Taupe Glaze Eye Shadow

I swatched them all this afternoon when I got home from work. The light was fading, making my photos darker than usual. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do about swatches when daylight savings time ends and it's almost dark when I get home. I may have to solve my indoor photo dilemma. Each shade was applied with a sponge-tipped applicator.

The Deep Aubergine Eye Definer at the top of the photo at right is a pretty eyeliner on me. You really can't see the Peach Shell Eye Shadow on my arm; it blends right in. Below that is Sugar Plum Glaze Eye Shadow. I really like the sheen of the Glaze formula. It shimmers, but very subtly. Gilded Bronze Glaze Eye Shadow is at the bottom of this photo. Great color! I am using this on my entire lower lid, and it's very flattering - a perfect daytime shade.

The photo at left shows the "lower level" of the palette. The Brow Definer in Natural looks almost camel applied it on my arm, but it's a great shadow to fill in the brows. It adds very natural definition - for me. I have friends for whom this shade wouldn't work (it's too light for those with very dark brows, but it's perfect on me).

Rose Quartz Glaze Eye Shadow is shown second from top at left, followed by White Peach Glaze Eye Shadow. White Peach is a gorgeous lid color - striking alone or set off by a darker shade in the outer corner.

My favorite shade in the palette is at the bottom: the new Gilded Taupe Glaze Eye Shadow. I'm a taupe fanatic, buying every nice taupe that comes along, and I would have purchased this palette for Gilded Taupe alone. I've been wearing it in the outer corner and outer crease, and I love its look. I apply it using Loyd Cassler's trick. After picking up the shadow with your brush, apply it on the outer corner of the lid, starting right above the crease and using downward strokes to the lashes. Start at the outside and take the color in as far as you wish. The technique gives you the same results you would get by painting a "sideways V" with the point toward your hairline, but it's faster.

Trish McEvoy offers another very pretty palette (a duo) that also includes Gilded Taupe. It's the Gilded Eye Palette ($32), and it includes Gilded Lily, which provides a pretty wash to the eyelid. Nice palette! You can purchase each shade alone (you save nothing by purchasing the duo), but why not pair them?

I purchased my Beauty Emergency Card for Eyes at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria. You can find it at Nordstrom and Saks too. It's widely available online. At the Neiman Marcus Web site, use the code OCTSHIP for free shipping. The Trish McEvoy site offers free shipping and a gift with purchases of $50 or more.

What do you think? Do you like it?

Photo at top courtesy of Neiman Marcus