Medium brown eyeshadow for nw15!

[Anemone]

Hiya! I'd love some help! I'm on the lookout for a good medium brown eyeshadow. Being pale, a lot of browns just show up dark on me. I'd like to find one that isn't just dark, instead actually looking more true brown - an everyday shade but nice! I'd prefer it to not be matte.
I swatched Tempting the other day and I think it's a bit too bronze - I have a pure bronze shade already. I definitely don't want any colours that lean towards red! They look awful against my eyes. Not just a base colour either, more of a stand alone or crease shade!
What a list of demands! But I'd be very grateful for any tips on what eyeshadows to check out next time I go to mac! Thank you!

 

[Seeking Refuge]

I'm NC15 so I know your pain.

My only problem is none of the colors I have meet your description. If you can still find Buckwheat from Naked Honey, swatch that. It's at least a start.

What colors do you already have that aren't working?

 

[MacAtFirstSight]

do you like matte shades?
cork is beautiful medium brown w/o the redness.
I also like soft brown, texture, wedge, woodwinked... all of them medium brown shades

hth

 

[clb1968]

I will add cork and these other medium shades to my shopping list, I need a brown like this too.

 

[tokidoki1825]

Woodwinked is a great, true medium-brown shade. It's a little bit warm (I'm NW15 too), but it's very pretty and sounds to me like what you're aiming for. This isn't MAC, but I also like UD Toasted eyeshadow a lot -- it's a medium tone cool brown, shimmery but not frosty, and I find it's a lot like Satin Taupe but less silvery and lighter so it's more wearable for me.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog has done a couple posts that might help you:

On MAC brown shadows (Soba and Cork look like they might work?)

On her favorite crease shadows HTH!

 

[Anemone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seeking Refuge I'm NC15 so I know your pain. My only problem is none of the colors I have meet your description. If you can still find Buckwheat from Naked Honey, swatch that. It's at least a start. What colors do you already have that aren't working?

I've seen swatches of it and it looks great! I'm going to check that out, thanks for reminding me! So far I've only got Night Manouvres from MAC, but several brown shadows from other brands that I don't really like. Thanks for your reply!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacAtFirstSight do you like matte shades? cork is beautiful medium brown w/o the redness. I also like soft brown, texture, wedge, woodwinked... all of them medium brown shades hth

I'm such a beginner with eyeshadow that I have a hard time blending matte shades. I'd like a non-matte one because I find it easier to wear on it's own and easier to blend. Nothing too high maintenance right now!

Woodwinked I always hear good things about though, I'll have to check it's texture. Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tokidoki1825 Woodwinked is a great, true medium-brown shade. It's a little bit warm (I'm NW15 too), but it's very pretty and sounds to me like what you're aiming for. This isn't MAC, but I also like UD Toasted eyeshadow a lot -- it's a medium tone cool brown, shimmery but not frosty, and I find it's a lot like Satin Taupe but less silvery and lighter so it's more wearable for me. Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog has done a couple posts that might help you: On MAC brown shadows (Soba and Cork look like they might work?) On her favorite crease shadows HTH!

Thank you for the links! That's great help! But her skintone is so different from mine, it's hard to say how they'd end up on me.
I'll be sure to check Woodwinked - a lightly warm shade could work, but I'm definitely avoiding them if possible. Else I end up with the classic "I have an eye infection"-look!
I have no experience with UD - how are their textures?

 

[tokidoki1825]

UD textures --- depends on the type. The "glitter" shades run a little chalky/glittery, but the "shimmer shades" -- Toasted is one of them -- are buttery and pigmented, and I find them really easy to blend. The texture is fairly similar to MAC veluxe pearls -- smooth, pigmented, not too frosty.

Here are some swatches of UD browns, and Toasted is in here:

UD Browns, swatched by karlasugar

 

[Anemone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tokidoki1825 UD textures --- depends on the type. The "glitter" shades run a little chalky/glittery, but the "shimmer shades" -- Toasted is one of them -- are buttery and pigmented, and I find them really easy to blend. The texture is fairly similar to MAC veluxe pearls -- smooth, pigmented, not too frosty. Here are some swatches of UD browns, and Toasted is in here: UD Browns, swatched by karlasugar

Thanks for your help! That does sound good, but with UD I can't see them before I buy them - there's no UD in stores here so I'd just have to go on swatches online.

Which sadly isn't the best option. So I'd prefer a MAC shade that I can go and try!

 

[amabel]

I just bought wedge (matt) and it is great.

 

[gildedangel]

I love woodwinked, wedge and cork!

 

[ForgetRegret]

I just got them a few weeks ago, and I don't know how I ever lived without them...Era and Arena. ...I'm somewhere between an NC and NW...10 in the fall/winter/most of spring, and 15 in late spring/summer. HTH a little!

 

[Anemone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gildedangel I love woodwinked, wedge and cork!

Woodwinked is on my list of "must see".

What's cork like?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForgetRegret I just got them a few weeks ago, and I don't know how I ever lived without them...Era and Arena. ...I'm somewhere between an NC and NW...10 in the fall/winter/most of spring, and 15 in late spring/summer. HTH a little!

Sounds good! How would you describe them?

Thanks guys!

 

[FiestyFemme]

Definitely check out Cork! It's been one of my fave since I got it. Definitely a great medium brown without any red tones.

 

[Anemone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FiestyFemme Definitely check out Cork! It's been one of my fave since I got it. Definitely a great medium brown without any red tones.

Good to know, thanks! Maybe I can learn how to work with mattes

 

[Shypo]

In order to help with the blending, you could use a finishing powder (like MAC's) or a light layer of a pale shade like Vanilla or maybe Shroom underneath to give you some 'cush' to blend the matte shade......

 

[Anemone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shypo In order to help with the blending, you could use a finishing powder (like MAC's) or a light layer of a pale shade like Vanilla or maybe Shroom underneath to give you some 'cush' to blend the matte shade......

I usually use some pale eyeshadow as a base but my skills are what they are, regardless! Thanks for the tip though. I'll try just some powder next time and see.