MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Groundwork ($22) is a mid-tone neutral taupe.

I absolutely lurve the way it enhances other shadow colors when it’s worn as a base. It keeps other colors true to the way they look in their pans, which is a nifty trick.

Products are also easy to blend on top of it, so when I’m doing a look with multiple colors and gradients, Painterly is almost always the base I grab. Painterly on my NC42 skin On my (now, this time of year) slightly dry lids, Painterly lasts all day long without creasing, but if you have uber-oily lids, you might want to give it a hand by applying it atop a layer of NARS Pro-Prime or Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I have found that I have to be careful about how much Painterly I usebecause when I apply too much, it settles in some places more than others and ends up looking patchy. Most of the time, I’ll buff a very thin layer on my lids with a MAC 217, and then, if the look is involved at all, dust a light layer of face powder directly on top. I think the powder evens the surface a bit more, making everything easier to blend.

I know a lot of gals, from fair to dark, NW and NC alike, who adore Painterly for its prowess as an eyeshadow base. I have to admit — I was a skeptic at first. I mean, it’s lighter than my NC42 skin tone!

— but it turns out, that only helps it enhance other colors.

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