Is it just me, or does eye shadow seem to be getting more and more expensive these days? In order to get all of the shades that I want, I have been looking more and more to palettes, duos, and trios. Smashbox does a pretty good job with all of those.

What I like about Smashbox eye shadows is that the colors are always very pretty. The company puts out a lot of delicate pinks and taupes, and they come packaged in soft, easy to use pots. The downside is that although nicely milled, the colors are often still fairly sheer. I like sheer color for a day look, but at night I usually go for something a bit heavier on the pigment. However, as noted below, I do occasionally use a Smashbox trio for a night-time smoky eye look.

The Smashbox eyeshadow trios have been a particularly good value item for me and the Smashbox Eye Shadow Trio in Multi-Flash (left) has been a staple in my daytime cosmetic wardrobe. This trio consists of a matte pink that I use up to around the brow, a shimmery brownish peach, that I apply to the lid, and a taupe gray for the crease. The look is nice and neutral, and perfect for just about any daytime look.

For switching to evening, the Smashbox Eye Shadow Trio in Shutter Speed (below left) works quite nicely for a smoky eye look that is not over dramatic. This one has a light vanilla shade that I run up to the brow and then a darker gray that is great as a smudged up smoky liner. The effect is a smoky eye look that isn't too over the top.

One note about using the trios. The pot size on these is the same as a single shadow, so the wedges of color are a bit small. I manage to use a regular sized brush with these just fine, but if you like to use particularly large shadow brushes, you might be disappointed with these. It is basically the payoff for getting three colors for the price of one--you get smaller of each.

Smashbox has numerous trios to choose from, so there is something for everyone. Unless you go through full size pans of eye shadow like a maniac (and I know that some of your do!), check them out as a way to get a little more bang for your buck!

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