Laura Geller Precious Stones Eye Shadow Trio

Laura Geller offered a fabulous gift with purchase on Black Friday. Of course, I ordered, only to kick myself when I found out that I could have had a better deal on Cyber Monday (the gift plus a 20% discount). I'm glad I was happy with what I ordered, sight unseen.

One of the items was this Precious Stones Eye Shadow Trio ($36). I love Laura Geller's baked makeup, and this shadow trio was everything I had anticipated.

Each of the handmade, highly-pigmented shadows in the trio have been baked for 24 hours and can be applied wet or dry. The three sumptuous shades were selected to complement each other for a neutral look. Wear the lighter shades for a soft, daytime look and add the darker shade for extra drama.

From let to right in the trio, the shades are:

• Vanilla, an ideal highlighter that instantly illuminates and brightens up eyes without a lot of pigment;
• Topaz, soft, scrumptious mocha mousse, with a shimmer of golden flecks;
• Garnet, a rich wine with a softly shimmered glow.

You can see the shades on my arm at right. Each shade was applied with a sponge-tipped applicator, and my photo was taken on somewhat sunny morning (high overcast). Vanilla at the top is very light and sparkly. It shimmers, but without anything I would call glitter. Just as Laura Geller promised, the shade is a great highlighting and brightening touch. Topaz (middle) is a warm light brown, and the golden flecks make it come alive. Garnet was the surprise in the trio. When it arrived, I immediately feared Garnet because it appeared to have garnet gem tones (red) in the pan. On my skin, though, it loses the red and appears to be a warm medium brown.

The shades all look nice together, and they have a lovely, soft texture that clings to the skin. I have not applied them with a damp brush, but I assume that would intensify the colors. The presentation of Precious Stones is unusual. It comes in what looks like a little black hard-shell eyeglass case - very handy for travel and it protects the shadows.

You can purchase the Precious Stones Eye Shadow Trio at Laura Geller's Web site. I did a quick scan and didn't see it at Beauty.com or QVC, two other Laura Geller sources.

Photo at top courtesy of Laura Geller