Bobbi Brown Vanilla Cream Stick

If you want to have fun with your eyeshadow, you need to start with a base coat. You don't want your skin tone to get in the way of the shadow color; with a base you get the true color of what you're using. It also reduces the amount of color you need to use. I love this Cream Shadow Stick from Bobbi Brown. I was using the Paula Dorf base for a while, and it works well, but it was a bit too cakey and thick. I found that the Paula Dorf base was too much for my shrinking violet days and too heavy when I already have a ton of makeup on. This one from Bobbi Brown is not necessarily meant as a base; it is a cream matte shadow, but in vanilla, and it makes for the perfect base coat. It comes in a stick form, so it makes applying it a lot easier, but it is also better for adjusting the amount you use. It is lightweight, so it's great for those days you're not feeling overly dramatic, but just need a little cover to get the shadow on properly--it smears very well, so you can get a very thin layer on. But if you want that night club look (or are taking photos) and want to pile on the war paint, this is a total must. $20 at Bobbi Brown.