Episode One - The Girl Who Wore Purple to the Grocery Store

She was getting ready to go to the grocery store.

She put on purple eyeshadow. Then she looked in the mirror and briefly wondered if purple was a little much for buying groceries.

She decided it wasn't.

Then she added olive. And then orange.

At that point, the grocery list was still just milk and eggs, but the makeup had clearly developed other plans.

She grabbed her keys and headed out.

She bought what she needed, got to the checkout, and the cashier complimented her eye makeup.

Which, as it turns out, is a pretty good way to end up telling a complete stranger that you made the eyeshadow yourself.

And suddenly the grocery store trip got a little more interesting.

THE CAST

THE MAKEUP

At first glance, these three colours have no business being together. That's what makes them interesting.

Purple Problem gives the look its depth and coolness. Impulse Buy brings the heat with a vivid reddish orange. Those two create the strongest contrast in the look.

Then there's Corin.

Its warm olive base and golden shimmer sit right between them, helping bridge the coolness of the purple and the warmth of the orange. It softens the jump between the two extremes and gives the whole combination somewhere to land.

The purple keeps the orange from getting too loud. The orange keeps the purple from getting too heavy. And the olive ties them together.

Questionable combination? Absolutely.

Random? Not at all.

HOW TO WEAR IT

Think of the eye in three zones:

CORIN — THE CREASE

Sweep Corin through the crease and slightly above it, blending toward the outer corner. This creates the warm olive transition that connects the other two shades.

PURPLE PROBLEM — THE OUTER LID

Pack Purple Problem onto the outer half of the lid and blend it into Corin. Bring a little along the outer lower lash line for extra depth.

IMPULSE BUY — THE INNER LID

Press Impulse Buy onto the inner half of the lid and blend it slightly into Purple Problem at the centre. The reddish orange catches the light and gives the purple something warm to play against.

For more intensity, apply any of the shades with a damp brush or fingertip.

THE RESULT

Purple on the outer lid. Bright orange catching the light on the inner lid. Warm olive melting everything together through the crease.

It's colourful without being chaotic, dramatic without being fussy, and apparently interesting enough to make someone at the grocery store stop and ask what you're wearing.

Which is how a quick trip for milk turned into a conversation about making your own eyeshadow.

Not bad for a Tuesday.