M.A.C Eye Shadow - Handwritten

So I've had this M.A.C Matte 2 Eyeshadow in Handwritten (a matte, chocolate brown) for a few months now and done nada with it. I purchased it at the M.A.C store during a weekend o'fun in Boston because the makeup artist there used it as an eyeliner. It looked great, and I thought I would make the same effort at home. No surprise that I didn't. I also lost the receipt so couldn't return it. In defiance, I've been letting it sit in my drawer. But every time I look at it, I regret letting $14.00 go to waste. I guess I've been waiting for for divine inspiration.

Thanks to my Eco Tools and San forever encouraging me to soothe my many liner woes with cream/shadow liner, that inspiration finally arrived. Since the 5-piece brush set comes with an angled eyeliner brush, I was forced to put it to good use and get my money's worth. Over the weekend, I experimented just a tad bit and used the brush to apply Handwritten along my upper lash line. I have to say, it definitely had a better effect than pencil eyeliner, and was easier than I thought to apply. This might also be because Handwritten is the kind of shade that you can't really go wrong with. Even if it smudges a little, it's easy to wipe off without a trace.

The M.A.C makeup artist has used this over the eyeliner pencil in Cocoa (which I also did not love and returned - prefer my Almay for now). If my makeup routine were longer and I less lazy, this would be one sweet combination. I'll go for this look when I have more patience, and perhaps I'll also try a darker brown (most likely Jane's Eye Zing in Brownie Points, which often comes paired with Hazelnut - why don't I think of these things beforehand??). This has encouraged me to try other types of liners and I plan on testing a drugstore safety like Jane's Cream Eyeliners. In the meantime, I'll experiment with Handwritten to create some depth to my many shimmery, neutral shadows. $14.00 @ M.A.C.