Daily delight: Smashbox Reign Collection, the Monarch Palette

I’m not one to wear a lot of make up – despite the fact that I love the stuff – let alone carry it in my handbag, but doing the hard yards at Air New Zealand Fashion Week for the next few days will definitely mean paying more than a little attention to the state of my slap. Luckily for me, a knock on my door at an ungodly hour this morning delivered a real delight and possibly my best buddy for the week ahead: Smashbox’s Monarch Palette for the eyes, part of the Reign collection. A trio of eyeshadows housed in a leather flip top palette, it can go natural or nighttime, depending on how you combine and/or layer the shades. Each eyeshadow has a shimmery outer ring with a matte centre, and the the outer rings are more pigmented than the centre counterparts. The look is very warm-toned and perfect for perking up a tired old face come the-morning-after-the-night-before, and the mattes aren’t chalky so won’t settle unattractively into fine lines. The formula in general is smooth and silky, making blending easier for an amateur like me. Thanks Smashbox!