I found this in a bin of lonely onlys at my local CCC. This is essentially a taupe eyeshadow. I can't wear most taupes because I can't wear most greys (insert multiple sad faces here). However, if there were a taupe eyeshadow that was very muted, and had enough golden undertones to push the boundaries of taupe to its limits, then I could probably wear it. That's what I found when I opened up ERA. A taupe made for ladies who can't wear grey. All the MAC quality, the cute little case, the complex undertones MAC shadows are known for, all wrapped up in this quiet, little color.

I've had this eyeshadow for maybe 1-2 years and when I first got it, thought it was very boring and just put it in my palette but never reached for it. Just recently I was doing my makeup and I really wanted a 'no-makeup' put together kind of look. Didn't want to look overdone but wanted my eyes defined and pretty looking. I put MAC grain all over the lid and Era in the crease and it looked so pretty! Now its become my go-to look because I don't really have to think about it, it never looks overdone or like I'm wearing too much eye makeup. I honestly may wear that combination with winged liner for my wedding - I love it that much! Its such a no-fuss eyeshadow because when you put it in the crease it looks very soft and pretty, and you don't have to worry about blending too much because its a gorgeous satiny light brown-taupe. For reference I'm an NC20 skintone, so I don't know if this would work for very dark skintones.

I just received this from eBay, I've seen pictures online and how everyone raved about it being a 'golden-beige shimmer', just a bit different to Patina. I'm looking at it and thinking 'what the- how the hell is THIS beige?!' I even swatched it and it's an ORANGE shimmer. I can imagine this being a dark gold, but why is mine NOTHING close to what I've seen online???!!? It reminds me of copper from NYX, I'm so disappointed in seeing what Era truly is, a shimmery dark orange.
Maybe I'm just too fair to wear this color :(

Era is a really great blender color or as a nice, natural lid color or all over wash. For a natural look, I wash with Orb, do lid with Era, and then go back and line with Mulch. Really good look for Spring and very natural.

AT LAST!!! I have found THE color of colors.


I love make-up and I try a lot of it, and various looks with it. But down deep inside my heart I am a natural girl. I like the look of not having make-up on even if I do. I want to look like me, but prettier. So I've been on a kick buying mac eye shadows for a few months now. Reading reviews on MUA. Trying this and that, and though I do find a few colors I like (Quarry, Mulch, Sable), I don't stick with them because they are just not "transformative" colors for me.


Along comes Era. In the pan, it's nothing special. When I bought it yesterday and saw it in person I thought, THIS is what everyone is raving about? This looks like nothing more than a brow color. But it is so not!

It is a lovely, lovely, milky, taupey, gray but not gray, hint of soft, cool brown color that transforms with every layer you apply. You can really build it, or you can just use a light layer if you want. When I applied it just now I really built it up in the outer corners of my eyes and it opened them up big time. Basically I just have on Era and some black mascara right now and my eyes look so pretty. This is saying a lot, girls, because my eyes aren't anything special on their own. Which in the past has caused me to pack on more make-up than I want to wear, trying to make my eyes stand out and not look so blah. Again, I don't like wearing a lot of make-up (unless I'm going out at night). So to find that one color that does something to my eyes without it looking like I have loaded my eyes up with shadow and liner is a happy moment!


I have a cousin who looks beautiful wearing just a swipe of Malt on her eyes, shaping her brows, and wearing some black mascara. That's it. I have wanted to copy her look for years. To throw on a quick layer of a pretty eye shadow and then go on with my day of being a mom and working full time and cooking and cleaning, etc., etc. While still looking pulled together. I feel like I found my quick but pretty look with Era.


The reviewers of Era were not kidding. This color is awesome.


P.S. I read the lower rating reviews just now and people are saying when they apply this color they get nothing, can't really see it, it's not build-able. The way a color appears on the skin is very dependent on what brushes you use. If you use soft brushes, you won't really see the full extent of this color. If you use a denser bristled brush like I did on the outer corners of my eyes, then you'll see more intensity from Era.

For me, Era is a surprise unsung hero.
I originally purchased it just to use as a light lid colour with faux cut crease looks, but I discovered Era is also pretty blended out a bit above the crease or as a subtle all over wash just to give you a little colour.

For reference, I am decidedly more fair than NC15/NW15 (i.e. Lily Lolo's Porcelain foundation is a perfect match on me) and Era looks like a very pale peachy-brown on me... think: much lighter than Samoa Silk + similar to Soft Brown + not as much sheen as Arena, but similar in tint. The sparkles are not gritty and the shimmer of them is very very understated; I can see it a bit in natural daylight, but not at all indoors.

I was afraid Era might pull "ashy" on me like Cork does, but it's just fine- better than fine, really. It makes me feel "glowy." Not something I ever thought I'd go for since I usually don't care for anything subtle, but I like it a lot on my uber fair skin for those times when I need an office appropriate or "no makeup" appearance.

So this is exacty what I have been lookin for, for the last 5 years... and I've finally found you Era and I love you. This is the perfect transition color ever. I am a NC20 for reference. I like to use matte highlighters and when I used matte transition colors like kid and wedge it didn't blend as well as I'd like. Because it is a satin, it has a slight sheen, so it blends extremely well with matte shades. I have a "Guide to MAC Transition Colors" on my blog so feel free to check it out and compare the others:


http://eyeshadowaa.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-guide-to-mac-transition-colors.html

I'm a NC 15-20 with green eyes..never imagined this shade would look good on me but bought it after a rec from the MU board. It is beautiful! I use Naked lunch on lid, Era in crease and Ricepaper for the browbone. Nice pigmentation and very satiny. I have hooded eyes and this is the only crease color so far that doesn't make me look like I've got dark circles.

I am a blue eyed NW10 (NW20 when tanning from a bottle).

This color is really unflattering on me for some reason. It's a neutral matte base color, so I kept trying to make it work, but it dulls my skin, makes my dark circles look darker, and just looks "off." I have a hard time with such a light color payoff too. I much prefer Wedge, which I bought to accompany it.

I don't know why this doesn't get more love.
But what one has to be aware of is, that this is NOT a special color, it's not something undupable, it is not like MACs Club or Satin Taupe.
What it is is a very pretty, dark golden-y nud-ish color that has a little bit of shimmer, but not too much and is pretty versatile. I use it for example when I do a smokey eye to blend out the edges and for the inner 3rd as I have pretty small eyes and need a certain lighness on the inner parts of my lids. It's also perfect for a everyday look with a light brown like Cork in the crease or Mulch. This is not the kind of eyeshadow that is the star of the look, but it's still very very pretty.