I'm 99% sure that every girl went through a purple phase some time in their life. I went through a couple of them - some resulting in all purple Barney-esque clothing on a daily basis, some resulting in an all purple pencil case, one had me dying my hair a deep dark purple and of course, now I'm bitten by the purple makeup bug. Specifically the dusty, slightly minky purples. It's such a sophisticated shade and adds the perfect hint of colour to the otherwise neutral look. 

My love affair with this shade started when I had a weak moment and bought MAC Shale (£12). While a dusty, mauve purple, Shale is still a neutral that makes it easy to work with. Either all over the lid, or in the crease to bump up the colour, it's an easy shade to work with and perfect for beginners that are wanting to get into colour and have no idea where to start. I'd liken the Laura Mercier Sateen Eye Colour in Plum Smoke (£19) a big sister shade to MAC Shale as it's virtually the same shade, except slightly more sophisticated and less shimmer. It's been one of my go-to shades for the crease on the days I want a low-keyed colour look. 

I have to admit, I wasn't too fond of the looks of the Urban Decay Naked 3  (£37) when it first came out. But there was the swatch of one shade - Nooner - that had me seriously contemplating if I should buy the palette for this one shade. Slightly darker than the two offerings mentioned above, Nooner is still a neutral purple, but hinting more towards the colour spectrum of shadows. 

One of the newest kids in my makeup neighborhood, the Smashbox Limitless 15 Hour Wear Cream Shadow in Quartz (£15) is leaning on the side of a champagne taupe that has the gorgeous hint of dusty purple. Perfect for wearing under the other purples to amplify the colour hint of them, or worn alone with a crease colour, this is a versatile shade that definitely deserves more loving from me. 

Last but not least, my recent love affair for the past two months. Models Own Utopia (£5) has been gracing my nails for half the time. I always feel so sophisticated when wearing this pale, pastel, dusty purple shade. Plus, the formula and brush is a dream to work with. 

I don't tend to wear too much colour in my makeup, but on the days I want to branch out but still be low-key, the dusty purples are the ones that I tend to reach for. Do you have your neutral with a hint of colour picks? 

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