MAC Blue Brown Pigment: All the Sparkles

(Purchased by me. And I had to exercise lots of restraint not to buy five other colors.)

Many of you asked what I was wearing in this post, and here it is!

MAC Blue Brown and Naked pigments.
I'm late to the party, I know. These have been around forever and are much lauded, etc., etc. I know, it's spring, we're supposed to be wearing frou frou colors and frolicking in the flowers. I have, but I've also had days lately where I wanted something frosty-metallic-sparkly-va-va-VOOM.

L-R: MAC Blue Brown patted on heavily with a finger, then lightly, then swiped. I like that the duochrome effect is preserved no matter how you apply it (though of course it is more obvious if you pat the pigment on gently rather than swiping it on).
I originally thought to purchase Illamasqua's pigments, but then I decided to go with MAC instead, for a variety of reasons that ultimately capped off with "Oh, let's stop at the MAC counter, I need a new brow pencil...ooooh, sparkly!"

(Don't even pretend like that doesn't happen to you. We're all friends here. No secrets.)

Same look from this post. Tarte Gold pencil as base, Shiseido BE213 middle shade on inner third, MAC Blue Brown on outer 2/3. Tarte liquid liner and...I skipped mascara. Because lazy.
It's so, so pretty. I can't even. Now, I know, loose pigments can be a pain - messy, prone to spillage, messy, lots of fallout, messy...all of that. But I'm having fun, and I think there is a place for them. I prep with a cream base (Laura Mercier's caviar sticks) and pat Blue Brown lightly over lids with a flat, small brush (like Sonia Kashuk's No. 112). It can be subtle, too, if you sheer it out and work it a little more into lids.

Same shadows this time, but less pigment, more blending.
I bought Naked, too. And I have my eye on Tan, Melon, and Old Gold. It could get dangerous...dangerously sparkly. Mua ha ha.

Do you work with loose pigments? What's your favorite base for them?