Mixology is a modern term used to describe the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks, and a person who’s perfected that craft and turned it into a career (weekends-only or otherwise) is called a mixologist. Go ahead and laugh at the absurdity of calling the act of bartending an “art” or a “skill,” but how else would you get your $15 rhubarb syrup-infused doctored-up artisanal vodka sodas if not for the person responsible for shaking (or stirring) them to perfection?
The thing is that not everyone has what it takes to master the trade. First, you need all the gear: the measuring cups, the shakers, the strainers, the muddlers, the jiggers, the mixing glasses, the special spoons. It’s just not that easy. That’s why mixologists are pros — like makeup artists, they make a complicated thing look simple. As soon as it’s just you, left to your own devices, you realize why people get paid to do what they do, whether it’s with an eyeshadow blending brush or that long, weird spoon with the twisted handle.
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Sephora Collection’s new Mixology Eyeshadow Palette may not be able to whip up a fake speakeasy-quality drink, but it does take everything that’s confusing about eyeshadow and break it down into easy-to-digest diagrams — literally. Venn diagrams are the inspiration for the way the 18-shade palette is organized, and we’ve never been so happy to see something usually associated with senior-year Statistics class.
The concept, unlike actual mixology (or actual Statistics), is very straightforward: six sets of three, grouped together by shade, specifically intended to complement one another. Use the lightest neutral shades as a base, the middle shades to blend, the ones to the right in the crease, and the dual-ended brush to make it all happen.
No recipe cards or professional instruction necessary; everything you need is right there in the pan. Plus, at $34, this limited-edition palette is significantly cheaper than a night spent sipping on expensive specialty cocktails — or buying a Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus Graphing Calculator on Amazon, for that matter.