WHAT! 2 Crazy Shades of Eyeshadow That Are Actually Universally Flattering
New York Fashion Week makeup artist Val Garland knows her ish. She has painted the faces of models strutting their stuff during the busiest week of their careers for years, and will even be teaching a master class on runway makeup, so she has a *ton* of tricks and tips up her sleeve from her experiences backstage, including this shocker tidbit: bright blue and green eyeshadow is universally flattering on all skin tones. Say whaaaa?!
That’s right: Super bright, in-your-face colors like the aquamarine blue she swiped on models’ lids at the Monique Lhuillier show look good no matter if your skin is pale, medium or dark, no matter what color undertones you have. What’s more, the bold shade is actually wearable when applied subtly — think less ’80s prom queen and more like modern mermaid. For the Monique Lhuillier show, she created “graphic bolts of color” across the lash lines to make the eyes pop, which they do, and in a really pretty way. Another fun touch to this makeup look was the formula of the product — it wasn’t your typical matte finish; they were actually high-shine and slightly metallic, which made them pop even more on the runway.
If you want to achieve a similar look, you’ll need to use your eyeshadow wet so that the shadows show true-to-color and really intense on the eye — this is *not* the time for a sheer wash of color. Use a flat shadow brush, as opposed to a fluffy one, to pat on the color instead of brushing it onto your eyes. Finish it off with black mascara and you’re good to go!
You can still get on board this makeup trend even if you’re looking for a softer style. You can use the same bright blues and greens to create a colorful smokey eye, like the makeup seen on supermodels like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Jourdan Dunn at Diane Von Furstenburg’s show. Or, if you’re looking for something even more subtle, try adding just a touch of blue/green eyeshadow to just the center of your lower lids — it’ll open up your eyes in a “what’s different about you today?” kind of way. With options as versatile as this, there’s basically no excuse not to bring on the blues this spring.
What colors would you experiment with? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
(h/t Elle; photos via Frazer Harrison/Getty + P Yim/Getty )
