With so much attention to colour this season, it’s unsurprising that makeup has been given a lift, with bright shadows, bold blushes and dynamic lips making up the current cosmetic landscape. But despite our affinity for bright tones and vibrant hues, there are still don’t-even-try’s when it comes to coloured eyeliner. So in order to keep your makeup looking fresh and spring appropriate, here are the dos and don’ts of one of the season’s boldest beauty trend.
DO: Make it a focus
If you’re donning a neon yellow shade or a bright indigo blue, you can expect your eyeliner to become the main focus of your overall aesthetic “ and that’s a good thing. Naturally, if you’re willing to commit to such a courageous trend, you’ll want it to earn attention, so make sure you’re not underplaying your eyeliner or overshadowing it with super-bright lips or eye shadow overload. Play with lines, colour and apply it with confidence “ because by wearing coloured eyeliner in the first place, that’s a trait you’re already alluding to.
DON’T: Treat it like regular eyeliner
The purpose of neutral eyeliners is to help make your eyes pop by adding definition and differentiating from the eye shadow shades you’ve already chosen. The purpose of coloured eyeliner? To do the opposite. Coloured eyeliner is the cosmetic equivalent of a short neon dress in that it’s meant to be seen, not overshadowed “ and certainly not treated as part of an outfit. If you’re donning a bright colour, make sure any eye shadow you use is neutral “ if any. After all, by adopting such a striking trend, most other makeup will come across only as white noise.
DO: Play with colour
The concept of donning a different shade below the lash line then you’ve adopted above may seem like an idea reserved for the obscene, but if you’re keeping the rest of your makeup natural (read: neutral tones only), to experiment with colour is crucial in making your look seem intentional. (Because we all know those people who’ve slapped on blue eyeliner carelessly and headed out the door.) The only stipulation? Keep differentiating colours the opposite: while orange and red may seem like an adoption of the season’s obsession with colour, it’ll only look mismatched and amateur.
DON’T: Go overboard
It may seem like common sense, but it can be tempting to pair your favourite orange lipstick and pink blush with a bright coloured eyeliner in hopes of seeming even more confidant about colour than you are. However, while your heart is undoubtedly in the right place, by donning bright lips with bold cheeks, you’ll only look like a slave to cosmetics, coming across as too made up and taking away from your natural assets. A simple rule of thumb is to keep eyeliner bright, lipstick bold and everything else minimal. After all, you wouldn’t pair a feathered coat with a fur scarf and a neon pant suit “ or at least we hope not.
