How to wear bright eye makeup

When was the last time you reached for a bright eyeshadow? If the thought of rocking a bright pop of colour on your eyelids is equally exciting and terrifying, you’re not alone. Although this makeup trend looks amazing on celebrities, we’re all terrified of becoming that crazy-looking lady with the bright blue eyeshadow.

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We spoke to Global M.A.C Senior Artist, Nicole “Pinky” Thompson, to get her take on the trend, and find out her best makeup tips for incorporating the look into our own makeup routines.

Celebrities love to wear bold eyeshadow, but can anyone pull-off the look?

Thankfully, Pinky is adamant that you don’t have to be a celebrity to wear the bright eye makeup trend. “YES! Everyone can have fun with a little or a lot of colour in their look - how far you take it is up to you,” she says. Start small by adding a hint of colour with a brightly coloured eyeliner on your lower lash line, or even in your waterline.

Is it best to apply an eyeshadow primer first?

If you don’t already use a primer before applying eye makeup, now is the time to add one to your makeup routine. “YES! I use an eyeshadow primer under ANY eye look, to hold it all in place,” says Pinky. “Selfishly, I hate touching up my eye makeup!” An eyeshadow primer will not only help your eye makeup to stand out, but it will help your shadow stay put for longer too.

bh loves: Australis Cosmetics Eyeshadow Primer, Nutrimetics Professional Eyeshadow Primer

Should you tone down the rest of your makeup if you’re wearing this look?

For a bold eyeshadow look, it’s best to keep the rest of your makeup low-key and fresh. “Keep your skin fresh and luminous next to bold colour to keep your look youthful and modern,” recommends Pinky. She also suggests mixing an illuminator with your foundation to keep the look fresh and dewy. Alternatively, apply a cream highlighter to the high points of your cheeks, on top of your foundation.

bh loves: MUD Illuminating Highlighter, Nude by Nature Soft Focus Illuminator

What are the best makeup brushes for creating a bold eyeshadow look?

A larger fluffy eye brush like M.A.C #217S will blend your colour out to be more of a soft subtle look, and a smaller yet still fluffy brush like M.A.C #219S is perfect for dragging out colour for a softened eyeliner.

What are your top tips for wearing bold eyeshadow?

If you’re ready to try out the look yourself, here are Pinky’s top three tips:

1. Start with one bold colour in a small way and then build your look when you feel more comfortable with it.

2. Start with a coloured pencil! M.A.C Chromagraphic Pencils are highly pigmented bold pencils - all you need is ONE swipe for a fun pop of colour.

3. Ease colour into your look by drawing a turquoise liner onto the waterline of your eyes next to a soft brown shadow! Alternatively, use the same colour along the top lash line and blend outwards and upwards for a new take on your flicked eyeliner!

Do you recommend wearing one bold shade or multiple eyeshadow colours?

When you’re trying out a bright makeup look it can be tempting to go all in with multiple eyeshadow shades, but it actually makes more of an impact if you stick to just one bold shade. Pinky says, “Go bold with one fabulous colour and keep the rest clean. This is a great way to be able to take your bold look to everyday life!

Main header image @rowisingh

Would you wear bold eyeshadow? Did you find the makeup tips in this article helpful?