COOL SHADES

With the weather showing us its chilly side, we are turning to shades of blue to recreate the runway’s hottest trend.

THE TREND

The beauty industry has yet to let go of its love affair with blue. The colour in all its shades continues to appear, more powerful than ever, on the catwalk. In the latest shows there was an “anything goes” approach to the use of blue, as makeup artists chose to either go full throttle into an ’80s throwback with wild sweeps of vivid blues across lids, or explored a more modern and refined space with statement flicks and lines of the colour hugging the lash line or as an accent on the lids. The approach ranged from Tibi’s subtle half wing on the outer corner of the eye to Prada’s dramatic two-toned winged eye shadow, Dries van Noten’s pastel lashes and Jour Ne and Marni’s baby-blue shadow washed up from lid to brow bone.

PALE SKIN TONE TRY: POWDER OR NAVY BLUES

The cool tone of powder blues and navy or royal blues complement the pink undertones of a pale skin tone and really allow everything to pop rather than look washed-out. Go for a more graphic approach with solid stripe-like washes along the lid, stopping at the crease, or a simple cat eye flick of blue liner.

OLIVE SKIN TONE TRY: TEALS OR AQUA BLUES

Let the golden undertone of your skin shine with blues that have a slight green undertone to warm up the whole complexion. These blues look particularly eye-catching rimmed along the waterline or smoked up around the eye in shimmery formulations.

DARK SKIN TONE TRY: TURQUOISE OR CYAN BLUES

Never do a half job with colour when it comes to a darker skin tone. Although restraint should be practised when it comes to other instances of colour to avoid looking too theatrical, blue is not one of those colours. As long as you choose blues that will really pop against that melanin — like cyan or a jewel-toned royal blue in matte or shimmery textures in bold sweeps over the lid to just past the crease or as a smoky eye – the sky’s the limit.