The eyes have it...
AFTER months of barely wearing any make-up as we stayed at home in lockdown, we are ready to embrace colour and creativity, even a bit of glitter. It’s no wonder they are calling it the joyful makeup trend.
Here, pro make-up artists talk us through four bold and beautiful looks that are easy to achieve at home...
1. Bold blue Bri d g e r ton actor Nicola Coughlan showed off a sensational smoky blue eye make-up look on the BAFTA red carpet.
“Bold eye looks like these are all about prep and blending,” says celebrity make-up artist Ayelet Garson. “Eye prep goes a long way to ensure the look lasts, so use an eye primer. It will not only lock in the eye look but will also make it easier to blend the colour without it looking patchy.”
“Work in layers, with a small brush, and make sure you’re blending the edges before adding more colour, so you get a nicely diffused edge. A generous coating of black or navy blue mascara will help frame the eye and finish off the look.”
2. Mermaid shimmer
Inspired by the collection’s aquatic-themed prints, the Rixo spring/summer make-up look centred around the eyes, with models given a wash of mermaid shimmer on their eyelids.
“This subtle blend of iridescence across the eye can be achieved easily by just sweeping a shimmer shadow across the eye using your finger, and then finishing with some definition around the lash line using lots of mascara,” says Aimee Connolly, make-up artist and founder of Sculpted by Aimee.
“If ocean colours aren’t your thing, you could try lighter champagne or gold tones for blue eyes, pinky pearl shades for green eyes and bronze or rosy shades for brown eyes. These shades are sure to make the eyes pop.”
3. Metallic moment Take a feline flick to the next level like Emily in Paris star Lily Collins by choosing a bright hue and adding a bit of sparkle on top for a metallic finish.
“The royal blue shade like Lily’s, as you can see, is sure to make brown eyes pop, a deep pink would look amazing on green eyes and for blue eyes, anything in the orange family is sure to look stunning,” says Aimee.
She recommends starting with a sharpened kohl pencil or using blue eyeshadow with a thin brush and make-up setting spray: “Pick up a good amount of your chosen eyeshadow shade onto an angled brush, then spritz the brush with your setting mist, before applying it to the eye.”
This creates a gel-like consistency with the pigment and “makes it a little easier to clean up if you do make any mistakes. You can also use this setting spray trick to apply a shimmer on top of the liner for a sparkle.”
4. Pastel power Pastel eyeshadow has made a real comeback, case in point the mint and lavender shades chosen to complement the Halpern SS21 collection. “It’s best to stick with just one shade to avoid the colour becoming muddied,” says Ayelet. “Instead of mixing tones, play with textures. Layer up the matte eyeshadow with a pop of shimmer on the centre of the eyelid.” She suggests: “Green eyes look amazing with pastel pinks and warm violets, while those with blue eyes should go for a pastel orange or a pale pink. If you’re brown-eyed, then lilac is the shade for you.”