Blue eye shadow: Feel the fear — and do it anyway!

So MUCH about remaining current — and agedefiant — is how you accept and reject trends: knowing who you are, yet being prepared to evolve; embracing change, while fending off the lunatic.

The spring 2022 catwalks featured the following autumn/winter propositions: barely-there foundation; bleached brows; blue eyeshadow; brown lipstick; night beauty (discodolly glitter, metallics, crystals, pearls and sequins about eyes); graphic eyeliner plus colour; vinyl, supershiny lips and deliberately imprecise lids, blush and lips.

Last month’s London Fashion Week added bolts of colour; brows like razored dinosaur-spikes and hair that was not so much glossy as glutinous.

I say vote ‘yes’ for flashes of colour, which invariably feel au courant, and barely-there base which a lot of us older birds favour regardless.

In your ditch list, I recommend anything actively damaging (conjunctivitis-provoking eye décor, say), or so barkingly unflattering as to provoke outright mirth (dino brows, haphazard slap, glue hair).

Brown lips would be a hard no, if we’re talking that Nineties’, greenishblack incarnation that renders teeth yellow and faces unearthly. Not today, Satan. However, hazel hues do work for many warm-toned women, otherwise why would nude lipsticks prove such a perennial?

Glossier has just launched a new Generation G — its ultrawearable, poutily pre-blotted lip flush — in Malt, a sensual cinnamon that women are going wild for (£14). While the Parisian choice is Chanel’s limited-edition collection of Rouge Allure nude lipsticks (£35, chanel.com), plus (permanent) Le Vernis Tawny nail lacquers (£25).

FoR my money, the most joyous means of high-fiving fashion is a blue eyelid. I know, I know, those of us brought up in the 1960s, 70s or 80s may feel a tad queasy about blue — as baby blue 60s dollybirds morphed into electric blue disco divas. Blue reappeared in the early 2000s by way of frosted shades swept up to our missingin-action eyebrows.

Small wonder make-up rebelled with muddy, Kardashian-style taupes. However, it is these that are now feeling a bit naff, dull and old hat, while blue is undergoing a revival.

I’ve always been a blue broad: as a cool, blue-pink toned type, sapphires bring out the chill of my skin, berry of my lips, the green of my eyes.

That said, to demonstrate how blue can work on warm-complexioned 40-pluses, last autumn the U.S. make-up artist Mary Phillips created a fierce look for 53-year old Jennifer Lopez that demonstrated how stunning the colour can prove when you have bronze and caramel tones.

Feeling intimidated? Start with navy liner, an offblack brilliant at emphasising the whites of mid-life eyes. Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Navy Noir provides a sophisticated, adult take: gliding, comfortable, longwearing (£22, victoria beckham.com).

From there, cool girls might experiment with Revolution Beauty’s Kohl Eyeliner in Blue (£3, revolution beauty.com), a fantastic forget-me-not; warm tones should opt for Revolution’s Aqua liner (£3), a sludgy teal.

An all-over wash might be the next tentative step. Morphe 2 Jelly Eye Shimmer in Starry Sky (£10, asos.com) is a buildable iridescent gel that can be styled to be as subtle or spectacular as required, setting with no undereye spillage.

Beyond this, the world is your lobster. Kiko is a great place to play, with its single, bright, Smart-colour Eyeshadows from £4.99 (kikocosmetics.com). Zara’s Eye Shadow Duos are terrific fun, too. Jealous & Jet (£11.99, zara.com) is a cerulean and azure combo, Cyber & Glitch, a satsuma and verdant turquoise.

A swathe of MAC’s Matte Eyeshadow in Cobalt (£17, mac cosmetics.com) looks fabulously fresh, its cornflower aspect divine with emerald eyes. MAC’s Atlantic Blue is no less powerfully peppy: a vivid Klein.

My all-time favourite palette, Bourjois Le Smoky (£5.29, amazon.co.uk), features the greatest glittering indigo to lend interest to a standard smoky eye.

or you could disco things up by working in Kiko’s New Bright Duo Eyeshadow in Silver & Electric Blue (£8.99). I defy you not to be beguiled.