Hi friends!
And we’re back again with my summer-focused series for the month of June! Last Monday we spoke about the best sweat-proof products to get you through these hot months, and today it’s all about color, color, color. Specifically how to wear bright colors, which I know is something that’s intimidating to a lot of people. I used to be kinda afraid of bright colors like pinks, reds, yellows & oranges but I think the “trick” is all about how you adapt them to suit you.
That can mean where you specifically place the color on your face or how you apply that color to your face. If you love bright blue, for example, and you see someone on Instagram wearing bright blue eyeshadow all over their eyelid, you can do one of two things. Replicate it if you feel daring enough, or adapt it to suit you. I truly believe that there are no rules when it comes to makeup. Everyone should wear what makes them feel confident, whether that’s neutrals or bright greens!
Read this: June is for summer beauty must-haves!
So I’m going to show you some looks that highlight color on three different features of the face: eyes, cheeks, and lips. Along the way, I’ll give you my tips & tricks for application.
HOW TO WEAR BRIGHT COLORS ON THE EYES
Quilt Jam Eye Colour from & Other Stories applied all over the eyelid.
My favorite way to wear bright colors on the eyes is to apply one shade all over my lid, sometimes even taking it up to my brow bone. But most of the time I blend it lightly into the crease of my eye (i.e. where your eye sinks into your socket), and just slightly above it to make my eyes appear bigger.
I like having a bright color block on the top of the eye; I think it looks super cool and editorial! I then ground the look with a neutral brown or taupe shade blended very lightly underneath the eye, as shown in the image above. Here I used Quilt Jam Eye Colour from & Other Stories, which is a bright warm pink with a subtle satin finish.
- TIP # 1: If you’re using bright matte or satin powder shades, I find it best to apply a light matte shadow that’s close to your natural skin tone first. Then apply the bright color over top. This ensures seamless blending over a smooth & primed surface.
I kept all other aspects of my face makeup very light and fresh, from the skin to the lips to the brows. When I wear this look, I want all focus to be on my eyes.
- TIP # 2 – Match the effect that you want with the brush you use. For example, if you want slightly softer, more diffused color use a big fluffy brush like a MAC 217. If you want dense color that’s impactful, use a flat packing brush like a MAC 239.
Matte mint green from Huda Beauty Emerald Obsessions Palette applied all over the eyelid.
This is another color blocking look I did on the eyes, but I tried it with a mint green pastel color instead. I applied the color to my eyelid again, but this time kept the bottom lash line totally nude. I was a bit nervous since I really don’t have much experience with pastel shades, which can be notoriously hard to work with and chalky. I used the matte mint green shade from the Huda Beauty Emerald Obsessions Palette, and it was beautifully simple to work with.
- TIP #3 – When using bright pastel shades, make sure to use a flat packing brush to push the color onto your lid to get the best effect. And be ready to reapply color throughout the day! Pastels can fade quicker, even if your eye has been primed. I had to pack on another layer of color just a few hours after initial application to keep the brightness.
HOW TO WEAR BRIGHT COLORS ON THE CHEEKS
Still Shot & Baja from Urban Decay Born to Run Palette applied on cheeks as blush.
I love a bright statement cheek, although it’s sadly something I don’t do as often as I should! I usually put a neutral pink, peach or a bronzer on and call it a day. But every now and then I like to put all the emphasis on my cheeks to give my rather round face some more shape.
The lighting was a bit dark here unfortunately but hopefully you can still see the effect in these photos. I mixed two eyeshadows from the Urban Decay Born to Run Palette: Still Shot, a bright matte peach, and Baja, a bright matte orange. Then I simply applied them to my cheeks, working in small layers in small circular motions to slowly build up the pigment. This is key to applying any bright shade!
- TIP #4 – Use a slightly smaller (but still fluffy) brush when applying a bright color on the cheeks, so you have ultimate control. You don’t want the pigment to spread too far, which can sometimes happen with really big powder brushes. I use an IT Cosmetics brush from a travel set that’s pictured in an earlier post I wrote re: a bright blush from CoverGirl.
Sideview of orangey cheeks using Urban Decay colors.
As usual, I kept the rest of my makeup very, very neutral so all the emphasis was on the orangey-peach cheeks. I really love this look; it looks polished & professional but a bit fun at the same time!
- TIP # 5 – Make sure to perfect your skin as much as you can with foundation and/or concealer before applying bright shades anywhere on your face. Certain warm colors like pink and orange can emphasize skin redness and various imperfections. But if you start with a clean, evened-out base you won’t have that effect.
HOW TO WEAR BRIGHT COLORS ON THE LIPS
F’in Fuchsia from The Sexiest Beauty blended lightly into lip balm.
Wearing bright color on your lips is perhaps the most stereotypical summery makeup look, besides lots of bronzer. I don’t mean that in a bad way at all, by the way. Everyone has their favorite summer shade, don’t they? Orangey-reds, corals, fuchsias and pinks – the options are endless out there. I say take a chance, grab one and see what suits you best! What makes you feel good and gives you that boost of confidence to face the day.
In the photo above, I used F’In Fuchsia, a beautiful matte/satin hybrid lipstick from indie brand The Sexiest Beauty (more on them to come very soon!). And yes, this is the same look with the bright orangey cheeks that I showed earlier. I wanted to show that you can use brights in more places than one if you apply them softly and sheer them out a bit. Don’t be afraid to play around! It all washes off anyway.
- TIP #6 – If you have a bright lipstick shade but are afraid to wear it (we’ve all been there), try this application method. Apply a colorless or lightly tinted lip balm first to your lips. Then apply small dabs of the bright shade over top using your finger. Blending the color into your balmy lips will sheer it down and you’ll get a lip stain kinda effect. That’s how I applied the fuchsia shade in the photo above.
How do you like to wear bright colors? Do you have a specific application method that works for you? I’d love to know!
xo, Erica
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