A lot of us use the same makeup products over and over again: mascara, eyeliner, foundation and maybe some lip gloss. While some collegiettes™ may be bolder with their look, many of us shy away from such dramatic makeup statements – especially when it comes to eye shadow. Even if we use eye shadow, most of us play it safe and stick to the neutral colors – just as it is rare to see a rainbow in the sky, it’s rare to see the colors of the rainbow in our eye shadow. “Bright colors of the rainbow are great for the catwalk, but caution is needed when translating these looks to the street,” says Juliana Landis, one of Hollywood’s elite makeup artists. Her Campus shows you how to rock all the colors of the rainbow in your eye shadow this summer so your makeup will get cooler even if the weather doesn’t.
Red
Landis says red eye shadow looks best on those with medium skin tones as well as redheads, blondes and raven-haired collegiettes™. Rihanna is a great example, as she wore red eye shadow to the Brit Awards in February. Her shadow complemented her red locks beautifully, and, as you can see, her shadow goes up to the brow bone and out toward her temple.
According to Rachel Adler of Beauty High, a dark pinky-red color is best. You can accomplish this by mixing a pinky-red shadow with a deep red shadow. When applying the shadow, take a tapered brush and apply the shadow close to your lash line, moving it past the corner of your eye to feather it out. Then, take a fluffier brush and go over the color you just applied to blend it in and spread it upward. Finally, deepen the red from the arch of your eye to your pupil, going along the lash line. The result you will get is a beautiful, almost subtle red color that is perfect for day and night.
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Orange
Orange eye shadow, like red, works best on those with medium skin tones in addition to collegiettes™ with red or brown hair, says Landis. Orange eye shadow was a hot trend among celebrities earlier this year, with stars such as Fergie and Scarlett Johansson trying the look.
How can you rock orange eye shadow without looking like a tangerine?
We think a trend called the sunset eye looks best, which involves mixing yellow, yellow-orange, coral and gold shadows. According to Christine Mielke, the owner and editor of Temptalia, you first apply a peachy melon-colored base on your lid so that it barely goes above the crease line of your eye. Then, take a gold shadow and cover your inner one-third or one-half of your eyelid. Next, take your yellow-orange shadow and spread it over to the middle of your eyelid, starting at the crease of your eye and going down to your lash line. Take your coral shadow and apply it to the outer part of your eyelid, starting once again at the crease and going down toward your lash line. Using your blending brush and coral shadow, place the brush horizontally against your crease to spread the color throughout your crease area. Finally, take a soft yellow shadow and apply it to the crease and up to the brow bone. Also use the soft yellow to help blend the coral. Your final results are a gorgeous eye that really does look like the sunset!
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Yellow
Yellow eye shadow is tricky to pull off, but Landis says that she loves using it on those with darker skin tones. “I think that for those who want to be a little daring with their makeup, wearing a bright yellow on your lids of your eyes with a good coat of mascara can look awesome!” says Alex Hartley, Her Campus beauty blogger. “I wear yellow eye shadow from the inside-middle of my eye and join it with blue, teal, or purple from the mid-outside,” says Jamie Ritter, a junior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “If you blend it well, it turns out really pretty with some liquid black liner – very Dollywood. For those that are more color-shy, try using colored eyeliners.” Check out Rachel McAdams rocking yellow eye shadow in January.
If you don’t want to go quite that yellow, then we suggest trying a subtle, light yellow eye. Mielke suggests a soft look that’s great for summer. You start by applying a white-gold eye shadow to the inner half of your eyelid, followed by a sunshine/bright yellow shadow to the outer half of your eyelid that you softly blend in with the inner corner of your eye. Then, take a dirty pink shadow and use it to darken the crease of your eye, gently blending it in with the yellow on your lid. Finally, lightly use a dark taupe brown shadow on your brow bone to highlight your eyes and complete the look! Isn’t this the perfect look for a summer evening out with friends or a date?
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Green
Yes, you can wear green eye shadow on a day other than St. Patrick’s Day! “I love using bright yellows, violets and greens on darker skin tones,” Landis says. Green also works for brunettes, she adds. As for eye color, Marissa Govedarica, HC Campus Correspondent at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says greens look particularly great on brown eyes.
Olivia Wilde recently sported navy blue eye shadow with a hint of green mixed in. It’s a beautiful look that really helps to highlight her green eyes. If you try to pull off this look, make sure to concentrate the green on your upper and lower lashlines as well as the outer edge of your top lid.
If you want to try a simpler look, choose a soft green shadow and apply it to your lid up until your brow bone, blending the shadow until it is smooth and even. Then, choose a second green shadow that complements your eyes and skin. Put this shadow on your lid, but do not go past the crease of your eye. Again, blend this shadow until it is even and smooth. Add eyeliner along your upper lashline, and then go along the eyeliner with a third darker shade of green shadow. Lightly blend this eye shadow line with the rest of your shadow, and your look is complete! Just remember that matte shadows are best for the daytime while shimmery and metallic shades are great for the evening. Jada Pinkett Smith’s green eyes are perfect for a night out on the town.
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Blue
Blue eye shadow was undoubtedly the most popular rainbow-colored look among surveyed Her Campus collegiettes™. “Indigo, blues and actually most of the colors of the rainbow look great on fair translucent skin,” Landis says. She also adds that blues tend to look the best on brunettes. We love this blue eye shadow look that Evan Rachel Wood is wearing – it looks great against her fair skin and highlights her eyes!
“I wear my bright blue MAC eye shadow as eyeliner,” says Erica Avesian, a HC contributing writer and junior at the University of Michigan. “I dip my brush in water first to make the color more vibrant, and then I line my upper lids in blue. I use a lighter shade of blue on the rest of my eyes and top off the look with black mascara.”
“Sometimes, if I am wearing purple or blue, I will put a little bit of lavender-colored or baby blue-colored eye shadow in the [inner] corners of my eyes to add an extra, but subtle, pop of color to my face!” says Alexa Johnson, HC Campus Correspondent at James Madison University. Check out Marissa’s blue eye shadow, which she paired with hot pink lips to create a cute summer look!
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Indigo
Like blue, Landis says indigo shadow looks best against fair skin and brown hair. Even though Heidi Klum is not a brunette, check out her gorgeous indigo eye shadow.
“I would use blue, indigo and violet on the top lids – start off with a light blue in the inner corner, and gradually get to the deeper purple on the crease (keep it soft),” says Shachi Phene, a senior at Bates College. “Then, I’d do a pop of like a bright, lime green on the bottom lid, curl the lashes and add mascara.”
“Applying a little bit of a light/sparkly version of colored eye shadow to the inner corner of your eye can help to brighten and illuminate your eyes,” says Kelsey Thorn, a HC Design and Media Team Associate. “With true blue eye colors, I’ve seen the same with a bit of blue and even violet/indigo in the inner corner (really just a dab), and it helps highlight the eye and make it glisten!”
If you want to keep it simple, “[do] not use more than one bright color at a time, and place the color on the lid and in the crease and use a neutral color above,” Landis says. Or you could use an indigo eye shadow to line your eyes along the upper and lower lashlines instead of using it on your lid. Ashley Tisdale recently wore indigo eyeliner to an event in New York City, and she looked great. Indigo works for blue eyes, brown eyes and hazel eyes, so most everyone can wear it!
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Violet
Landis says that violet shadow works best for those with dark skin tones and black hair. Purple eye shadow also looks especially great with green eyes. A violet eye shadow with a hint of red or pink highlights any yellow-gold color in green eyes, and a violet shadow with a touch of bronze or brown emphasizes the blue hue in green eyes.
Eva Amurri recently wore violet eye shadow with glossy lips and a floral dress, and she looked great. For most collegiettes™, a floral dress is a necessity for summer, so why not pair it with violet eye shadow?
So how can you wear violet shadow without standing out for all the wrong reasons at the office? According to iVillage.com, you first put a vivid shade of violet matte shadow on your entire eyelid, letting it expand to both the left and the right so that it extends from the outer edge to the inner edge of your eye – causing your eye to be surrounded by color. Then, apply this same shadow under your lower lashline, lining your eyes with violet color. You’ll be looking like Rachel McAdams in no time!
Just because the weather is hot and a rainbow isn’t in the sky doesn’t mean these colors should hide in our makeup bags. Take a risk and pull off a red or indigo eye shadow – you’ll be sure to brighten up your features and make your girlfriends green with envy.
Sources
Collegiettes™ across the country
Juliana Landis, one of Hollywood’s elite makeup artists and the owner of Juliana Landis Studio
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