Try the joyful eye make-up trend: Pro make-up artists show us how
Anyone can do these four easy and bold summer make-up creations and switch up their look, says Katie Wright.
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Your support makes all the difference.This season it’s all about joyful make-up – embracing colour, creativity and a hint of glitter as we adorn our eyes to match our sassy summer outfits.
Want to try the trend but not sure where to start? Here, pro make-up artists talk us through four bold and beautiful looks that are easy to achieve at home…
1. Bold blue
Bridgerton 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.”
Explaining how to blend a single bright hue like royal blue, she says: “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.”
Lancome Hypnose Palette Bleu Hypnotique, £43.50
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.
She suggests tailoring the eyeshadow shade to your eye colour: “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 and look absolutely amazing in photographs or when caught in the light.”
Nars Powerchrome Loose Eye Pigment Islamorada, £15.40 (was £22)
Paul and Joe Eye Colour Limited Glace a la Fraise, £16, Beauty Bay
3. Metallic moment
Love the winged eyeliner look? Take your feline flick to the next level like Emily in Paris actor Lily Collins did on the red carpet 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 Connolly.
She recommends starting with either 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 show-stopping sparkle.”
Rimmel Scandal’Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner Blue, £4.99, Superdrug
3ina The Eyeshadow 127, £9.95
4. Pastel power
Pastel eyeshadow has made a real comeback in recent years. The mint and lavender shades chosen to complement the Halpern SS21 collection are the perfect example – although you don’t have to take it all the way up to your eyebrows if you don’t want to.
“When working with pastel colours, it’s always best to stick with just one shade to avoid the colour becoming muddied,” says Garson. “Instead of attempting to mix tones, have a play with textures to change up the look, like they have for Halpern. Layer up the matte eyeshadow with a pop of shimmer on the centre of the eyelid to really make the look come to life.”
She suggests: “Green eyes look amazing with pastel pinks and warm violets, while those with blue eyes should go for the warmer tones such as a pastel orange or a pale pink. And if you’re brown-eyed, then lilac is the shade for you.”
No7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow Lilac Shine, £7, Boots
E.L.F. Mint Melt No Budge Eyeshadow Stick Mint For You, £5, Superdrug