When Cacharel showcased these bold lavender lids on the runways, beauty editors and lovers around the globe swooned. Bright, bold, luscious colour all over the eyelids, with the same colour mirrored on the lower lashline. It’s a bold and modern take on the traditional smoky eye look and in vibrant colours, it’s the perfect way to update your summer makeup routine.

A one-colour eyeshadow look might appear easy to achieve (we have our shadow brushes in hand, ready to apply), but the chances of this beauty trend going awry and veering into an ’80s or clown-like look are too high for us to take any chances. Our makeup expert to the rescue? MAC Cosmetics’ senior artist Melissa Gibson, who weighs in with her tips for how to get this glam look.

Summer makeup: Coloured eyeshadow

“This is a bold take on the
classic smoky eye,” says Gibson, adding that you need to have a few brushes to create this look. Here are her step-by-step instructions:

1. Use a smaller brush with slightly stiff bristles to apply the colour and then a softer fluffier brush to blend.

2. Start by using a small amount of
foundation or concealer under the eye and on the lid of the eye. (Don’t powder at this point and leave the rest of the face to complete later on in case you have fall out with the colour you’re using.)

3. Grab your boldest colour and with the smaller brush, apply to lower lid and under eye area.

4. Use the softer blending brush to diffuse any hard edges.

5. Fade the colour going from the darkest (or boldest) and getting lighter, the more it makes its way up the eye and into the crease.

Choosing eyeshadow colours

Once you’ve mastered the technique for applying eyeshadow to achieve this particular look, the fun part is choosing what colour to use. The good thing is that your options are limitless. ”You can achieve this look using any colour,” says Gibson. “The technique of applying it would be the same with the choice of any colour.” So choosing your colour is all about personal style and preference. Feeling pretty in purple? Bold in blue? Glam in green? It’s all up to you and your mood! “If your unsure what suits you best, you can think in terms of complimentary colours,” says Gibson. “Blue eyes look great with oranges, green eyes with purples. More importantly though, make sure you’re comfortable and because it’s bold colour, have fun with it!”

Take your coloured eyeshadow from day to night with these summer makeup tips on the next page …

Taking this look from day to night

If you’re pressed for time after your nine-to-five, taking this look from work-appropriate to party-ready is easy! Gibson recommends grabbing a black eyeliner and applying it close to the lash line on the top and bottom as well as on the inner rim of the eye. “It makes for a more dramatic look and you can top it off by adding false lashes for even more pop!” she says.

“The most important thing about using colours like this is to remember to blend!” she says. “The more matte the texture, the harder it is to get a perfectly blended colour. Have fun with colour on the eyes but keep the rest of the face quite neutral, so that it doesn’t become ‘too much of a good thing’.”

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