Whether you’re going for a natural day look or a more glamourous evening look – one thing can kill all of your efforts, and that is having too much colour on your face. Experimenting with pops of colour with our makeup is something a lot of us aren’t that comfortable with because, well – when it goes wrong it goes really wrong!! But when you do it right, it can look super fun and fabulous. So, read ahead to find out clever ways to add a touch of colour without making it OTT!
1. The Eyes
The eyes are easiest to play around with when it comes to adding a dash of colour as there are many ways to achieve the desired effect.
I. Coloured mascara for the win
Like most trends, coloured mascara is something that might seem a bit overwhelming. But if you use it as a “pop” of colour on an otherwise natural look it can really look good! Try an electric blue shade and only go for the top lashes if you don’t want the effect to be that evident.
Also read: How To Get Perfect Mascara (WITHOUT The Clumps!)
II. You could opt for coloured eyeliner
Whether you’re going for a cat eye, smoky eye or just a general lining effect, use a purple, navy or even teal coloured pencil. You will see it makes your eyes really pop! Be sure to keep things neat, though.
Top tip: Purple is known to make brown eyes look bigger than they are – so go for purple if you want to make your eyes pop!
Also read: How To Rock Coloured Eyeliner (Without Looking “Over The Top”)
III. Experiment with eyeshadow
It’s an old trick, but eyeshadow will always add just the right touch of colour to your makeup. There are a few new and different ways to apply it, though!
The sweep: Use a flat eyeshadow brush to pat the eyeshadow on rather than brushing it across your lid. This will help it to stick to your lid better, and give a solid rather than patchy appearance. Stick to short, slow brush strokes and always go in the same direction. Make sure you only go to the crease of your lid to avoid over dramatizing your look.
Under your eyes: Sweeping the lower lid can be tricky but effective if done right. Use a more natural shade of colour like a light brown, cream or peach and make sure that you apply primer before applying the shadow (it will help the colour adhere and prevent smearing and smudging). More so, make sure the product you are using is waterproof as it will be long lasting. Use the tip of the eyeshadow brush to achieve this effect.
Multicoloured eyeshadow: We have seen rainbow hair be super on trend this year and gradient eyeshadow looks just as good! Start with a light, natural colour at the inner corners of your eye; blend it into a metallic purple shade followed by a blue and green. Using coloured pencil liners works best to achieve this effect – but be sure to blend, blend, blend!
Highlight the inner corners: If you don’t want to go for the full sweep, try highlighting the inner corners of your eye. You can do this with a cream/light brown shadow that keeps things natural or you can even add a pop of colour – we’ve noticed that a bright green or teal works really well for this effect! It is a quick and easy way to turn heads.
Also read: 7 Ways Gold Eyeshadow Can Light Up Your Whole Face (And More!)
2. The Cheeks
Rather than going for the usual blush look, opt for one that’s a bit lighter than your skin tone. Rose pinks, taupe and coral are best. Highlight the apple of your cheeks with your blush brush to get a bit of a sun-kissed colouring effect on your face.
Also read: The *Simple* Contouring Guide For Beginners!
3. The Lips
This may be obvious but lipstick is a great way to add just enough colour to your look without making anything look over the top! Use a colour that complements your natural skin tone and your outfit and don’t be afraid to make things pop!
I. Be clever about lining
Line your lips with a pencil that best resembles your shade and build the colour up gradually. If you are going for a good amount of colour on your lips, opt for less eye makeup, else it will only make your look too heavy.
Also read: 8 Rules for Pulling Off Dark Lipstick!
II. Ombre lips
Apply your lipstick as usua,l but dab a sparkle of white or light pink eyeshadow in the middle of your lips to give an ombre shaded effect! We’ll bet your lips will steal the show!
Also read: Lip Contouring!?! Nargis Fakhri’s Doing It – Should YOU?
4. The Nails
You may not consider your tips and toes when it comes to your day to day regime, but it is probably one of the best ways to add colour to your look.
I. Nail art
Nail art is super effective and dresses up your look without you having to do anything to your face! If you want to keep things simple, why not opt for one nail to be embellished rather than the whole manicure? You could even add a nail jewel to really give things a dazzling effect!
Also read: The 5-Step Guide To Painting Your Nails Like A Pro
II. Match your colour
A simple tip, but matching your nail colour to your outfit, lips or eyeshadow can help make other aspects of your makeup pop! Colour complements colour, as they say…!
Also read: Give Your Nails A Fancy Makeover At HOME – The Naked Manicure!!
Images: Shutterstock, Giphy
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