Summer time is here, and we’re all about bright colors and tropical flair! Of course, adding bright colors to your makeup can be kind of intimidating. How do you apply bright colors without looking over-the-top? We talked to professional makeup artist and esthetician Beverly Ketchens to get the scoop!
Color Me Brightly Makeup Tips
1. Introduce brighter colors to your makeup routine slowly. Wearing blue eyeshadow can be risky, so you can minimize that risk by practicing before you leave the house. “I wanted to try blue eyeliner, so I lined my lash line with the blue liner and then I made a smaller line closer to the upper lash line to gently show the color,” Beverly says. “It was a small step to wearing a very bright color, and now I love blue eyeliner.” She suggests introducing colors to your makeup looks by starting with eyeshadow pallettes from companies like E.L.F., NYX and BH Cosmetics. Invest in a variety of brushes, and play away on an evening when you don’t have to go anywhere. You should also invest in good lighting to make sure that you’re not applying too much color.
2. Think coordinating colors, not matching. According to Beverly, going for an overly matched look doesn’t work very well. “Coordinate your makeup to your overall look; don’t try to match,” she says. This means that you should skip the blue eyeliner, blue eyeshadow, blue macara and blue dress combination. If you’re wearing a brightly colored outfit, tone down your makeup and think of sheer tones and complementary shades. Too much matching looks harsh and can age you.
3. Keep your look balanced. “For your eyeshadow, apply the bright color from your lash line to the crease between the eyebrow and lash line,” Beverly says. She suggests a very light application of color for daytime looks with more intensity for nighttime looks. You also don’t want to apply too many bright colors in one look. If you’re highlighting your eyes with a vibrant shade, keep the rest of your makeup look more natural or softer in comparison.
4. Make sure to blend brightly colored blush in well. Beverly advises only applying blush on the apples of your cheeks. “That’s the area that’s the roundest, so smile wide and apply in a circular, upward angle towards your temple,” she says. Bright corals look great during the summer months; and if you want a more natural flush, you can even wear a bronze gold blush. How you apply depends on whether the blush is a cream or a powder. “Crème blush should be applied with a sponge, while powder blushes are best applied gingerly with wider brushes,” Beverly says. You know you’ve been blended properly when the blush looks like a sheer, natural flush. If you can see the blush lines, you either put too much on or haven’t blended enough.
5. Whiten your teeth with vibrant lipstick shades. No, this doesn’t mean you’ll be applying the lipstick to your teeth! This means that you can choose a lipstick shade that gives your teeth a white appearance in comparison. “Red always makes teeth look whiter,” Beverly says. “But to avoid yellow-looking teeth, stick with sheer pinks and reds for a natural flushed look that won’t overpower eye makeup. Your lipstick should complement the rest of your look.”
6. Focus the brights on only one feature of your face. If you remember Mimi from The Drew Carey Show, then you know that she did not follow this basic advice. Mimi’s biggest makeup mistake was wearing too many bright colors at once in too many places on her face. “If you’re wearing a bight lipstick,” Beverly says, “then downplay your color on the eyes and cheeks. And vice versa.” So if you want to wear bright eyeshadow, tone down the rest of your look with more natural colors. Even your brightly colored makeup should make a subtle statement.
Brightly colored makeup can be fun, but you do have to make sure to apply the trend properly. “Knowing what color to choose can be difficult,” Beverly says. “But no matter what color you decide on, rock it all costs! The best color you can wear is confidence, and everything goes with that!”