Whether you are gearing up for the party of the year or you are simply interested in making your outfits pop a little, consider what bright eye shadow can do for you. Say goodbye the gentle neutral browns and mushrooms of the past winter, and say hello to some bright golds, magentas and peacock blues. Color is back in in a big way, and eye shadow is a great way to throw some color onto your appearance. Choose one of these fabulous ways to put bright eye shadow on your eyelids.

Using Bright Eye Shadow Shades To Create Fun Makeup Looks

* Subtle Sparkle

If you love the bright shades but you are not yet ready to commit, consider a subtle effect using a single shade of bright, nearly electric eye shadow. Place a single, sweeping line of bright eye shadow right on your lower lash line, and then make sure that you give yourself plenty of mascara to slightly obscure it. Choose neon green or a vibrant peacock blue for this effect, and you will get a delicate glimmer all night.

* Smoky Shadowing

To give your eyes a smoky look, start by outlining your eyes in black pencil and then brush on a base eyeshade that is just a little darker than than your own skin tone. Then go over this eye shadow with something substantially brighter using a pointed sponge applicator, contouring your eye and surrounding it completely. This brighter color should blend well with the pencil line and give your eyes a wonderfully smoky look. Choose a jade green or a bright turquoise for this effect.

* Peacock Glamour

For a nighttime party look, take a lesson from the proud peacock. This look uses several bright shades of eye shadow and it creates a wonderfully metallic look. Start by applying a thin layer of gold eye shadow to your eyelid, spreading it all the way up to your eyebrow. Use a lime or jade green eye shadow to fill in the space from the middle of the eyelid to the outer corner, and then fill the space from the inner corner of the eye to the middle using a purple eye shadow. Place a streak of blue eye shadow at the place where the two meet, and then blend the entire area together gently using your finger.

* Layered Looks

For a very bright look, use two eye shadows of the same color in different shades. Start by brushing the darker shade of the eye shadow color over the lid, and then sweeping the lighter shade from the top of the lid to the brow bone. Leave the line between the two shades distinct, and you’ll find that you are in a terrific place to get an eye-popping look. If you want to be a little more daring, choose two complimentary colors instead of using two shades of the same color. Green and purple, red and gold, and blue and green are some of the choices in front of you.

If you are in a situation where you are invested in changing you look, bright eye shadow may be just the right route for you to take. It is subtle enough that you do not risk drawing stares, but it can also be used in a way that allows it to dramatically change your appearance. When purchasing your colors, make sure that you have an electric blue, a warm magenta, a jade green and a silver or gold of your choice to get the most use out of your selection.

Shop For Eye Makeup At Sephora

Disclosures: Girl Gloss at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Coulter

Blue eye shadow has a bad reputation for being garish and unattractive. Wearing too much at once or picking the wrong shade for your skin, eyes and hair can cause your blue shadow to stand out far more than you intended. However, when you choose the correct products and apply them carefully, this color can actually produce extremely striking results. Here’s what you need to know about buying the best blue eye shadows and wearing them with style. Oh, and if you want to see a couple of nice new blue shades from MAC, check out out MAC Chenman Swatches on Beauty and Fashion Tech.

The Best Blue Eye Shadows and How to Wear Them

Eye Shadow Quality

Inexpensive drugstore brand shadows aren’t likely to produce elegant results. They tend to cake and may be difficult to apply evenly. Consider higher quality brands that use excellent quality ingredients and relatively few fillers. They have the staying power to keep your eyes looking their best even after a long evening out, but they can be applied subtly to avoid an overdone look. Here are some excellent choices:

• Sephora Collection “My Favorite Jeans”
• Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals “Azure”
• Laura Mercier “Deep Night”
• Clinique Colour Surge Stay Matte “Dark Denim”
• Kat Von D True Romance Pigments “Johnette”

You can find all of these at Sephora.

Never let your cosmetics get too old. Even high quality products can lose their advantages after their expiration date. They can also harbor bacteria that can irritate your eyes or cause an infection. Eye shadow has a shelf life of about three years. If you’ve had a shadow longer than that, it’s time to replace it.

Matching Your Complexion

Not everyone can wear blue eye shadow gracefully. On some people, the brilliance of this color can conflict with their natural skin, eye and hair colors, resulting in a garish look. Blue shadows often look best on people who have very fair skin without too much redness, especially those with dark or very light hair and gray or brown eyes. This shadow color can also complement very dark skin and hair.

This doesn’t mean that people with differing complexions can’t wear blue shadow, but it does mean that you should choose your shadow carefully if you’re a blonde with blue eyes or if you have olive skin and dark hair. Never match your blue shadow exactly to your eyes, since the shadow will tend to be more noticeable than your eye color. The same goes for matching eye shadow to your clothing. Stick to duller blues or tones with slightly green or purple tints if you have green or brown eyes, especially if your skin is also relatively dark.

Applying Blue Shadow

Blue is one of the trickiest types of eye shadow to apply correctly. Never smear it evenly all over your lid, as this can look clownish or childish. Instead, blend blue eye shadow carefully. Place the darkest blue closest to the lashes, using bright or light colors across the eyelid and as you approach the brow bone. Blend your eye shadow thoroughly with a professional-grade brush, rather than the sponge applicators included with most cosmetics.

Always use at least two different shades of blue. The lightest color should cover the eye area and some of the brow bone. Reserve your darker tone for accents along the eyelid and in the crease of the eye. If you wish to use eyeliner, choose a dark blue rather than black. It will harmonize better with your eye shadow and prevent an overly harsh look. Keep the rest of your look relatively light to avoid overwhelming your features with very bold makeup.

Shop for Eye Makeup at Sephora

Disclosures: Girl Gloss at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Coulter