Bright and Coloful Eye's

Bright eyes were THE thing on the S/S runways, and why not? It adds to the eccentricity of the season and the neutral-than-neon pattern. In are beige and gray handbags, tons of white and semi-structured separates. So why not contrast the plain with color?

All of this said, wearing bright shadow or eyeliner is a lot easier in theory. We don’t all have the gorgeous wide set eyes of Stam or the mad skills of Pat McGrath at our fingertips. Even still, the bright trend can be done, and it won’t have to sit on top of your head (yes, we’re talking about the Anna Sui show).

Shadow It In

When working with a shadow, there are two options. Either use the bright shadow as your contouring color, or use it on the actual lid with little else on the eye. Either is great, but the latter works well when you aren’t used to working with a bright shade, or if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands.

If you decide to opt for the first, be sure to use a neutral shadow (I love Stila’s Kitten) with just a tinge of peach to it, which will make the bright shadow not quite so BAM! Then, apply your bright shadow just as you would if it were brown or black, being careful to blend as to create a gradual effect on the eyes. It should look as if it fades in and fades back out. Practice makes perfect.

Line It Up

Liner is the safest way to go when experimenting with color. Tools like MAC Technakohl Liner and Lancome’s Art Liner make application easy. If you want to experiment with a shadow that you might already own, consider picking up MAC’s eye liner brush #283. I was horrible at applying liquid liner until I found this thing. Now I use for applying everything from cake liner to Paint Pots, and also wet shadow. The angled brush is precise, but not difficult to maneuver, so you end up with a smooth straight line every time.

Lash It On

Still scared of trying a bright eye? Go for a colored mascara. Apply your makeup as usual, and then a mascara for thickening (since most colored formulas won’t). BeautyHype recently reviewed Clarins’ colored mascara, but if you don’t want to shell out $22 for something you may or may not like, try Sephora Brand Fantastic Color Mascara, which runs only four bucks. The colors aren’t quite as intense, but chances are if you can’t deal with a royal blue, teal and purple are probably out of the question.

Set It In

Bright eyes, when done right, can be downright sexy. They pack the punch of what would normally be worn by your entire face, and in the hot summer months, they’re the perfect answer to for parring down your normal makeup routine. Bright eyes say you’re confident, and even if you aren’t, they give you enough of a buzz to act like you have it together. I’m not one for trying a little of anything; I have to jump in head first, so when I decided to experiment, I went to the MAC counter and chose the first bright color that popped out at me. This color ended up being none other than the electric blue matte shadow: Clarity.

Now we don’t all have to be as extreme. If you’re the type of gal who normally wears little-to-no eye shadow, and relies on liner and mascara, try experimenting with new shades of the product you’re used to working with. Colored mascara has made a massive comeback, and bright liners can be found everywhere from aisles of CVS Pharmacy to the Shiseido counter at Saks.

The idea is to bring out your eyes with a shot of color, so obviously, choose colors complimentary to your skin tone. Fair skin can go with almost any color (other than pastels), but ultra bright colors that truly contrast the skin are easy to work with, and provide a lot of bang for the buck. These same rules apply to those with dark to very dark skin, while those of us with yellow/olive undertones can count on citrus brights. If you have brown skin, highlight it with an extreme eye that’s gilded. Even yellow works on tan skin, if it’s done right. Regardless of what you use, the key is to experiment. After all, it’s only makeup. If it ends up in disaster, you can just wash it off and start over. If only everything in life were that easy.

Written by: Samantha Cabrera