Sun Kissed and Full of Bliss

NAVIGATING BRIGHT, BOLD EYESHADOW LOOKS AS A PERSON OF COLOR.

Written, Modeled, and Makeup by Mi Chuinda Levy, Lifestyle Staff Writer and Staff Makeup Artist Photographed by Sophia Krupka, Staff Photographer and Evie Dockray, Contributing Photographer Videography by Yejin Kim, Staff Videographer

When it comes to makeup, I am a person who loves it as bright and bold as my personality! Though as a person of color, I quickly came to realize that making bright colors pop on my skintone was going to be a lot harder than it would be for many of the fair skinned makeup artists I watched on YouTube. Over the years, I have learned and pieced together advice from fellow people of color to find makeup techniques that help me consistently achieve desired eye looks.

Although these tips can be used on any skintone, they are the ones I would give to a fellow person of color who wants to make their next eye look really pop.

SIX STEPS TO SHINING SUCCESS

PRIME THE EYES.

Priming the eyelids can help the eyeshadow not only stick to the lids better, but it can also help intensify the pigment in the shadow. There are two main options when choosing how to prime your lids; concealer and eyeshadow primer. Concealer is one of the easiest ways to prime your eyelids. I typically like to apply a thin layer of concealer all over my lids and pack that with a light neutral shade, then go in with the desired colored shadows. I recommend using a white liquid concealer and setting it with your desired color rather than the neutral shade. If you want a product solely dedicated to priming the eyelids, give eyeshadow primer a try! It works similarly to concealer, but often comes in more colorful options like orange and blue for when you want to really intensify specific colors.

WET THE BRUSH.

Using setting spray can go a long way! Lightly misting the brush you are using with your favorite setting spray before dipping into a palette gives the shadow a creamier consistency that is easier to blend and more with on the eye. It can also really make shimmer and glitter shadows pop!

TAP, DON’T DRAG.

When using bold colors, they can become patchy easily if not handled with care. It might be a habit to drag or swipe the eyeshadow pigment across the lids but the best method for the smoothest and most pigmented look is to gently press the shadow onto the eyelids.

LAYER, LAYER, LAYER!

Although a great foundation (primer) is key, layering shadows can also help build color intensity. With lighter colors, you might find that applying only one layer is not enough to get the payoff you’d imagined. Going in multiple times and tapping or packing color into the eyelids will help build the layers to your desired intensity.

CLEAN BRUSHES FOR BLENDING.

Experimenting with the color palette of your look and incorporating multiple colors is a fun way to create a unique look. To keep your look from getting too muddled together, opt to give each color their own brush for application, then blend using a clean blending brush. If you are working with a limited brush supply, look into a color switch sponge. This product will allow you to quickly clean your brushes between colors.

EYES, THEN FACE.

With looks where you know bolder colors will be used, do your eye makeup first! It makes it so much easier to clean up any eyeshadow fall out that might occur and it gives you a lot more flexibility to modify the overall look as you see fit to achieve your desired look. ■