Trending 19th September 2019 by Valerie Loftus

Afraid Of Colour? Don’t Be! Here’s How To Rock Grown-Up Rainbow Makeup

Use every colour in the crayon box.

Instagram/katiejanehughes

RED

The red lip is a classic for a reason and hardly *Miranda Priestly voice* groundbreaking, so why not change your approach? Make- up artist Katie Jane Hughes is a huge advocate of the ‘blurred lip’, and the technique showed up loads on the catwalks for A/W 2019.

Katie Jane applies her red only to the centre of her mouth, then uses an eyeshadow brush to blend and buff it out at the edges for a soft-focus effect – you can just as easily do it with your fingers, if you’re so inclined. This makes lips look full and soft, and because it’s not about perfection, it’s a great trick to have in your back pocket if you’re prone to getting lipstick all over your face.

ORANGE

When we think of orange make-up, we think of MAC Morange and neon eyeshadow, but it doesn’t have to be that dramatic! Shades of burnt orange, apricot and peach are extremely fetching, and can be as subtle as you want them to be. Margot Robbie sported monochrome orange eyes, cheeks, lips and nails on a recent press day for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – the overall effect is super dreamy.

YELLOW

Making a very convincing case for yellow eyeshadow is Zendaya. Just make
sure to load up on the mascara (and maybe a few individual false lashes) so that the overall impression is ‘sunshine’ and not ‘mild jaundice’.

It’s a risk, but one we’re willing to take. Alternatively, you can use yellow to spruce up your black winged liner – take a yellow eyeshadow or eyeliner and add graphic lines to your flicks to kick things up a notch.

GREEN

Green might be one of the most mystifying colours of the rainbow, speaking from a beauty point of view. What do you do with it? Well, broadcaster Louise McSharry has been showing us the truth, the light and the way with her penchant for minty green eyeshadow – just apply the same shade all over the lid and blend the edges. So fun, so easy.

BLUE

Instagram/patidubroff

Blue eyeshadow was verboten for SO long, thanks in no small part to the excesses of
the 1980s, but the beauty community has welcomed its return with open arms. You
can find a rich sapphire shade in about every second palette released these days, but we’re loving the soft, 60s-style baby blues and aquamarines popping up on the lids of celebs like Priyanka Chopra and Kacey Musgraves. Use these shades in place of your usual eyeliner, or brush them all over the lid and add a black kitten flick to channel Priscilla Presley.

INDIGO

Indigo is a close cousin of navy, which for many Irish people will conjure up images of itchy school uniforms. But it can be sexy! We swear! For the Oscars this year, MUA Hung Vanngo gave Victoria’s Secret model Taylor Hill a navy winged smoky eye that left us drooling.

It’s rich and dramatic, with a hint of sparkle, and you don’t even have to be an expert eyeshadow blender to pull it off. Just do it before you apply your foundation so you can map out your wing with precision, and avoid navy-speckled cheeks.

VIOLET

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxP2BfHFHS8/

Purple is tricky. Done right it can look luxurious (and bring out green and brown eyes most deliciously). Done wrong, people will wonder if you got into a fight. Keeping things bright and jewel-toned will guarantee your result is more of the former than the latter. At the Met Gala this year, Dua Lipa sported graphic violet liner to match her Versace gown – the extra dash of purple along her inner socket line is unexpected and oh-so cool.

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