After applying blue eyeshadow, finish off your look with black eyeliner and mascara. Photo: dpa
Following its heyday in the Swinging Sixties and a brief resurgence in the Britney era, blue eyeshadow is back.
Different shades of blue are all the rage this season, according to Glamour magazine's eyeshadow gurus. Whether silvery, icy light blue, glittering royal blue or bright turquoise – the entire palette is currently landing on the eyelid.
It's not a totally new trend.
According to Vogue, blue eyeshadow had its biggest moment back in the Swinging Sixties when models such as Edie Sedgwick, Jean Shrimpton or Twiggy flaunted "huge, doe-eyed looks with double rows of false lashes, bold geometric shapes and blue eyeshadow".
Around the turn of the millenium, it was popstars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera who brought blue eyeshadow back into the limelight.
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The question many fashonistas may now be asking is, how to incorporate blue eyeshadow into their look today? Munich-based make-up artist Lukas Wythe has some answers.
To start, Wythe advises staying away from pastel shades.
"They quickly look greyish on the skin if you don't find the right shade for your skin colour," he says.
Choose strong colours such as aquamarine or turquoise instead to make the eyes shine. Shiny eyeshadow with a pearl effect is also a great way to achieve a radiant look.
Wythe recommends to apply eyeshadow in a strong blue shade along the upper lash line. In order to achieve a soft, blended effect, use an eyeliner brush.
For the area under the eye, you can choose a different dark shade of blue, says Wythe, who studied at the College of Creative Arts in Dublin. If you want a more striking smokey eye effect, you can also apply a dark eyeshadow to the entire eyelid – and blend it in at the corners.
Then gently dab a shimmering blue shade in the centre of the lid with your finger.
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Instead of pressed eyeshadow, it's better to use cream products, according to Wythe, because they tend to be easier to apply. Finalise your look with some black eyeliner and mascara.
When going for blue eyeshadow, the rest of the make-up should be kept subtle so that the colour really stands out, Wythe advises.
Red lipstick, for example, draws the focus away from the eye area. Nude-coloured lipsticks with a peach undertone, for example, are a better option as they render the made-up eyes particularly radiant. – dpa