5 Colorful Eye Makeup Ideas For All Your Post-Quarantine Summer Festivals
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When it comes to eye makeup, it's easy to stick with the same old look. I personally use bold black eyeliner and a little bit of mascara from day-to-day. But if I have a special occasion, or an event to attend, I might switch things up with some colorful eyeshadow or a bit of glitter.
Recently, I've seen a lot of celebrities wearing colorful eye makeup and I can't lie - I'm feeling inspired to try out the trend. I particularly loved Gigi Hadid's bold orange eye look she posted recently on her Instagram, and Tracee Ellis-Ross always has me in awe whenever she wears a colorful eyeshadow.
If you're feeling inspired too, there's no better time to try out new eye makeup than during the summer - especially now that we have some freedom, finally.
"Colorful eye makeup is a playful addition for summertime and festivals," says celebrity makeup artist Holly Gowers. "It's striking and absolutely worth the effort."
Below, Gowers shows us how to create colorful eye makeup looks for your next summertime festival.
RELATED: You're Never Too Old to Learn How to Do a Cat-Eye
Soft Watercolor
This delicate look features soft touches of color across the eye that look whether you rock it day or night.
To recreate this look, start with an eyeshadow primer. Next, pick one eyeshadow shade for your eyelid and a variety of colors for the crease. "I used shimmery eyeshadow for a slightly wet look," says Gowers. "Apply the eye shadows with a swooping motion or a series of dots." Finish off by gently blending the eyeshadow with a clean brush to combine the shades.
Intense Smoky Pink
"This look is my absolute favorite," says Gowers. "Pink looks good on every skin tone and really makes the eyes pop." The key to this look is a good eyeliner, adds the makeup artist. "You can pick any shade of pink. Start by completely lining the inside of the eyes, tightline and waterline."
Continue by drawing a line around the top and bottom of the lashes, then gently diffuse the eyeliner with a brush, creating a cat-eye shape. Apply pink eyeshadow on top of the eyeliner and blend out the edges, keeping the cat-eye shape.
"Combine that with a lighter shade of pink for the inner corner of the eye. Mascara is optional - I think it looks much cooler without," says Gowers.
Lavender Wash
This glossy-glitter lavender look will have your eyes glistening all day long, and it's perfect for adding a slight glow. To recreate the look, start by prepping your eye with an eyeshadow primer. Next, use a satin lavender or lilac eyeshadow all over the top lid.
"Extend the eyeshadow to the outer and inner 1/3 of the lower eye, leaving the section right under the iris bare," says Gowers. "Then close your eye and apply an iridescent glitter on the center of the eyelid."
After applying the glitter, Gowers adds an aluminizing shadow to the inner corners of the eyes. She finishes the look by curling the lashes and applying a light coat of mascara to the upper lashes.
Stick It On
These eyes look like they take a lot of time to achieve, but they're super easy and surprisingly quick to do.
"I created this look on Charli XCX using face stickers," says Gowers. "Before applying the stickers, use micellar water to remove any oils and makeup from the eye area." Once your eyes are completely dry, apply the decals over top.
"If the stickers are not adhering properly, use a cotton swab to add a dab of eyelash glue to secure," adds the MUA.
A Little Shimmer
Add an extra sparkle to your eyes with these dazzling sparkling Swarovski crystals. The large crystals are perfect for festivals, and definitely make a statement. "For this look, I applied varying sizes of Swarovski crystals with the Crystal Katana and eyelash glue," says Gowers. "I love applying crystals under the eyes as it looks like jewelry."
