Here's How To Do Monochromatic Eye Makeup
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Monochromatic makeup is a huge trend right now and has been popping up all over the red carpet for years. A recent example we loved was Florence Pugh's look at the Black Widow premiere that took place in late June — talk about taking monochrome-chic to another level!
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According to celebrity makeup artist Joseph Carrillo, the key to pulling it off is applying products in the same color shade to your eyes, lips, and cheeks. It's that simple. "It really is a go-to look for me," he shares with InStyle. "I love it for red-carpet events, it's chic and timeless."
Monochrome makeup works well on all skin tones, and the beauty of it is, any color palette works — it's completely your choice. Keeping the color tones in the same family ensures that the makeup is synchronized, and no facial feature stands out more than the other.
If you're thinking about trying out monochrome makeup and want to glam it up a tad, Carrillo recommends adding texture. Glittery lipsticks and creamy eyeshadows are a great choice, and again, as long they're in the same shade, they can still be part of your monochrome look.
But the eyeshadow color you apply is what will really set off your monochrome makeup, so make sure to pick out a shade you love and build the color palette for your other facial features around it.
Below, Carrillo shares tips for achieving his favorite monochromatic eye makeup looks.
Light Lavender
The first step to achieving the perfect monochromatic eye makeup is to use an effective primer.
"To create this look, I started by applying Chanel La Base Ombre Paupiere Eyeshadow Base all over the lid," says Carrillo. Next, the makeup artist used a flat eyeshadow brush to apply Chanel Ombre Premiére Longwear Powder Eyeshadow in Vibrant Violet and used a blending brush to fade the eyeshadow towards the inner part of the eye.
"I wanted to create the shape with just the one color," says Carrillo. "By taking the eyeshadow from the lid to the inner corner of the eye and fading it to the outer corner, it appears as if the purple eyeshadow has vanished into thin air."
To add more definition to the eyes, Carrillo used Chanel Le Volume De Chanel Mascara to create spider lashes "Even a soft chic look like this can turn edgy with just the right amount of mascara," he says. "I finished off by brushing up the brows with Iconic London Brow Silk."
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Fiery Red
Red makeup always makes a statement — and this look is no different. One swipe of the intense color immediately enhances the eye and cheek area.
"For this look, I used a small blending brush and started with a wash of MAC No Shame Glow Play Blush on the inner corner of the eye and around the crease, whilst leaving the eyelid bare," says Carrillo.
The makeup artist then used a larger blending brush to apply MAC Heat Index Glow Play Blush to the outer corner of the eye, fading the color out to the temples and just above the cheekbone.
"To finish off, I used a small beauty blender and applied more MAC No Shame Glow Play Blush on top of where I applied MAC Heat Index Glow Play Blush. I blended the colors seamlessly to create a monochrome finish."
Natural Nude
For this look, Carrillo used a nude color palette to add subtle dimension to the face. "To start off, I applied NYX Proof It! Waterproof Eyeshadow Primer, because I did not want to lose the shine of the color eyeshadow I was going to add," he explains.
Following this, the makeup artist blended MAC Pro Eye Palette: The Dame from the crease of the eyelid all the way to the brow bone. "Once I achieved my desired blend, I added a wash of color to the eyelid, applied mascara and used the same color theme to contour the face."
Blue Hue
This intense blue monochromatic eye makeup is an immediate attention grabber and looks great on warm skin tones. "I started off this look by applying Smash Box Hydrating Eye Primer, if you have oily eyelids, this primer works wonders, says Carrillo." The makeup artist then applied MAC The Bad Girl Cream Color Eye shadow, using a flat brush.
"Following this, I used a blending brush to fade the color towards the nose and all the way up to the brow bone," he shares. "Lastly, I applied Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm on top of the cream eye shadow to add sheen."
