No matter the season, there’s nothing like a fresh makeup trick to heat up your style, whether that’s learning how to plump lips or how to fill in eyebrows. But with lips and cheeks masked, what’s a girl to do?
Go big. Go bold. Go graphic colored eyeliner.
It’s no surprise that eye makeup trends, like colorful eyeliners and bold brows, are growing edgier to compensate for what our masks cover. If you’re contemplating a truly stunning eye this season, hold off on the simple black eyeliner and look no further than these colored eyeliner looks to inject some pizzazz into your style.
The Classics, but Colorful
Iconic eyeliner styles are iconic because they always look great on everyone. The thrill of a smokey eye, the drama of a cateye, and the richness of a natural eye never grow tired.
But how about cranking those classics up a notch? By adding vivid color to the classic styles, you’ll achieve something entirely new and entirely exciting.
Here are some of our favorite twists on tried-and-true makeup looks with a colored liner.
It’s Catnip, Baby!
The cateye makeup look has been making waves in the beauty world since Cleopatra debuted it in Ancient Egypt. Whether thick or thin, the long tail of the cateye looks amazing in a vivid hue, especially royal blue or startling pink. Here are our tips for debuting your own colorful cateye:
- Clean and prep the eye area for a smooth, even base
- Use a layer of concealer or eyeshadow primer to help the liner adhere
- Draw a short, thin tail from the outer corner of the eye up towards the eyebrow at about a 45 degree angle in your choice of color
- Draw a line along the upper lash line from the inner corner to the outer
- Draw another line along the lower lash line
- Fill the lash lines to the desired thickness, attaching the tail line to the upper and lower lash lines
- Keep your lines smooth, curved, and matching the natural contour of your lids
- Because this look is bold, pair it with clean, well-moisturized skin and just a splash of eyeshadow or mascara
Smoke Bomb
Everyone should know how to deploy a perfect smokey eye. Sultry and alluring, the smokey eye is a more forgiving style than the precise cateye.
Relying on a little liner and a lot of shadow blending, a colorful smokey eye can be achieved by following these steps:
- Clean and prime the eye area (this is always a solid start)
- Apply 3 coordinating shades of shadow. We particularly like pink for a funky look.
- Light pink – for the entire lid and brow
- Medium pink – for the crease
- Dark brown – for the lid
- Smudge dark eyeliner in a vibrant color along the upper and lower lash lines
- If pink isn’t your gig, try one of these combinations:
- Blue shadow with a navy liner
- Gold shadow with an orange liner
- Green shadow with a plum liner
Natural No More
While a natural brown or black liner look is simple and clean, you might try spicing up your basic easy liner technique by substituting a red, purple, blue, or gold liner instead. While the usual eyeliner advice is to choose a color that coordinates with your eye color, if you’re trying for an edgy look, you should contrast your liner to double the impact.
- For green eyes or hazel eyes, line with red or pink
- For blue eyes, line with plum
- For brown eyes, line with red or gold
- For black eyes, line with neons and white
Wings, Wings, and Even More Wings
We’re suckers for winged liner. From the subtle to the complex, wings are your eyes’ best friends. And with so many different wing styles out there, you should never settle for less than magnificent. Six unusual wing styles that look amazing with colored liners are:
- Colorblocked – Not one but two colored liners play together in this wing.
- Reverse Wing – A bold wing…but only under your eye?! This style isn’t for the faint of heart, but it looks great in any color.
- Mermaid Fishtail – In shimmering teal or aquamarine, the fishtail wing is simultaneously Egyptian and worthy of the high seas.
- Arrow – A dramatic cateye, but elongated and with negative space, this style looks amazing in a neon or pastel liner.
- Inner Corner Wing – This look isn’t for everyday wear, but if you’re bold enough to try a little colorful graphic play on the inner corners of your eyes, the payoff can be huge with this dramatic party or festival look.
- Dotted – Who says a liner can only draw lines? For a pop of color on top of another line (or all by itself), try a line of colorful dots. This look is especially stunning in white or neon.
With so many options ranging from liquid to pencil, and different colors like red, yellow, and blue – your eyeliner options are endless. This is a makeup trend you can really get creative with and add your own style.
Line Up for FabFitFun
Whether you’re looking for a wee pop of color to perk up a simple look or you’re diving headlong into an over-the-top appearance, adding colored liner to your eyes will take you from ho-hum to ho-boy!
At FabFitFun, we scour the world to find you the newest trends in health, beauty, houseware, and more. So whether you’re the kind of gal who loves a classic black cateye or the type who opts for a reverse wing in teal and pink, we’ve got the goods that will get you lined up!
We’ve also got info on everything skin, nails, makeup, and hair related, like hair mask benefits and how to create bold makeup looks.
Sources:
- Vogue India. The Real Story Behind the Cat-eye Flick, the World’s Oldest Makeup Trick. https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/the-fascinating-history-of-the-cat-eye-liner
- The Vintage Woman Magazine. Ancient Glamour: Unveiling the History of the Smokey Eye. https://thevintagewomanmagazine.com/history-of-the-smokey-eye/
