Beauty Kuel Category Expert: Elise Marquam-Jahns
“When I was eight years old I vividly remember the excitement I felt at the thought of opening up my new box of 64 crayons.”
After flipping open that cardboard cover there was that unmistakable one-of-a-kind smell of waxy ‘crayoness’. But then the real joy set in: the moment of feasting my eyes on the amazing rainbow range of colors contained in that small box. Who can forget “raw umber,” “burnt sienna,” “cornflower” and “magenta”? I imagine you may also have some similar nostalgic memories!
(By the way, here’s some crayon trivia: in 2008 an average child in the U.S. would use more than 730 crayons by the time he or she turned 10.)
Well, I haven’t opened a new box of crayons for a while (more’s the pity!), but I must confess that I have a similar feeling every time I see an amazingly colorful eye shadow palette. The lavenders, magentas, cobalt blues and warm corals in an assortment of mattes, shimmers, foils and glitters can sometimes take my breath away.
But, after that first sense of delight, reality sets in for many of us.
The thought “How could I actually wear these eye shadow colors?” sets in. Let’s face it: most of us are far more comfortable wearing a more neutral, conservative eye shadow look.
But the good news is that there are ways to gently move out of our comfort zone by incorporating some of these colors into an everyday, wearable look. What follows are five tips on how to make colorful eyeshadow more wearable . . . and four ways to actually wear it.
Five Tips on How to Make Colorful Eye Shadow More Wearable:
Tip #1: Pair just one colorful eye shadow color with a neutral color such as a warm or cool tone of beige or grey.
Tip #2: Choose a light to medium colorful eye shadow—at least at first until you become more comfortable with wearing more color.
Tip #3: Place the colorful eye shadow in one of several strategic locations (see the “Four Ways to Wear It” below for more details).
Tip #4: Use different brushes to get different impact from the colors. For instance, a denser brush will apply more color, whereas a softer brush will provide a lighter application of color.
Tips #5: Mix together two colors that you might not normally use to get another color that’s softer (e.g. purple with gold over it to soften it).
Four Ways to Wear Colorful Eye Shadow:
1. After you’ve applied your regular, neutral eyeshadow, and eyeliner, apply a line of color immediately above your eyeliner. This can give a gorgeous “pop” of color to highlight your eyes without looking too dramatic.
Hint: You may want to consider choosing a color that is opposite on the color wheel from your eye color to really provide some “pop” for your eyes. For instance, navy blue works beautifully with brown eyes.
2. Place color just on the lower lash line or along both the outer upper lash line and lower outer lash line. Make sure to “smudge it out” so it looks softer and more wearable—especially where the color ends.
3. Place the color all over your lid. And remember, you can always mix in a lighter color or white to soften the look even further.
4. Place color just in the “outer V” area of your eye. The key here is to blend and then blend some more.
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About The Author:
Elise Marquam-Jahns is a professional, working makeup-artist who is passionate about helping women 45+ get their glow back. In addition to her work as a makeup artist for a major cosmetics line, she founded Boomer and Beyond Beauty and recently launched “Boomer and Beyond Beauty with Elise” –a makeup and beauty YouTube channel specifically for women 45+. Subscribe to Elise’s YouTube makeup and beauty channel specifically for you: “Boomer and Beyond Beauty with Elise.” Elise is also an author and speaker and hosts Normandale Community College’s monthly Learning Well Edge Talk Radio show where she interviews experts in the field of health and wellness.
