The world of fashion is full of rules that we’re ironically encouraged to break; otherwise, we would all be stuck with our great-grandmothers styles and trends . However, there are rules that are rooted so deep in us that it’s difficult for us to break them. This happens mostly with makeup and beauty trends. The safest bet when it comes to makeup is choosing neutral colors: a dark eyeliner, nude or brownish eye shadow, and lipstick in red, pink, purple, and other tones that match the color of your skin. But where’s the fun in that?
Eye liner is even trickier because it’s main purpose is to make the most of our gaze. Our eyes are, perhaps, the most expressive part of our face. Therefore, the way we outline our eyes has a huge effect on our appearance. For instance, a thick line can make you look either like a femme fatale or a panda. If that happens with the “safest bet,” which is black eyeliner, it’s easy to think of other vibrant colors as a risky move for your makeup routine. However, adding some color to your look isn’t as radical as it sounds. It’s just a matter of knowing how to incorporate the color into the rest of your makeup and your outfit. The final result is catwalk-worthy but not too extra. You just have to consider the following tips while choosing any colored eyeliner.
Go for a color you actually like
This is the best way to get started with colored eyeliner if you’ve never tried it before. Feeling comfortable is essential to pull off any trend, and that includes your makeup. Maybe blue eyeliner is the season’s hot trend, but if you’re not into that hue, it’s not the best option for your first time trying colored eye liner. Start with colors that you know you can rock or your favorite tones. The vibrancy of the color will mean nothing unless you feel comfortable with that color. Once you achieve this, you can take it one step further and start wearing other tones that you wouldn’t have thought about before. Don’t stop yourself from using one color because it doesn’t “go” with your skin. There are tones for every skin color, just see whether warm or cool tones fit you best.
Match the color with the rest of your look
One way to make any colored eyeliner look natural on you is by matching it with the main tones in your outfit. For instance, if you’re wearing a green sweater or you’ve just painted your nails that color, why not top it with an emerald eyeliner? Playing with the different nuances of a color in your makeup, as well as in your general outfit, is a chic way to create a subtle yet varied color palette in your look.
Use liquid liner for subtle lines and pencils for bold looks
Part of the “daring” quality of a colored eye liner has to do with the shape you choose to outline your eyes. Winged liner is an excellent option if you want an elegant look for your makeup, especially if you’re just starting to find out which are the tones that fit you best. However, if you’re already into colored eyeliner and want to play a bit with other shapes, you can use a pencil liner to create thicker lines and gorgeous designs that will add power to your gaze, like a smoky eye or a dramatic cat eye.
Combine it with black
If these tips still sound like too much for you, you can always top black eye liner with another color to see whether it looks good on you. Black goes with everything, so you can basically try it with any color you like. As you learn which colors look best on you, you can also try other combinations –for example, red and white, dark blue and purple, or brown and yellow– until you finally take the plunge and go for the colored eyeliner by itself or, even better, the combination of different tones of colored eye liner.
Don’t let rules limit your options or scare you away from trying new looks. As you’ve seen in these pics, there’s nothing that says you can’t play with color in your makeup. Remember that it’s all trial and error, so if you don’t feel comfortable with a certain color, there’s a world of options out there you can try.
If you’re searching for more ways to shake up your look, check out these reads:
11 Photos That Will Convince You To Give Red Eyeliner A Try
This Fashion Rule Is Nonesense, And We Should All Forget About It