Blue Eye Shadow- We Just Can’t Quit You
By Glinda
Big for fall? Blue eyeshadow.
Hey, I saw that eyeroll.
You know there are only so many colors that exist in the world, so blue was bound to come back at some point. You knew that.
Blue makeup does have a history that goes past that horrid 1960’s to 1980’s era. Really, it does.
Blue eyeshadow made of crushed lapis lazuli was used in Egyptian burials as early as 10,000 B.C. Of course only the upper classes and royalty could afford to apply semi-precious stones to their eyelids. Blue body paint is rumored to have been used by Celtic warriors, although to impress people as to their ferocity, not to look pretty. You can see a fine example above courtesy of Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart. It took a man named Max Factor to bring eyeshadow to the masses in the 1920’s, and blue was certainly among the popular colors.
But let us forget all about the heavy, matte blue eyeshadow of our disco-ing sisters. Today’s blues are light, often faintly iridescent, and easier to wear than you think. Blue is a flattering color to almost any skin tone, and is especially lovely on people with brown eyes. You’ve just got to know how to choose the right blue with the correct undertone for your skin and eye color.
If you have darker skin, lean towards turquoise and teal shades, such as this gorgeous turqoise shimmer pigment from Illamasqua:
If you have lighter skin and brown eyes, something like this shimmery darker periwinkle pigment would work well:
And if you’ve got blue eyes, the key is to choose a shade that is lighter than your own eye color. This soft periwinkle blue might be a good one to try:
Remember to never go all the way up to the brow with the blue color. Always choose a lighter color to sweep on the brow.
Because you seriously don’t want to revisit these days.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Yikes — that last photo was frightening.
I like the concept of blue eyeshadow, but am always stumped by it due to my eye colour. Actually, all eyeshadows stump me, due to my eye colour. They’re not blue OR green. They’re aqua — sort of a Pantone 15-5519 kind of shade. And I’d love to bring that out, but can never, ever find advice geared towards aqua eyes. I can see blue working on me…but do you have any ideas as to what shade would work?
November 3rd, 2010 at 4:15 pm
I love how there’s an eyeshadow tutorial for the last picture. As if you couldn’t just hand the eyeshadow applicator over to an 11-year-old and get the same effect.
November 3rd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
And what about green eyes?
November 3rd, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Thank you Gauss and La Petite Acadienne, I have green eyes (not hazel). I’m leery of blues (because blue and green should never be seen – apparently).
November 3rd, 2010 at 10:26 pm
Hail fellow green-eyed readers! Mine actually change color between blue and green depending on what I’m wearing.
Green eyes actually look best with purple eyeshadow, so I’d go for a shade of blue with purple undertones, such as the Makeup Forever periwinkles I’ve got pictures of up there, especially the softer one.
LPA- I actually went and did some color-scheming and believe it or not, if your eyes are a deep aqua (which is what I took the Pantone 15-5519 to be) you can get away with wearing a light turquoise. I’m not sure the Illamasqua above is quite the right shade, but it’s hard to say without being able to see you! 🙂
November 4th, 2010 at 7:59 am
LPA – I have turquoise eyes really similar to the Pantone shade Glinda mentions, and I’ve found an unusual combination that really works for me. Bright teal shadow on the lid, and brown in the crease. It sounds weird, but I swear, when it’s on and all blended together, the teal isn’t that obvious (I don’t have deep-set eyes and you can’t see that much of my lids), but it’s just enough that it really makes the eyes shine.
The teal shade in the Cargo Mozambique palette was perfect, though I don’t think they make that anymore. If you can get L’oreal products from Europe, the other shade I use is their Color Appeal in Blue Xenon (photo is here: http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/cosmetics/eyes/color-appeal/106-xenon-blue.aspx). I’m sure there are plenty of other teal shades you can try.
November 4th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Sorry, that link should be http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/cosmetics/eyes/color-appeal/106-xenon-blue.aspx with no parenthesis on the end!
November 4th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Thank you Glinda for the advice Glinda. I’ve had success with purples and mauves. For a very dramatic evening look, a dark purple dominating the lid always seem to draw compliments.
November 10th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Well, I decided to dip a cautious toe into the world of blue eyeshadow, and purchased this palette:
http://images.buzzillions.com/images_products/02/07/rimmel-eye-shadow-smokey-blue-14oz_174666_175.jpg
It’s a bit of a cheat, as the colours are more of a grayish-blue, but it’s still a major departure from my usual look. And you know what? I rather like it. 🙂
November 12th, 2010 at 12:54 am
@Nora Charles- I’m here to help! I do love a purple lid, too!
@LPA- A fine choice, my dear!