Saturday 17 January 2015

How to Wear Green Eyeshadow in the Daytime



When you think of green eyeshadow you may think of 1960s mod make-up with dramatic thick eyeliner and a bold explosion of colour all over the lid. I know that when I started collecting Mac many years ago, I was keen to get my hands on a whole spectrum of eyeshadow shades, including bright greens and blues. Understandably, I haven't used these shades as much as I use my neutrals (in fact, if I'm honest, they haven't had much use over the last year or so at all). The problem with these more vibrant colours is that they don't appear to work for everyday, understated make-up looks. The 1960s make-up styles are fabulous, but let's face it, they would certainly not be appropriate for my workplace!

Today I decided to dip into my unloved 'brights' palette. The colour that drew my attention was 'Lime', a bright lime green shade with a matte finish. 

I had previously applied Mac's 'Omega', a light taupe (also matte) all over my lid. I love this eyeshadow because it's so wonderfully inoffensive and natural; 'Lime' is somewhat more daring! To pair the two seemed like a good combo, so I used a blending brush to apply a little of the green colour to the outer corner and into the crease. What I like about doing this with a bolder colour is that you only see the true extent of the colour at certain angles. It's very much like Tippi Hedren's make-up in The Birds where you only see the brightness of her blue eye make-up when she blinks- what I would call a classy way of doing colour.

Having green eyes, the effect of the green works quite well, I think. A full wash of green would be too much, but the ombre of the taupe and pale green give a mossy colour which I am more than happy to wear out and about in the daytime. A brown liner also keeps things in perspective and doesn't make it an overpowering eye to pull off.
For a shimmery take on this look, Mac's 'Patina' and 'Humid' would be a good combination to try out. The key to remember is not to apply any green to the middle of the lid to prevent it looking too much for an everyday eye (unless of course you want to draw attention, in which case, apply it wherever you like!) 

Do you wear brighter eyeshadows? 

4 comments :

  1. I don't think i'd be confident enough to wear colours like green, such a shame because you can get some pretty lovely looks :) x

    www.sheintheknow.co.uk

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  2. I'm the same as you, but if you apply the colour subtly it's more forgiving and it can work! x

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  3. Love this look. I'm always sceptical of bright eye shadows but being a red head, green works pretty well for me if I tone down my lips!

    Heather x
    http://heatherrrrm.blogspot.co.uk/

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  4. I bet green looks amazing on you!

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