Get colour blocked

Give the done-to-death brown and black kajal pencils a break. If the Fall runways are anything to go by, colour is in and how! Models across designer shows including Oscar de la Renta, Marco di Vincenzo, House of Holland, Maison Margiela and Byblos, among others sported painted-on lids in bright pop hues. Canary yellows were offset by cobalt blue, lavender met fuchsia pink and many more out there colour combos were seen. It was all about making statements with colour. But is the look suitable for everyday wear?

Requires confidence

Renuka Pillai, Celebrity make-up artist, Avon India says colour blocked eyelids are all about indulging your love of colours and your love of make-up and creating attractive looks with contrasting hues. “Dramatically different from the looks one generally goes for, colour blocked eyes make you stand out, especially if one incorporates loud colours. Any make-up style that is different from your mainstream look takes confidence to pull off but if you are a make-up aficionado and are on top of runway trends then it’s right up your alley. The slight brown colour of the general Indian skin tone makes it possible to experiment with a wide colour palette. It’s the very fair skin that requires more thought in the use of shades. All the bold shades like yellow, electric pink, cerulean blue, etc work well with Indian skin tones. If you want to keep it subtle, you can go for a pastel eyeshadow palette,” she says.  

Throwback to the 80s

Clint Fernandes, make-up expert, feels this look is reminiscent of the 80s. “It is a little bit age-centric though. The colour blocked lids work well with the younger crowd, but may look odd on older women. Younger girls like to have fun and can do more with it. In fact, this eye trend works well in conjunction with colour blocked nail art. It looks quite cool, just play with the eyes, put on some BB cream or CC cream and lip gloss and you’re ready to go. As for shades, one should go with pop colours — test it on the back of your hand to see if it’s contrasting to your skin tone. Some orange tones might look transparent. Word of caution, get a smudge proof waterproof variety of eye make-up as else it can look hideous. One can even layer eye shadow over a kohl pencil for drama,” he adds.            

How to get the look

Start with applying an eye primer. It gives you an even base and the make-up lasts longer. Now apply a cream/gel based eyeliner in your choice of colour, say yellow, using a sponge tip applicator starting from the inside of the lid and working your way out. You may give it a winged look. Now take another contrasting shade, say blue, for the waterline. Start applying it from the outer corner of your eyes and working your way in, applying evenly. You can go for a look using two or three hues.
— Renuka Pillai, make-up artist, Avon India