Beauty Trends: A Smokey, Contrasted Lilac Eyeshadow Look!

Word on the street is that purple is the colour for spring/summer 2014. Orchid, lilac and lavender shades are predicted to be the go-to hues for eyeshadows, blushes and even lip colour this season. The colour has recently been washed over eyelids on the catwalks of fashion weeks around the globe; designer Holly Fulton’s models sported light purple hues on their eyelids, as did PPQ, whilst Marchesa’s models did gothic, violet lips and lavender nails.

Eyeshadow is the easiest way to wear this trend, and to keep this look fresh and wearable for daytime, I have a tutorial which demonstrates how to wear purple in a contrasting, smokey yet incredibly subtle fashion!

1. Prep your eyelids with a primer, and add a matte light beige shadow.  I used Make Up Academy’s ‘Ever After’ matte palette in shade ‘Bare’ and applied the light shade over my lid and up to my brow bone. I then added ‘Fade’ from the palette into the crease of my eyelid to add some depth.

2. Using a small, flat eyeshadow brush, apply a purple shade to the inner and outer corner of your eyelid. I used Benefit’s velvet eyeshadow in shade “Gimme Some Plum”.

3. Keep adding small amounts of the purple shade, building up slowly. Leave a noticeable gap in the middle of the lid.

4. Using a fluffy blending brush, carefully blend the shades to get rid of any harsh lines. Be careful not to blend the colour into the middle of the lid, as you want a clean vertical band of light beige shadow.

5. If you feel it is necessary, using a precise eyeshadow brush, add more of the lighter shade to the middle of the lid. Again, I used Make Up Academy’s ‘Bare’.

6. Add mascara, and eyeliner to the waterline if you wish.

The effect is very subtle, yet gives the illusion of bigger eyes!