Wearing colorful eyeliner is the easiest way to add a pop of color to your face

Two years ago, I realized that I was tired of the so-called “natural makeup” looks I was seeing on Instagram. It seemed like all of them were subtle variances of the same thing—brown or taupe eye colors paired with a nude lip color. As someone who’s drawn to bold color, I felt stuck in an uninspiring rut. I didn’t understand why “everyday makeup” could only mean one thing. Thankfully, HBO’s Euphoria helped change the norm, and bold makeup became an official beauty trend. I decided it was time to throw convention away and experiment with my daily makeup routine, testing new techniques, new products—and most importantly—new ways to include bright colors.

I like accentuating my eyes, so I started playing with colorful eye makeup. Transitioning right from neutral to bold and bright eyeshadow felt a little intimidating, so I set my sights on colorful eyeliner. I invested in a couple of bright eyeliner pencils and never looked back. After two years of wearing colorful eyeliner in almost every shade under the sun, I’m convinced that eyeliner is the quickest and easiest way to play with color and amp up creativity.

What I love most about colorful eyeliner is how it makes natural eye colors pop. I wear turquoise eyeliner (like the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner in Deep End that I used above) when I want to bring out the blue in my eyes, and I wear emerald eyeliner when I want to bring out the green. If you have brown eyes, gold will make them smolder. If you have hazel eyes, purple will bring out your golden flecks. With that being said, there are no rules when it comes to makeup—wear whatever you want!

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This eyeliner comes in 38 shades in both standard and glittery finishes.

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If you want to test out a color before purchasing an expensive eyeliner, use a highly pigmented eyeshadow palette instead. All you need is a thin liner brush and the eyeshadow of your choice. Simply dampen the brush with water (or with setting spray, for more staying power), dip it into the eyeshadow, and apply it to your eye area. Here, I used a pink shade from the Huda Beauty Neon Obsessions Palette.

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I play with shape and proportion, too. So even though I usually stick to the classic winged flick, I sometimes switch it up by applying a bold tone to my lower lash line. This “underliner” can look so cool and smudgy if you only blend it out with a small sponge or brush.

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If I really want to mix it up, I go for a half-moon shape. It might take a little while to perfect, but it certainly makes a statement. On that note, why not make a statement even if you’re just running errands or working from home? To me, the whole point of my ever-growing collection of colorful eyeliners is to practice creativity.

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Colorful eyeliners help me feed my creativity and are automatic mood boosters. So go ahead: Dare to live your life colorfully through playful makeup. Plus, now that we’re in quarantine due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it’s the perfect time to try out new makeup looks.

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