Hey, Bright Eyes

Every year there's a new "IT" color trend for each season and sometimes it can be a little scary to play with. Anything outside the neutral color spectrum for most people is sketchy at best. Well, won't be frightened of bright colors ever again.

For eyes this winter season, the trend is a classic: The smoky eye. The cincher to make it updated is giving it a colorful twist! Instead of using your black and brown… you'll use color. You'll soon be proclaiming that blue and purple is the new black.

Blue and purple?! Don't panic. I'm sure you’re flashing back to the 70’s Barbie doll eye shadow or the iconic image of Mimi Bobeck from the Drew Carey Show, right? Maybe you’re stuck on thinking of a giant bruise. Well toss those nightmare images out the window. I’m talking about a more sophisticated use of bright colors. Remember: Classic smoky eyes. No Fear.

Again, bright colors can be downright scary if they’re just slapped on randomly, but we're almost at the dawn of a shiny new year. It’s time to make a change! It's time to be daring! You want to make a statement. If you’re not into the full burst of color—start slow and tone it down. Work with your classic smoked look in your brown or blacksand add a splash of color over the top to mute it down or maybe just use the bright color in the very center of your lid. Remember the key to a smoky eye is blending. Well, your key to color is the same thing: BLENDING.

Above are a couple of examples of a colorful smoky eye that I did with some of my favorite bright colors by Ben Nye. The tones I used were Ben Nye's Lumiere Grande Colors in Cosmic Violet, Amethyst, Royal Purple, Ice Gold, and Cosmic Blue. These colors have amazing pigment that stay bright through out the day or evening. They come in large cakes and are a steal at about $9.00 a color.

Now you can finish off your look with a nice gloss or nude lips and add a bright spot to your drab, gray winter. Don't be bashful... go on and flash those bright eyes.

Light Up Your Holidays with Hollywood Lights!

Yes, more thoughts on the holidays.  It's everywhere.  You can't escape it. Television's swarming with ads and heart-warming family movies... and you're still wondering how to add a little festive flare to your look just before the next suare. 

The Holidays should be about fun. When we think about December, images of glistening snow is usually one of the first things to come to mind, even if you live in a warm climate.  Why not add a bit of that shine to your look this season?

Now it's true that as we mature too much shimmer and glitter can be a scary thing, but done just right, it can give you a fresh glow.  I like to use Cinema Secrets Hollywood Lights Shimmers to give a soft hint of shimmer in a few key places: top of the cheekbones, browbone, and inside corner of the eye.

My favorite colors to use for this stay close to natural skin tones such as: Pink Lace, Flamingo Gold, King Midas, or Opal.  This way you suddenly don't have random bursts oddly placed color all over the face.

Why these three spots?

Top of Cheekbones
The top of the cheekbones is a great place for a hint of shimmer because it accents your natural bone structure.  Your blush acts as a natural contour giving the shadows and hollows of your face definition and a highlight right on top emphasizes the look lifting your face upward for a more youthful appearance.  A small amount of shimmer can give a dewy fresh effect.

Browbone
The browbone (the area just beneath your eyebrow and before you hit the crease of your lid) never really gets crepe-y.  It's another high point of your face that's always a great place to add some focus.  A bit of shine in this area catches the eye and draws it up away from the evil gravity that we're all trying to avoid. 

Inner Corner of the Eye
This is usually the place people go "What?!"  So allow me to explain.  Our nose likes to cast shadows so by adding a small dot of shimmer to the inside corner of the eye it brightens things up.  Rather than casting a shadow, you placed in a highlight.  A perfect little trick to give you beautiful bright eyes.

Now you can use one trick, a combination, or all three.  Just experiment with it and remember, with shimmer less is more.  Too much and you'll be shining like the big ball on New Years Eve.  Enjoy yourself, that's part of the beauty of this time of year.