So this is short, sweet and exactly what it says on the tin! I posted this blown out mustard eye look over on my Instagram last week…it definitely wasn’t the most technical eye in the world, far from it but I was really feeling it! Both the shade (although you could literally switch this up to any shade you fancied) and simplicity of it…there’s a time and a place for 50 million shades, cut creases and glitter and if that’s what you’re in to you do you, but I’m a bit (maybe a lot??) over the whole ‘Insta glam’ eye looks everywhere right now personally. I’m usually all about that dark, neutral/ warm smokey eye but actually really enjoyed this for a change and you could always build from this eye look too…add liner, smoke out the lower lash line/ outer corner, bigger lashes…whatever you fancy, the options are endless. I’ve had the odd rant about this before now, but considering Instagram seems to be enjoying hiding everyone’s posts at the moment (eye roll)…I still managed to get a lot of love on this eye look so thanks to you if some of said love was from you!
The first step of any eye look for me, no matter what…primer! Even if I’m not wearing eye makeup or going for a minimal bronzer in the crease and just mascara look or something, I’ll always use a small amount of tinted eye primer (I generally prefer actual primer to concealer, because concealer is way more likely to crease…if I did use concealer, I’d have to set it!) to even out the skin tone on my lids and make myself look way more awake straight off the bat. The eye primer that I’ve been using the most recently, both on myself and it’s made it in to my pro kit too…the Anastasia Beverly Hills Eye Primer*. I’ve got a whole dedicated blog post reviewing this primer and if you missed it you can read it here but spoiler alert…it’s really good! It only comes in the one shade (which is incidentally a pretty close match to my pretty fair skin tone) but I’m yet to find a skin tone it doesn’t work on…if your skin is any deeper than mine (which let’s face it, isn’t hard) and you’re finding it pulling too light towards your brow bone (everywhere else is going to be covered with eyeshadow at this point)…just use a shadow in a similar tone to your skin over the top to tone it down, simple! The reason it is so light (I’m talking just slightly more than off white here) is so it makes the shadows applied over the top really pop, which it absolutely does job done! You can apply more of the ABH and pat it in to the lid to ‘set’ it/ take the tackiness down for more full on looks, but I usually just like to use a tiny amount and really buff it on using a fluffy synthetic concealer brush…it gives a beautifully smooth even canvas, makes shadow pop and last all day! I always buff a bit in my inner corner and under my lower lash line to make those bits of the eye makeup last/ pop too!
I’ve got a dedicated blog post on the Melt Impulsive palette including full review/ swatches if you want to check out the other shades in there, but I was drawn to 2012 the mustard shade! So that’s what I’ve used…and just that…literally not a sausage else! (It helps that shadow blends so well over the top of the ABH eye primer, if you’re using something else you might want to use a shade close to your skin tone too to help blur the edges) I used a bit of my highlighter on the inner corner (it was the E.L.F Cosmetics Metallic Flare Highlighter in White Gold*…sooo pretty!) but that’s it!
When using a single shadow for an eye look like this, you can still create depth and definition using different amounts of product in different areas and by switching out your brushes. Because I like to create more depth in my crease/ socket, that’s the first place I went in with the 2012 shadow. Using a small firm blending brush and stamping/ pressing a decent amount of the shadow in to the primer. Using the same brush I then patted the same 2012 shade over the whole of my mobile lid (the bit beneath the crease that moves) and also ran the shade under my lower lash line. I even used the same shadow on my waterline…just make sure you tap off any excess shadow and use a small, firm smudge brush to do this bit and carefully stamp the colour on. I used a bit of white eyeliner first to act in a similar way to the light ABH primer and make the shade pop, but also stick better on the inside waterline too. Next I grabbed a larger (medium sized) blending brush and just picking up a tiny amount of 2012 at a time (and making sure to take my time) I started to buff out the edges and softly blend the shade out to nothing. Once you have the intensity/ shape you want and everything is pretty much blended out, go back in with your larger blending brush (which should by now have no product left on it and if it does, give it a quick wipe on a dry tissue to get rid of any last bits of shadow) and just buff around the whole eye to make sure everything is seamless…it’s that easy!
To finish this simple mustard eye off I buffed a little highlight on my inner corners, added a coat of mascara (I used the Kat Von D GBOGH mascara here UK*/ Ireland*) and some natural length/ intensity lashes (I’ve been obsessed with the #709 cruelty free/ Vegan lash from Irish brand Baby Doll Cosmetics for ages now…they’re so flattering, lightweight/ comfy on and are really quick and easy to apply). You could just as easily leave it at mascara if you wanted and just build up the coats. And that’s it, you’re done!
Like I said you can follow this simple one colour eye with any shade you like and it’s really easy to intensify it if you fancy too! I’m feeling the simplicity of this as is at the moment, but I’d love to wear it again with maybe a winged liner and smoked lower lash line too…lush!
Sure it’s loads of fun to have a play and experiment, but eye (and any actually) makeup doesn’t HAVE to be complicated, take hours and require a multitude of products to create impact and make you look and feel like your badass self! A cool colour, a different shape…there’s no rules, just have fun. Most of the time favourite looks happen when you take 5 minutes and don’t over think things…this is one of them for me!
As always I’m still trying to muster up the guts to put together some videos (it really does terrify me truth be told) but anyway…I hope this kind of post helps and is useful. What else would YOU like to see…I’m talking video (shudder) or blog post, but what kind of looks/ techniques would you like be to cover??
Lyd x
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