In the interest of speed, I confess myself stuck in a makeup rut. Day in, day out, I’ll swipe on the same bronzey eyeshadow and slick my lashes with the same jet black coating. But variety is the spice of life, they say, and my Instagram is littered with experts, celebrities and makeup vigilantes trying their hand at something a bit different.
It may be a tiny departure from normal – a bordeaux-coloured eye pencil in place of black, or a sheeny shadow instead of the usual matte. Or it could be something a bit more adventurous – high shine sparkle for daytime, neon accents, 80s style power eyes or punchy shades you’d normally never dream of wearing in public – but there’s something so refreshing about seeing people step outside of their everyday makeup uniform. Even better, are the ones who never had a uniform in the first place – the ones who revel in experimenting.
So in an effort to take a lesson from their book, I’ve been bookmarking alternative eye looks to dust off whenever you fancy a change. Here are the best.
Silky pink
Makeup artist Violette has a knack for pulling off unusual looks in a way that feels insouciant and stylish. Case in point is this silky pink eye shade. A bit scary in theory, but glowy, ethereal and beautiful in practice.
Blue bolts
Something about the colour theme of this look – russet red on the lips and ultramarine on the eyes – has a touch of David Bowie’s lightning bolt about it. If you’re not ready to go full-on Ziggy Stardust, make like Katie Jane Hughes with carefully placed streaks of colour that feel grown-up and polished, but still playful.
Uber glitz
Has megawatt metallic eyeshadow ever looked quite so casual? Worn breezily swept across lids with a smudge of eyeliner and a coat of mascara this looks positively laid back.
Scarlet and smoky
Red eyes sound sore, but in the hands of Hung Vanngo this smoky haze of red looks delicate and romantic.
Wet-look bronze
If you prefer to stick to the classics, this is timeless and fairly minimal but with one simple twist, the wet-look shadow gives a finish that feels fresh and modern.
Olive gold
If you had to name the least wearable eyeshadow shade, lime green would be up there in the dregs and yet, paired with lashings of mascara and a soft pink lip, Violette’s created a pretty alternative to neutral. It shouldn’t work, but it does.
Neon tear ducts
All-over fluro can be pretty tricky to pull off, so instead concentrate it into dots of colour. Katie Jane Hughes’ neon accented tear ducts is surprisingly rock ‘n’ roll.
Yellow and peach
Thought tangerine and apricot was best left to tiny bridesmaids from the 70s? Think again. The dandelion and peach colour palette used by Pati Dubroff to create this retro look for Margot Robbie is proof that yellow is one to reconsider.
Midnight eyes
Another twist on a classic. The midnight blue eyeliner Valeria Ferreira has created for Naomi Scott is sultry, soft and delicately shimmery – a sophisticated alternative to black.
