How to Apply Pastel Colors on Eyes - Hot Spring / Summer Makeup Trends 2011

Which colors will be popular for Spring&Summer; 2011? Find out here & view pictures of hot pastel eye shadows!

While extreme runway looks can often be daunting, this blog will show you how to wear practical yet eye-catching pastel makeup - the most popular colors of spring & summer 2011. Find out how to use pastel eye shadows and liner the correct way - without looking like a zombie! When applied right, pastels can be flattering and flirty.

To ensure the most precise application, be sure to have a good eye shadow brush kit handy, which includes: a flat liner brush, smudge brush, and shadow brush. The product suggestions given for each look will recreate looks very similar to the pictures, and are high quality, long lasting & perfect for summer wear.

Pastel Green Eye Shadow Application 

How to Apply Pale Green Eye Makeup for a Spring & Summer Look

Those with a medium to dark complexion may be intimidated by the pastel greens of 2011 because they tend to cause skin to look sallow and "dead". Well cheer up! Look for medium toned greens (rather than super pale varieties) that enhance your skin shade rather than wash it out. The golden flecks in this particular look really brighten up brown eyes, and warm up the entire face. This look is very versatile and can be worn anywhere from work to a night club.

To recreate this look, use: Stila Cosmetics Smudge Stick Liner in Stingray, along with Mattify! Cosmetics Sparkling Eye Shadow in Irish Eyes and Fields of Gold. Focus the Irish Eyes around the outer most corner of eye, using a stiff eye shadow brush & blending it to a lighter shade toward the center of eye. Apply Fields of Gold over the top, using a fluffy eye shadow brush, concentrating on center of eye and inner corner near tear ducts.

How to Apply Bright Green Eye Makeup 

Tips for fun & summery bright green eye shadow

If you want to go with a grass-green effect, don't be afraid to be bold! Apply brightest color to the lid, and a slightly lighter complimentary color under brows. Cream eye pencils work well for this look, but mist with a makeup setting spray (Model in a Bottle is a good choice) after application so the cream doesn't smudge. Try this look for a festive garden party!

To recreate this look, use: Urban Decay - their shadow pencils are very long lasting and water resistant. Use their 24/7 Eye Shadow Pencil in Emerald (a deeper green) or their 24/7 Eye Pencil in Graffiti (a brighter green) directly on lids. For the pale green highlight color near brows, try their 24/7 Pencil in Mossy Green or Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Maui Wowie. Blend at crease of lid to achieve a seamless effect. Sweep some purple liner under lower lashes in a "cat-eye" whisp to create some bright and playful contrast. Try Urban Decay's Pencil in Ransom (bright purple).

Purple Pastel Eye Makeup - How to Apply 

Get sexy, smoky purple eye shadow looks for spring & summer

Women with any skin tone can look great in purple eye makeup! Purple has a way of enhancing all eye colors, causing them to really glisten. To create a beautify smoky eye using purple - a nice alternative to blacks and grays for summer - use two mid-toned purple shades. This is a great look for evening parties or club wear.

To recreate this look use: Stila Cosmetic's Smudge Stick in Stingray. For beautiful shadow color, use Mattify! Cosmetic's Sparkling Shadows. Apply a light dusting of Mattify's Amethyst Moon (a pastel purple) to the eye lids extending upwards toward the hair line, using a fluffy shadow brush. In the crease directly above the lid, apply a Mattify's Purple Haze (a deeper purple), using a stiffer shadow brush, to add some dimension and depth to the eyes. Apply one more layer of the Amethyst Moon above the darker shade, and blend outwards toward the hair line. Dab a highlight color, like Mattify's Snow Bunny (sparkling white), on the center of lids and under the brow bone for definition.

Pastel Pink Eye Shadow for Spring & Summer 

Easy to Apply Pastel Eye Makeup - Cotton Candy Pink

Pastel Pink is perhaps the easiest color to apply, and also looks great on any skin tone. Just be sure to use a semi-transparent or sparkly pink, with a barely there pink hue. Avoid any pepto-bismol colored chalky pinks, and opaque pink. The natural reddish pink color of your eye rims and tear ducts contrasts too sharply with heavy pinks, so these shadows will only make you look tired and sickly. Think of the term 'pink-eye' - om, not pretty!

To create this look: Use individual false lashes and Mattify! Cosmetic's Cotton Candy Sparkling Eye Shadow. Place the lashes strategically, to call attention to the inner corner, center, and outer corner of lids. This should be done first, on clean & bare lids. Allow lash glue to dry, then apply Stila's Stingray black liner under lower lashes, and to outer corner of upper lash line extending a little ways past outer corner of eyes. Sweep on some Cotton Candy using a fluffy shadow brush or foam eye shadow applicator. Sweep the color on lids, extending halfway up brow bone. For a bit of extra brightness, use Mattify's Snow Bunny directly under the brow bone and on the inner corners near tear ducts. If you do not wish to use false eye lashes, simply curl your existing lashes and use mascara to recreate the look. L'Oreal's Telescopic Waterproof Mascara is a good choice, as the small rounded brush allows for targeted application to enhance individual lashes.

How to Apply Teal Blue Pastel Eye Liner & Shadow 

Bright Blue is a Great Choice for Spring & Summer!

Blue shades are always hot color choices for summer - why not allow admirers to dream of the ocean while they gaze into your eyes? Most blue shades will compliment any skin tone, when used in the correct proportions. Remember that 80's look where fluorescent blue was smeared above and beyond the brow bone? Not a good one to copy. Instead, try this vibrant quadruple-toned blue look. Here's how:

For this look, you'll be using Stila's Smudge Stick in Stingray, and four different colors from Mattify! Cosmetics: Mystic Mermaid, Ocean Mist, Midnight Train, and Pixie Dust. First, line eyes and the inner rims with Stingray. Now, dip a flat liner brush into Mystic Mermaid and apply under lower lashes. This can be applied either wet or dry (Used wet, it will be longer lasting and deeper in color. Used dry, it will be sheer & lighter in color). Next, apply Ocean Mist on lids and toward outer corners of eyes using a fluffy shadow brush. Using a stiffer shadow brush, apply Midnight Train to crease above lids to create a deep-set effect. Blend some Pixie Dust over inner corners around tear ducts using a fluffy shadow brush.

Tip for Long Lasting Eye Makeup 

Don't let your eye shadow streak or fade in the summer heat!

To help eye shadow last all day, use a primer and a setting spray to make any shadow or liner water and sweat resistant. Urban Decay's Primer Potion is a good pick to sweep over lids before shadow application. After all eye makeup is in place, including mascara, close eyes and mist with either Model in a Bottle Setting Spray or Urban Decay's All Nighter Spray. Voila! You now have beautiful eyes to flaunt that will stay looking gorgeous long into the night!

To view and purchase the products mentioned in this article, you can visit the following sites: (Some of these are also sold at Ulta or Sephora stores).

www.stilacosmetics.com
www.mattifycosmetics.com
www.modelinabottle.com                                        

How NOT to Apply Pastel Eye Shadow

Now that you've seen all the correct ways to apply pastel eye shadow - here are a few pictures of looks to AVOID (unless you want to be placed in a zombie quarantine facility). These pictures have been appearing on many fashion blogs for Spring 2011. I don't think I'm alone in being horrified by the thought of women across the world wearing this makeup. Don't get caught looking like a zombie who decided to play at Sephora before going on a feeding frenzy!

 
Your eyes already have enough red around the tear ducts -
Applying red eye shadow makes you look sickly.


Unless you want to look like you have double black eyes, avoid encircling your eyes in black and blue.




If you have colorless hair and skin, don't use ultra pale makeup, or you will literally look like a corpse!

Choose a green that doesn't have the same undertones as your skin, or your face will look washed out and have an overall pallor.

Super-Extreme Pastels:

Tim Burton Casting Call … ok

Rob Zombie Concert … great

Walking Dead Casting Call … perfect

Going to a Baseball Game and Summer BBQ … ommmm, no.