How to Wear Bright Mascara
By Elizabeth Siegel,Allure magazine
Colored mascara has always had pretty tacky associations. But the electric blue lashes at Stella McCartney's fall show last week in Paris were actually pretty gorgeous. "[Stella] said, 'I love when girls wear colored mascara,'" explained makeup artist Pat McGrath backstage. The striking purple-cobalt shade they came up with was fun and youthful and made the models' eyes look bigger and brighter than ever. Still, it's colored mascara-a look that takes some serious guts to pull off off the runway. A few tips from the pros:
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Choose the right color: Knowing what doesn't look good is just as important as what does.
-Blue flatters everyone-and after a big night, it really does make the whites of your eyes look whiter. At Stella McCartney, McGrath painted vibrant pigment over black mascara. In real life, go for two (plus) coats of Dior DiorShow in Azure Blue.
Purple really only works for green and blue eyes. Use Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in Extreme Violet to make your eye color pop.
Regardless of your eye color, steer clear of green mascara. It will make your lashes look shorter than they actually are.
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Keep the rest of your eyes bare, and go super easy on the blush. Matching your eye shadow to your mascara looks lame, and wearing too much color will make you look like a circus defector.
More important than laying color all over your face is spending some time perfecting your skin. Bright mascara is a definite look, so you've got to look like you're trying. Use a foundation with a natural finish, like Dolce and Gabbana The Foundation, and dab liquid concealer under your eyes.
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You can tone down colored mascara and still get its eye-enhancing benefits. For example: Wear it on just the top lashes (you can layer it over black to mute the color) and add smoky gray or black shadow. For a less expected (but still relatively subdued) look, wear colored mascara on just the bottom lashes and black mascara on top.
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