I was a lilac-lidded 11 year old back then) before finally seeming to lay to rest for the noughties.
Blue eyeshadow has been around the block more than a few times. It’s no wonder people find it hard to swallow, but clearly we can’t let go. One make up artist on the news recommended the more daring to try the full on bandit look, and while I am all for experimenting I couldn’t help but think there must be a way to make this shade “wearable” today. I had to investigate!
I hadn’t really set out to buy a blue eyeshadow, but I happened to have a voucher for Swedish shop Lindex. I spotted this iridescent blue shade (28 Tropical Blue) while looking at their newly released make up line which I had wanted to try out. Two birds one stone, plus it was basically free so if it turned out to be horrendously unwearable there would be no major loss.
Tropical Blue is a light denim shade with a lovely metallic sheen which can be blended out nicely. Here I have applied it wet and dry.
First of all I wanted to focus solely on a stroke of blue, rather than the full-lid experience of previous decades. I built up the colour softly over a light layer of Too Face Shadow Insurance for stability, creating an opaque base with a blended crease to avoid harsh cartoony lines.
Blue is opposite orange on the colour wheel, so the shade really warmed up my brown eyes. I kept my brows defined but natural with some tinted brow gel, added a touch of mascara, a neutral toned lipgloss and a slightly rosy blush. My foundation is my favourite Bourjouis Healthy Mix Serum in the shade Vanilla Claire.
I ended up removing the gloss as it felt like it was veering towards the 90s in a bad way and I definitely prefer it with natural lips. So far so good, although it still felt like a look for a special occasion. Could I make this colour work for say, an office environment?
But enough blue to make my eye colour pop!
What is your take on blue eyeshadow?