Make-up is the beauty equivalent to a pair of killer heels. It can make us stand taller, feel that little bit more ‘together’ and ready to take on the day. Yet for the past however many months, our stash of slap has taken a firm backseat as skincare has stolen the beauty show. According to retailers like Boots and Space NK, moisturisers, serums and toners have flown off the virtual beauty shelves while sales of make-up have plateaued.
And while it’s great that so many of us have invested in the health of our skin, we think it’s high time that we got reacquainted with our beauty stash. Here to help us out, Lily Collins has just inspired our next make-up moment with her ruby pout and cool blue shadow combo. Making a virtual appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this week, the actress looked ultra glamourous in her retro-inspired make-up.
The mastermind behind the look? Lily’s go-to make-up artist, Fiona Stiles. Stiles went for bold brows (read all about our love for Lily Collins’ eyebrows here), voluminous lashes, soft pastel blue eyeshadow and a slick of scarlet lipstick – proving that yes, your eyes and your lips can take centre stage together.
Fancy following suit and experimenting with blue eyeshadow? Here's four different ways to wear this seasons go-to hue...
Glitter bug
Amp up the drama of a blue smoky eye with a scattering of oversized sparkle. 'Your glitter doesn’t need to be heavily applied to make an impact,' says makeup artist and the mastermind behind these looks, Jo Strettell. 'Pat a little Eight Hour Cream, £28, onto your shadow, before dusting your metal of choice onto the eye crease and inner corner. Imperfection is good in this instance, so the more haphazard the better.'
A finer liner
Cast aside all preconceived notions of traditional liner and try a floating, soft-focus, sweep of periwinkle applied along the crease of the eye instead. 'Use a brush or a eye crayon to paint on your pigment of choice, before blending it outwards to create a soft-focus edge,' advises Jo. 'It doesn’t need be neat and precise – a sense of the undone looks kooky and cool here.'
Blue bird
Think that pastel-blue shadow can be a little bit sickly and saccharine? Think again. 'I love this look,' says Jo. 'It’s fresh and pretty, but the almost spidery jet-black lashes lend it some sexiness and edge.' Run a shimmery blue pencil around your top and bottom lash lines before buffing it out for a velvety-soft finish. Last but not least, swipe on two or three coats of mascara.
Pigment play
Desperately seeking a bold and brave makeup statement for the winter ahead? This one is for you. 'Use a cream shadow to paint a half moon shape over the entire eyelid building up intensity until you achieve the opacity seen here - The more painterly and graphic the better,' says Jo. As ever, remember that strong beauty looks fare best against fresh, nude skin so keep your other makeup minimal.
Photographs: Simon Emmett.
READ MORE: How Us Mere Brow Mortals Can Get That Much Closer To Lily Collins’ Mega Brows
READ MORE: How Do You Find Your Perfect Shade Of Red Lipstick That Will Actually Stay On?