Stare into my eyes....

Can eye makeup be called “fashion” and can it really make a noticeable impact? If you doubt this, you haven’t seen what is being called Impact Eye Fashion. It’s bright. It’s colorful. Yet it’s still refined and very glamorous. While, in its fullest, it may not yet be office appropriate, it is showing up in some otherwise modest settings. It may be difficult to picture when you’re seeing it only in words, but if you look, it won’t be long before you see it.



It’s called “impact” because of the extreme use of color and also because the application fills the entire span of the eye from one end of the brow to the other. You may be picturing something akin to Halloween makeup, but it’s not. One feature that keeps impact eye make up from looking like circus wear is that it keeps all the colors in the same family.



Here is an explanation of a few of the looks you can create to give this vivid trend a try. First, you have to love a shimmery shadow – that’s key. If green is your favorite, you’ll love this. Sweep shimmering white shadow (creams work best for blending and long-wear) from the highest point in the curve of your eyebrow to the natural end of the brows. Use a brush or sponge to apply the same white in the inner corner of your eyes from your eye to the curve of your nose (remember, impact makeup covers the entire expanse of your eye.) Fill in the entire outside corner along the curve of your eye between your eyes to your nose. Directly underneath the white shadow on your brow and extending to the lash line on your lid, apply shimmering mermaid green. This color begins just above the white in the inner corner; it follows the curve of your eye to your nose, up to meet the inner corner of your eyebrows and across your crease to a point just outside the natural end of your eyebrow. Next is the common denominator in impact eye makeup, black liquid liner. Apply liner from the inside of the lash line to the outside point of the green shadow on both top and bottom lashes. Speaking of lashes, don’t think for a minute that they are going to be “normal!” Paired with this vibrant green is fuchsia mascara on top and bottom lashes.



Using the same application techniques, start with shimmering white along the brow; choose a shimmering, smoky charcoal gray instead of the mermaid green. The same fuchsia mascara finishes the look.



For a softer (but not less extreme look) use a shimmering golden taupe under the white highlight color. Black liquid eyeliner is applied in the same cat eye style for all these looks, and a golden mascara finishes it.



For a playful look, choose a soft, shimmering pink to highlight the brow in place of the white. Apply a shimmering medium blue along the lids and finish with an electric pink mascara.