I’m the first to admit that I tend to fall into beauty ruts. When something works, I stick with it, in the interest of time or because I’ve been previously unhappy with other looks I’ve tried. With all the products on the market, it can be fun to experiment. Since work is not always the best time to get experimental, we are left with mostly evening looks with which to get creative.
After the jump are my suggestions on ways to shake up your evening beauty look. If you’re heading out on the town anytime soon, you’ll definitely want to check this out.
1. Let your lips do the talking.
Bold lips are all the rage this season, so if you haven’t yet tried them, break out the lipstick tubes. Go light on eye makeup and make your lips the focus of your face, like Megan Fox did in the photo above. Use a nude lipliner (or one in a shade that matches your lipstick) to softly define your lips. Then fill in with a bold color of your choice. Plum, burgundy, and bold red are all hot this season. Go with what works for you.
2. Flaunt dramatic eyes.
If you normally do a neutral eye, now is the time to try something livelier. Dramatic, notice-me eyes don’t have to be black; they can easily be done in any shade you can think of. If you want to try something more timid, start with a trio of chocolate brown shades. For daring looks, go bold with plums, forest greens, greys, and electric blues, like the model on the Nicole Miller runway above. Don’t be shy; experimentation can yield surprisingly sexy results.
3. Get a lashing.
False lashes can be scary if you’ve never worn them before, but once you try them, you’ll never go back. They bring a depth to the eye that’s impossible to achieve with regular mascara, and they are alluring and flirtatious. Jennifer Lopez is rarely photographed without false lashes, and she is a great example of how they can look dramatic yet not overdone.
4. Make cheeks pop.
Nothing perks up skin like a pop of bright blush on cheeks – just check out how it illuminates Katy Perry’s face. In addition to making you look instantly more awake, bright pink blush will help to enhance your cheekbones, and when applied right, can have a visually slimming effect on your whole face. You can rock bright cheeks with any look; just make sure to blend out the edges so you don’t look clownish.
5. Go rock-and-roll with serious black liner.
Thick black liner is so chic when done right, and makes everyone look instantly cooler. Imperfection is key, so smudge a black pencil around the entire eye, like Leighton Meester did above. If it smears, it will only look hotter; just make sure it’s thick and dark. See how sexy and smoldering this can be?
If you have a favorite nighttime look, share it with me in the comments!
8 Comments
November 6, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Katy Perry looks so fresh and pretty here.
November 9, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I know! Thanks for reading, Julianne.
November 7, 2009 at 12:22 pm
My favorite evening look is a smoky eye done in plums. I use a matte plum on the lid, and a shimmering plum above the crease, then I dab just a little black lightly to accent the outer corners. I’ll use a little silver, gold, or metallic pale pink shadow to accent the inner corners.
November 9, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Vanessa, this is my favorite look too – it’s fabulous against green eyes, but I just learned from a pro makeup artist that plums and violets are universally flattering shades.
November 9, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Thanks for these ideas. It’s fun to try something new every once in awhile, and you’re right, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut!
November 9, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Hey Gina, thanks for checking out the blog.
November 27, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Hi! Great blog!
November 30, 2009 at 9:03 am
Vivienne, thank you!