Lurking in the Eye Shadows

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We’re seeing a lot of neutral eyes and pale pastel colors [on the eyes] -- soft washes of color. The lips are more of the focus this year.

— Starlynn Burden, celebrity makeup artist

Eye Shadow Palettes

“An eye shadow palette is like a toolbox,” says Kim Soane, director of global artistry for Bobbi Brown cosmetics. “A basic eye palette will include an all-over color, a lid color and a liner color composed of perhaps a shimmer, a matte, and a dark or bright color that you can use to layer for a more dramatic look for night.”

The colors in a palette will either be “complementary (opposites on the color wheel), analogous (next to each other on the color wheel) or monochromatic (varying shades in one hue),” said Jill Powell, Sephora PRO artist and New York Fashion Week artist.

Palette variations can range from natural hues meant to complement a large cross section of consumers to collections of more on-trend or seasonal colors and textures like glossy shine shimmers or metallics.

The inspiration for a palette can come from anywhere. “Bobbi [Brown] finds inspiration in sunsets, scarves or jewelry she might find while on a trip, and then pulls together a color story that the product development team uses to create the colors at the lab,” said Soane.

Emerging Trends

Beauty trends often debut on the runways and are then translated and worn by celebrities on the red carpets.

This year’s emerging trends in eye shadow play on earth-tone neutrals with bronzy finishes, as well as different textures like shimmer and matte. There are also pops of color like pink and tangerine, as well as pastels like soft lilac, petal pink and light yellows.

“We’re seeing a lot of neutral eyes and pale pastel colors [on the eyes] -- soft washes of color. The lips are more of the focus this year,” said Starlynn Burden, a freelance celebrity makeup artist for film and television.

Powell suggests pairing a bright color with a bronze or gold, which are two big neutrals this year, to balance out a bold lip. We saw this on Sofia Vergara and Angelina Jolie at the Golden Globes. Vergara wore a bright plum lip color and a neutral brown eye shimmer, while Jolie paired a bright red lip with lots of lashes, eyeliner and subtle gray shimmer on the eyes, says Heather Muir, beauty news editor for "Allure" magazine. Also big on neutrals, Freida Pinto defined her eyes with bronzy eye shadow and black eyeliner.

For fall, Lori Taylor, PRO lead artist for Smashbox, expects to see edgy metallics and cat eyes created with rich colors like terra-cotta and shades of purple-browns.

Red Carpet Looks and You

While beauty trends might wow on the runways and red carpets, they still have to adapt for everyday use. The good news is that this year’s eye shadow trends are pretty adaptable.

“We saw hot pink eye shadow on the spring runways, but for real life, you could try a thin line [of hot pink],” said Muir. “It’s the more wearable looks that you’ll see every day.”

However, unlike the runway, the red carpet is not the place for incredibly bold makeup. Powell says that a red carpet look should include creamy lips, neutral eye color with the occasional splash of color, fluttery lashes and radiant skin with flushed cheeks.

Reese Witherspoon was the perfect example of this at the Globes. “Her makeup was clean and simple,” said Muir.

Try an “old Hollywood” bold lip in a red or berry shade and a neutral eyelid as one look or an earth-toned smoky eye paired with a neutral lip and eye as another, as both looks were seen at the Golden Globes, Burden says. “And a smoky eye doesn’t have to be just gray or black," she added. "It’s any dark color on the lid, a medium hue in the crease and a light color underneath the brow bone so it creates a sunset wash; dark to light from lash line to brow.”

Recent palettes from Bobbi Brown and MAC showcased neutrals, and while no celebrity looks stood out at the Golden Globes, YSL, Dior and Chanel’s palettes are all about pastels, Burden notes. You can also find palettes with earth tones like green, yellow and lavender or lighter pearly whites and pinks. Pick colors to complement your skin tone and that complement -- not match -- your outfit.

In terms of application, use the lightest color in a palette as a highlighter underneath the brow bone or in the corner of your eye, Burden instructs. Follow with a medium tone all over your lid, and the deepest color goes in the crease or lines the bottom lashes. Burden also suggests doing a “wash of color” for day, meaning a neutral matte or shimmer and then layering the darker colors for night.

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