PHOTO: COURTESY@katiekosova_beauty VIA INSTAGRAM
Summer is the time of year when we all want to relax by the pool with wine in hand and friends all around. It’s steaming hot, so you don’t necessarily want to be in the sun, yet want to be at the same time. I am a Floridian born and bred, so I (unlike many) live for the heat.
Other than the summer air, do you know what sizzles like your perfectly manicured toes on the sun-warmed concrete? Red eyeshadow. If ever there were a time to embrace the fiery sexiness of reds on your lids, now is most definitely it. This eyeshadow color is trending, and it is hot, hot, HOT!
I will be honest, it took me years to try red eyeshadow; it took me years to try any eyeshadow. I have worn glasses since the first grade, so I could never quite figure out what color to use to give my dark, almost-black brown eyes a little more oomph. I tried every color under the sun: pinks were sweet but almost too safe; browns were natural and my fail-safe; I went through a navy blue phase, but it didn’t last; then I landed on red. Red makes my eyes pop. The fiery tones make me feel sexy and alluring, and I love it. Since Summer 2019 seems to be the season of red, we might as well embrace the heat!
Red Eyeshadow Makeup Tutorials
Red eyeshadow looks are gorgeous and without compare, in my opinion. Every person applying the makeup color has her own way of doing it, and it works for the color choice. You can paint your lids red nearly every shade and style under the sun. My personal favorites are mixes of burgundy and pink-toned reds.
Youtube Makeup gurus like Heather Moorhouse (@makeupmouse on Instagram) specialize in colors and generally eccentric makeup tutorials, but her red look is honestly inspiring. I turn to her pretty frequently when I need inspiration. She very precisely blends the shadow along her crease and emphasizes it with black eyeliner in a way that makes her eyes very striking to look at. She uses a lighter shade of pink to accentuate the front of her lids through the deeper end of her crease. Using this technique, you can tell just how deep-set her eyes are. Call me obsessed, but she is fantastic.
Makeup artist Simply Nessa (@simplynessa15 on Instagram) has some of my favorite eyeshadow looks. Her red eyeshadow look mixes dark red and purple shades to create her finished look. She paints her entire lid with a purple-based dark red before decorating the color base with a shiny, pink highlight color. By blending out the upper part of her lid, the look becomes much more filled out and complete. Paired with the mauve, red lip she chooses makes the purple-y red to die for!
Red Eyeshadow According to Influencers
We all need inspiration sometimes, especially with new makeup colors! Red is a statement color, so let’s make a statement: it’s hot.
Here are some of my favorite influencers who lend some heat to their red looks!
Ling K. Tang (@ling.kt on Instagram) is a spunky Instagram makeup guru, whose videos and photos I adore. Her adorable personality shines through her posts, and she is so talented.
Her choice of red look is inspired by the Bretman Rock x ColourPop collection, and she makes the gorgeous colors in the palette work for her! She takes a bright red shade, packing it into the corners of her eyelids to create a bit more depth, as she has monolids (which tend to be a bit narrower and shorter than average). She then blends out the corners and packs on a pink tone with a flat brush. She then applies her eyeliner and blends the dark red along her lower lashline to finish the shadow. We love it!
Ruth Nicole Dominguez (@bby.ruthh on Instagram) is an Instagram makeup artist whose looks I recently fell in love with. While her take on the red eyeshadow is not actually using red eyeshadow, I still feel her look is worth mentioning!
Dominguez uses white eyeshadow to cover her entire eyelid, making sure to blend it out at the crease. I love how this looks, but it is definitively a hard look to pull off. I have to give her major props for being able to do it right. She applies a glitter highlight to the ridges directly beneath her eyebrows for a pop of multicolored fun. The red comes in as the eyeliner. She uses Kat Von D eyeliner in bright red to line her inner undereye for a vibrant pop of color, which is perfectly offset when combined with the white on her lids. She completes the look with further dots of red on both the inner and outer corners of her eyes. This look is so striking to me and definitely fits the heat of summer to a tee.
Katie Kosova (@katiekosova_beauty on Instagram) is an incredibly talented and beautiful makeup artist based out of Ukraine. Her makeup artistry is vivacious and daring in a way only the best can achieve.
Her timeline has had more than one red look from the last few weeks, so I couldn’t pick one favorite. The eyeshadow on the first model utilizes berry-toned reds and golden hues to bring the look to life. I can’t help but gawk in awe at the precision of the application, like come on how gorgeous! The second model wears a beautiful orange-red base blended out to just beneath her brows. An army green packed on top of the red in the middle of the lid. It’s gorgeous and something I never even would have considered pairing; the look works beautifully.
Natachi (@naataachii_ on Instagram) is an Instagram makeup artist based out of Birmingham, UK. Her talents lie in more than just her makeup, as her skin is flawless too. Her red eyeshadow look has the intent to match her sweater perfectly, and she rocks it with ease! The way she applied her red primarily to the inside corner of her eyelid is definitely different, and I enjoy it because she lets the red lead the show on the inner eye and the liner takes the front seat on the out edge. The red is a gorgeous complement to her warm cocoa brown skin tone, and I am living for it.
Best Red Eyeshadow Palettes
While inspiration is great, it is also essential to get to know your products. Reds, in particular, can be challenging to find with good pigmentation, since they are a darker color. Some formulas don’t live to tell the tale because red pigments can become streaky if you aren’t careful. Formulas have to be perfect for them to apply correctly and smoothly.
Here are some of my favorite red-based eyeshadow palettes to inspire you to create your own fiery looks for summer.
PHOTO: COURTESY ULTA
$49 at time of publication
Urban Decay’s NAKED palettes are cult favorites, and their Cherry palette is no different. I got this palette from one of my best friends for my last birthday and have been obsessed with it ever since. The reds are creamy and apply smoothly, and the pigmentation is gorgeous.
Get it at Ulta Beauty, here.
PHOTO: COURTESY SEPHORA
$27 at time of publication
Huda Beauty’s Mauve Obsessions Palette is one of my all-time favorite makeup purchases. I originally got it because I had heard Huda Beauty highlighters were incredible, but the entire mini-palette has all the pigment. The reds are thick and smooth, and the mini-palette’s 4.3-star rating at Sephora speaks volumes.
Get it at Sephora, here.
PHOTO: COURTESY SEPHORA
$125 at time of publication
Pat MacGrath Labs’ Mothership V Eyeshadow Palette in Bronze Seduction has 4.5 stars for a reason. The palette’s finely milled pressed powder is high quality and blends with the best of the best. Ratings don’t lie, and I can honestly say I wish I had this palette.
Get it at Sephora, here.
PHOTO: COURTESY MORPHE
$24 at time of publication
Morphe’s 35O palette was one of my first eyeshadow purchases ever. Even with the lower price tag, the pigmentation of the palette is fantastic! I have had mine for years (although it has probably expired by now), and the reds, golds, and oranges still blend out beautifully. Durable and gorgeous, does it get any better?
Get it at Ulta Beauty, here.
So What Do We Think of This Hot Summer Trend?
We think red eyeshadow is definitely a trend to get behind. Especially in the upcoming summer months, reds bring a spicy heat to any makeup look that everyone can pull off.
Whether you choose to rock a vibrant orange-based hue, a sweeter pink tone or a dark, alluring maroon, you will light up any room you enter like the strike of a match on a hot summer night. Be daring this year, and try something new and bold. Put some red on your lids; I promise you won’t regret it.
