Does anyone else feel like they can't pull off blue eyeshadow?

[LeeanneMarie]

So my dress to winter formal is blue, and I thought I would try to do a blue smokey eye. So I've been experimenting (formal is this saturday) and everytime I try I feel like it looks really bad, like I just got punched in the face or something! I don't know what to do about it, I really want to wear a blue eye. Should I take a different approach? I only have one blue eyeshadow and its a dark blue sort of a color.

Or maybe if I pair it with a certain color it would pop better? Does anyone else feel like this? I am about a NC30-35 ish and I have brown eyes.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[knoxydoll]

If you want to do blue, I'd do a blue and silver look. It's very wintery and can be very sexy. I'd do silver on the lid with some black in the crease mixed with the blue and bringing the blue down on the lower lashline.

If you want to do something non-blue, I'd suggest a peach look. It's very fresh paired with blue.

 

[baby_love]

I used to think I could pull off blue...until I saw pictures of myself and realized that I just didn't look good in it. However, I would wear BAM blue eyemakeup like Jewel Blue or Electric Eel, instead of something nice and soft. so I think that it depends on what blues you choose.

 

[mich]

I think you could do two things. One is buy two more blue shadows, one lighter than your existing one and another even lighter than the first. Use all three to create a gradient on your lid going from light in the inner corner to dark in the outer. Also bring the darkest blue up into the crease and add bit a black shadow in the outer v and outer crease. Highlight the inner corners of your eye with silver. The added dimension should take away the punched-up eye effect.

The second option is to create a basically gold-brown eye, but accent it with dark blue in the outer third of the lid. I saw an MA do this using the holiday metallics palette and it looked amazing. The blue wasn't overwhelming this way so it didn't clash with her skintone. I think she used:

Honeylust on the lid
Manor in the crease
Stately Black ie the blue (this has always cracked me up) in the outer corner and blended towards the middle of the lid and into the outer crease.
Creme Royal on brow bone and inner corner

 

[Dreamergirl3]

hm, maybe you could experiment with a neutral eye either with tans or bronzes, but line your lower lash line with blue shadow for a pop

 

[alien21xx]

I am also NC30ish, and every time I wear dark blue shadow or liner, I look like I got mugged. WHat I normally do in order to be able to wear blue shadow:
1. Wear a bright royal blue or an electric blue shade (like Parrot, Aquadisiac and other electric blue to blue green) These colors are easy to pair with any cream or pale pink shadows
2. Try using a light blue on the upper lid and line the lower lid with the darker blue color.

 

[iheartangE]

I personally love dark blues paired with pale frosty pinks. I use the pale frosty pink on my eyelid, a matte medium gray in my crease, and a deep dark blue in my outer crease and outer V, with everything blended really well together.

Hope that helps you!

 

[athena123]

I'm not really a blue eyeshadow girl either - I think this is a holdover from my junior high school china blue eyeshadow days, I cringe when I think about how hot I thought I looked back then....

I didn't think I could rock the Parrot; when I asked the mac MA if she thought I could pull it off, I could see a skeptical look in her eye but I bought it anyway... Did her skepticism originate from the fact that I'm in my forties or because at the time she was giving me a MACover I had requested a professional, non-over the top daytime look? I really don't know the answer to that, but I did find a way to use parrot that works for THIS brown-eyed girl.

I use bisque as a base from lashline to browbone.
Ochre style on the lid up to the crease.
Another layer of Ochre style in the crease and outer V to deepen and contour.
A very shimmery and light pink in the inner lid to brighten and open.
Black eye pencil on upper and lower lid [I leave it out of the inner corner, however, I don't like that totally enclosed look]
Parrot on lower and upper lash line, it softens the black pencil.

Rockin'!

 

[Love Always Ivy]

i know how it is! im about the same skintone as you, and blues look great on in the close up eye pics, but when youre walking around, it doesnt look as great

it sucks too because i have a bajillion and one blue eyeshadows that i got because they are absolutely gorgeous but they just dont look so good on me

 

[angeliquea~+]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mich I think you could do two things. One is buy two more blue shadows, one lighter than your existing one and another even lighter than the first. Use all three to create a gradient on your lid going from light in the inner corner to dark in the outer. Also bring the darkest blue up into the crease and add bit a black shadow in the outer v and outer crease. Highlight the inner corners of your eye with silver. The added dimension should take away the punched-up eye effect. The second option is to create a basically gold-brown eye, but accent it with dark blue in the outer third of the lid. I saw an MA do this using the holiday metallics palette and it looked amazing. The blue wasn't overwhelming this way so it didn't clash with her skintone. I think she used: Honeylust on the lid Manor in the crease Stately Black ie the blue (this has always cracked me up) in the outer corner and blended towards the middle of the lid and into the outer crease. Creme Royal on brow bone and inner corner

This is what I do, I have similar colouring to you and the same problem when I use darker eyeshadows. I normally use a neutral colour (i.e Retrospeck) in the inner lid, then (in your case) I'd use a lighter blue in the outer lid and the darkest colour in the V/crease. This normally works well for me because I get the effect of the colours without looking like I've been punched.

 

[nunu]

how about a dark smokey look with silver ring and knight divine?

hth

 

[saj20052006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by knoxydoll If you want to do blue, I'd do a blue and silver look. It's very wintery and can be very sexy. I'd do silver on the lid with some black in the crease mixed with the blue and bringing the blue down on the lower lashline. If you want to do something non-blue, I'd suggest a peach look. It's very fresh paired with blue.

I agree with the above. Blue is one of my favorite shades to wear and I always to to pair it with silver. Graphito Paint is a gorgeous blueish tone for the smokey eye if you really don't like the in your face blues.

 

[Meryl]

I also have brown eyes and never feel right in blue. It just doesn't work.

Think about it... do you ever see your favourite celebrities wearing blue eye shadow? Not very often, if ever at all. It's a very tricky colour to wear!

 

[SparklingWaves]

I would steer away from the blue e/s with the blue dress. I would go with one of these: champagne, silver, or copper on the eyes. Depending on which metallic color looks best with your skin tone, I would use one those and use a berry/red tone on the lips. You could use a black or black-brown liner on the eyes.

 

[ms.libra]

i also don't think i can pull off the blue e/s. i brought his neo bright blue e/s on impluse and i haven't touched it. hopefully i can buy some other colors to pair w/it or tone it down.

 

[Kuuipo]

Have you seen the NARS Underworld Duo? It's a silvery storm cloud blue frost and a silvery blue gray? These are the most amazing smokey blues!