How to wear pastel makeup: 7 Beauty Panel tips for doing baby blues, pinks and purples right
When we think of spring colours, we naturally think of pretty pastel shades: rose-pink, lilac-purple, mint-green—you name it! Though we saw this softer colour palette make a statement on the runways last winter, candy colours are definitely still big this season. However, it’s easy to feel like you’re back in the ’80s when you start playing with baby-blue eyeshadow—even if it is on-trend it can be hard to master. Fear not! The Beauty Panel is here with plenty of tips on how to wear pastel makeup colours this season.
Challenge 15: How do you wear pastel-coloured makeup? See the answers now! »
Turquoise and mint green were undeniably the most popular choice when it came to incorporating pastel colours into your beauty routine. Glitter Geek’s Arianne de Guzman took her cue from the Michael Kors Spring 2013 runway and added a pastel colour with a fashion-forward swipe of turquoise eyeliner applied above the crease. Meanwhile, Liner Glitter Gloss’s Dee Thomson and our newest member A Pop of Colour’s Shayna Wiwierski played with lighter hues of mint green on their eyes.
Nails are another easy way to make pastels work. Makeup by Tess’s Tess Lopez impressed us with mint green chevron French tips on her nails. Twenty York Street’s Marilou Moles even matched her French manicure-inspired nails to her pastel coloured jewellery! Gravitating away from the blues and greens, Rock That Look’s Anjali Handa enjoyed pairing neutral pastel tones like pink and coral on her eyes with warmer undertones on her lips. Thinking of tackling the pastel trend for your everyday beauty look? Read on for all the tips for how to wear pastel coloured makeup this season.
Have a beauty question you want to see the panel answer? Send it our way at [email protected]. Read on for the answers to this week’s challenge and for more goodness, get to know all contributors on our Beauty Panel hub page.
Jump to: ALISON LEONG | ANJALI HANDA | ARIANNE DE GUZMAN | DEE THOMSON | MARILOU MOLES | SHAYNA WIWIERSKI | TESS LOPEZ
Arianne de Guzman
Toronto | Glitter Geek
As a girl with a natural tan, I used to shy away from wearing pastels on my face because they tend to wash me out. Recently I’ve started to incorporate pastels into my makeup through eyeliner. I love brighter pastels like turquoise because it works well for a variety of skin tones. ’60s makeup is something I’m obsessed with lately, so I was inspired by Michael Kors Spring 2013 runway look: a minimal face paired with banana liner. The look is fun and retro, but also totally wearable.
To get the look, I apply the eyeliner just slightly above the “hood” of my eyelid for a little peek of colour when my eyes are open. I softly highlight the top lash line with a matte white eyeliner. For the rest of the face, just add a creamy sheer bronzer to contour and a highlighter on the high planes of the face (tops of cheekbones, down the nose, above the lips and chin). Finish off with a sheer my-lips-but-better lipstick.
Products used: Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in “Turquoise,” Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in “116 White,” Hourglass Illume Crème-To-Powder Bronzer Duo in “Sunset,” Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme in “Rose Gold”
Tess Lopez
Toronto | Makeup By Tess
Pastel colours are definitely in right now! One way to wear this retro-inspired trend is to pair pastel with a neutral shade, whether you are wearing this colour on your eyes or on your nails. Toning down the pastel colour with a neutral colour is an excellent way to pull off this trend without looking like you are stuck in the 1980s!
My favourite pastel colour is mint green. One of the ways I like to wear it is by adding a hint of this colour to the tips of my nails. To make this look even more trendy, instead of creating a regular French tip, I create what I call a “chevron” French tip. I like to pair the mint green with a sandy beige base colour so it’s easy to wear with any outfit.
Products used: Pro FX Complete 3 Top Coat, Base Coat and Nail Strengthener, L’Oréal Nail Polish in “Walk on the Beach,” Essie Nail Polish in “Mint Candy Apple”
Dee Thomson
Toronto | Liner and Glitter and Gloss, Oh My!
Pastel shades don’t make their way into my makeup bag too often, but when they do I fully embrace them. This summer, baby blues seem to be my shade of choice. On the eyes, I like to keep it simple. I’ll do a quick wash on the lid with a pastel blue, then add a bit of contouring and a little liner with a darker blue shade before finishing off with mascara. I really like to swipe a coat of mascara on my bottom lashes to give my eyes a bit of a mod look as I think it goes perfectly with the pale blue.
For my nails, I am really loving pastel shades—I like to start off with a coat or two of a pastel before jazzing it up a little with some polka dots, lines or zig zags. White is the perfect shade to complement any pastel and is great for adding an accent. I’m also loving a matte top coat on top of a pastel polish—I find that it adds the perfect softness to go with these girly shades.
Products used: Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette in “Blue Lagoon,” Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara, Bourjois So Laque Glossy Nail Enamel in “Adora-bleu,” Nina Ultra Pro Nail Lacquer in “French White,” L’Oreal Paris Top Coat Matte
Alison Leong
Vancouver | Alison*Elle
One of my favourite ways to wear pastels is on my nails—especially where fun nail art is involved! Creating these pastel roses is super easy, and you can even mix things up a bit by adding a different accent nail (or two). Here, I decided to go for some glittery stripes on my thumb and ring finger.
1. Paint on your base colour and let dry.
2. To create the roses, dab your base rose colour in roundish shapes randomly on each nail.
3. Add your rose highlight colour to the roses to create some dimension. This colour can be white or simply a lighter shade of pink, like what I’ve used.
4. Add leaves to the side of each rose.
5. Paint on stripes if you decide to have an accent nail.
Products used: Essie in “Using My Maiden Name,” Essie in “My Better Half,” Avon Nail Art Enamel in “Cupid,” Avon Nail Art Enamel in “Styled Green,” Kiss Nail Art Paint in “Silver Glitter”
Marilou Moles
Ottawa | Twenty York Street
What was once old is new again and this year, we couldn’t have guessed for a better revival of makeup trends than pretty pastels. Contrary to popular belief that pastels are hard to wear, soft pastels are actually a great way to integrate more colours into your makeup routine, no matter your skin colour.
How to rock this trend in 2013? Bid adieu to the ’80s trick of piling on shadows on top of each other resembling a rainbow trifle and say bonjour to a more current, more fresh version of wearing your robin blues, fresh mints and rosy pinks.
Modern Pastels
A modern take on the pastel look is taking two pastel colours in the same complementary tones, like this icy mint and cool blue combo, the former used as a base all over your eyelid and the latter as a liner on your lid. To keep the look from being too saccharine sweet, add a thin line of your darkest kohl and swipe a generous coat of black mascara.
Fresh Lips
As for the lips, forego the shimmer and shine and opt for a more matte finish with a subtle yet striking petal-pink hue. Just remember to keep your lips exfoliated and moisturized (Thann’s Rice Bran Lip Balm is my all-time fave!) as matte lipstick tends to highlight dryness and cracks on the lips. To finish? A hint of bronzer on the right places and you’re set to go!
Mani Party
But wait, why limit the pastel party to your face only when the easiest way you can incorporate pastel in your life is on your pretty little nails! For a new twist on the classic French add a hint of mint for a retro touch but use a sliver of silver to make it hot!
Products used: Thann Shiso Face Serum, Cover Girl’s Flamed Out Shadow Pencil in “345,” Maybelline’s 24HR Color Tattoo in “Icy Mint,” The Rocket Mascara and Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner in “Black,” Thann Rice Bran Lip Balm, Nyx Lip Liner in “850 Nectar,”Elizabeth Arden’s Lip Pot in “Rose,”Koku Nail Bar’s Summer Collection in “Fresh Mint and Ice Cold Silver”
Shayna Wiwierski
Winnipeg | A Pop of Colour
This summer is all about colour! Although blue, yellow and green can be hard to pull off, it’s all about how you to choose to wear it. One of my favourite ways to sport a pop of colour is a bright-hued eyeliner over top of a black cat eye liner.
After applying a neutral base, do a regular black cat-eye. Then, grab your favourite eye-catching colour (in my case blue) and draw a thin line over top of the black. Layer on a couple coats of mascara and you are set for summer! The effect is subtle at first glance, but you’ll have people doing double-takes in no time.
Products used: Rimmel London ScandalEyes Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in “Black,” Rimmel London ScandalEyes Shadow Stick in “Tempting Turquoise,” Benefit They’re Real! Mascara, M.A.C Paint Pot in “Bare Study.”
Anjali Handa
Toronto | Rock That Look
Pastel shades. Friend and foe. While I love the variety of eye shadow shades available this season, I don’t particularly gravitate toward blues, greens and purples for an everyday look. I still like to incorporate the light shimmers and beautiful colours associated with pastels, so with my skin tone, I tend to go more neutral with pinks, corals and whites. These are foolproof shades that can work with most outfits on most occasions. One of my favourite base shadows for a pastel look is Annabelle’s Smoothie Eye Shadow pencil in Melonade. On my skin tone it creates a beautiful melon-toned sheen that can be left alone or played with. In this look, I dusted a light layer of pink shimmer on top to create a cooler shade. Because I am a sucker for intensity, I made sure to use a black liner on the bottom waterline and finish the look with a dark coat of mascara. his allows me to showcase the pastel look while also adding the intensity I am used to.
Another place I like to play with pastels is on the lips. Trying to avoid the dreaded too-light-for-your-own-good ’90s look, I am careful to choose pastel-coloured lippies that have a warm undertone. For this look, I snagged Annabelle’s Twist Up Retractable Lipstick Crayon in “Absolute.” It goes on as smooth as a lip balm but leaves the finish of a creamy lipstick. It’s just the right pink to fit in the pastel trend without being too cheeky or stuck in the ’90s. What I love best about this look is that it lets me stay neutral while adding hints of the pastel trend where appropriate.
Products used: Annabelle Smoothie Eye Shadow Pencil in “Melonade,” Annabelle Twist Up Retractable Lipstick Crayon in “Absolute,”Arbonne Perfecting Liquid Foundation, L’Oréal Voluminous Smouldering Liner in “Black,” Essence I Love Extreme Volume Mascara in “Black”
