5 blue beauty products that’ll give you a much-needed break from neutrals

Date January 18, 2016

Just like there are National Doughnut Days and National Dress Your Animal Up Days (for real — it was last week) there are also less happy days. Today is known as Blue Monday, and we’re told we will be more depressed on this day than any other day this year. But, there are a few reasons why Blue Monday really isn’t so bad. For one, it provides us with a totally valid excuse for ignoring everyone during the day and loading up on greasy, fatty comfort food at night. Two, it’s actually not that much of a depressing day as it is a day of relief as we realize that pretty much everyone has also failed at their 2016 resolutions. And three, we can use it as an excuse to experiment with our makeup, which can actually act as a total mood-booster.

Like red pouts on Valentine’s, pastel shadows on Easter and cat-eyes on Halloween, Blue Monday could be the perfect time to match our moods to our makeup, and inject blue products into our daily looks. Cure your Blue Monday blues with midnight blue eyeliner, royal blue mascara, powder blue eyeshadow, navy blue nail polish and a blue-hued exfoliant — all guaranteed to make your day a little bit brighter.

Midnight blue eyeliner
Make your eyes pop by ditching your go-to black eyeliner in favour of a midnight blue option. Marc Jacobs’s Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in Midnight in Paris offers seriously intense colour that glides on smooth and stays put all day (even if the blues bring on a tear or two). This inky indigo blue can be used to line both your top and bottom lashes. Finish the look off with a coating of a dramatic black volumizing mascara.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in “Midnight in Paris” ($31, sephora.ca)

Royal blue mascara
You’ve seen the superhero-inspired look on many runways, so it’s the perfect time to give blue mascara a whirl yourself. For the best option, go with Benefit’s They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara in Beyond Blue, which adds great length, curl and volume to your lashes. Pair your bright blue fluttering lashes with bold brows, a glowing complexion, and a sleek ponytail for a fuss-free look with a dominatrix edge.

Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara in “Beyond Blue” ($31, sephora.ca)

Powdery blue eyeshadow
Create a princess-worthy smoky eye with this stunning eyeshadow palette from Dior. It offers shimmering shades of powder blue, charcoal, silver, pearl, and gold so you can customize your look however you like. Add a touch of highlighter to your cheekbones and rosy balm to your lips for romantic look that’ll make others think Blue Monday’s not bringing you down.

Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette in “236 5th & Pine” ($94, shop.nordstrom.com)

Navy nail polish
The chicest nail polish colour that’s currently trending is dark enough to go with just about anything, and sophisticated enough to wear just about anywhere. It’s navy blue, or “Ink Blue” as Burberry calls it’s version, which is offered in a long-lasting, high-gloss formula. Plus, it dries and hardens in no time so you can give yourself a mani just before heading out the door—because we’re sure you won’t have the patience for a time consuming application on this moody day.

Burberry Beauty Nail Polish in “No. 425 Ink Blue” ($33, shop.nordstrom.com)

Blue-hued exfoliator
Wash away any remains of the (not so) gloomiest day of the year with a deep cleansing face scrub like Tracie Martyn’s Enzyme Exfoliant. Known as being a “facial in a pot” its no wonder it has developed quite the cult following, include Georgia Jagger and Lara Stone. This formula features powerful enzymes, botanical brighteners, and potent Alpha-beta Fruit and Bark acids that work together to revive dull complexions. It can also be used in the morning to give your glum mug a much needed pick-me-up.

Tracie Martyn Enzyme Exfoliant ($110, net-a-porter.com)