1 week Ago
I know pastel colours are having a make-up moment, but how do I make them work without making myself washed out? This year’s spring/summer make-up collections are full of pastels, from fresh pale mints to dreamy lilacs, fizzing peaches and pale, pretty pinks. Lovely as they are to look at on catwalks and cosmetic models, a lot of us will struggle to see how they fit into our real lives and onto our real faces. Pastel make-up conjures images of 1960s Twiggy make-up, in chalky shades and matte textures that are unforgiving of age or imperfection.
So is it possible to update our look with a pop of pretty pastels, or is any attempt going to look like a garish grab at girlishness? “I think what’s different about this pastel trend now is that it’s colourful and wonderful, and it’s what I would call pastel warm, rather than pastel cold,” says Mary Greenwell, the make-up artist who has worked with the likes of Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Princess Diana and Jennifer Lawrence, and has collaborated with Chanel for 20 years. “But it’s also that formulations have improved so much and are very wearable. They go on very easily, so you don’t have to be scared of these colours.
Just remember to build the colour, rather than going on directly with lots of it. Rather than putting a lot on a brush, I use my fingers for everything and that allows you to start with a little and then build it up to the effect you want.” Where is a good place to start with pastels, if they seem a bit daunting? Greenwell says that a pastel-coloured eye liner in a vivid green or a purple can be a great entry to this kind of trend.
It’s not an add-on to your regular look, she advises, but a standalone shade. So don’t line first with black or brown when using liner, and if your pastel pop is an eye shadow, do not apply it beside or over your usual eye shades. “Use these as your normal make-up because anything underneath, like your usual beige or browns, will kill the wonderful magic of the pastel.
” How do I choose a pastel eye shadow so it doesn’t look like I have an eye infection? “Blue is a fantastic colour to wear, but never wear blue eyeshadow if you have blue eyes, or you’re going to kill that natural colour,” says Greenwell. “I’m loving the more purple shades that will enhance green, blue, hazel and brown eyes.” A purple will also stand out beautifully because it’s not a natural eye colour and so will create an arresting effect.
So can any of us work the blues, pinks and peaches around the eyes? “If you have dark eyes, you can wear them” Greenwell says, “But on anyone with light-coloured eyes, like me, they will look ridiculous.” What about pastel lip colours, what’s the best way to wear them? “Use a lip liner,” says Greenwell. “I think the trend of having a slightly brown lip liner with something soft is a really pretty look.
Do a nice outline and don’t bring it too much into the centre of the lips or it will affect the colour of the pastel. Having the lip liner showing doesn’t bother me.” There is an age limit on pale lips, Greenwell concedes, as colour fades and lips can also become thinner.
“You want your mouth to pop rather than be pale,” she says. Is there an age limit overall when it comes to making pastels work? Greenwell says no, that any age can carry off the pastel trend, it’s just a matter of how and where we choose to wear it. So if applying these pops of prettiness to eyes and lips seems too much of a stretch, the answer is, oddly enough, to apply a wash of it all over.
“The purples and mauves, the peaches and pinks, they are so beautifully warm,” Greenwell says. “You can use these on the cheeks, as a highlighter or a very soft blush. These colours are beautiful on the cheekbones and then blended up into the side of the eyes.
They are really pretty, but don’t leave your forehead looking all pale. Use something like a pink-gold up across the forehead and up into the hairline so it balances and blends together and your face works as a whole.” No matter where you put your pastels, however, Greenwell insists you must not forget your mascara, to ground the look and define the eyes.
“For me, mascara is the best product ever invented and this trend works really well with loads of mascara.” Chanel Jeux de Lumières Multi-Use Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette, €85, Chanel counters Chanel Jeux de Lumières Multi-Use Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette, €85, Chanel counters The star product of Chanel’s spring/summer collection, this four-pan palette is one you can use anywhere — eyes, cheeks and even on shoulders, collarbones and decollete for a light-catching hint of almost unexpected colour. Ideal one-stop on-trend make-up for summer suitcases.
14 Day Mani Hema-Free Nail Polish in Butter, €11, 14daymanicure.com 14 Day Mani Hema-Free Nail Polish in Butter, €11, 14daymanicure.com If you won’t put pastels anywhere near your face, nails are the easy way to tap into this trend.
From an Irish-owned brand with everything you’ll need for an at-home gel manicure, this pale buttercup shade is part of their Gentle Gels selection for the sensitive nails. Mac Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner in Commitment Issues, €24, Brown Thomas Mac Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner in Commitment Issues, €24, Brown Thomas The rich colour is courtesy of what Mac calls ‘Tattooline Tech’, which means it goes on true and lasts and lasts. There is excellent glide to this gel pencil, with no drag on eyelids, which is crucial with an eye-popping lavender like this.
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