Bored with traditional eyeshadow colors? How about those palettes insisting there’s only one way to apply each color? Thought so. I am too, because it’s 2019, the future, where robots control our households and probably soon, our minds. It’s time to reclaim your eyeshadow palettes! Throw away everything you thought you knew about the darkest color on your lids, the highlight on your brow bone, and the coma-inducing world of beiges, taupes, and oatmeals.

1. Give Yourself Pink Eye

 

Ah, red eyeliner. Just lipliner, but on my eyes? I took one for the team and it turns out the answer is no (you’re welcome). So I’ve put together a little guide about how to use one of my favorite Face Stockholm Matte Eyeshadow shades, “Surprise,” a bold, almost neon, pinky-red.

First of all, start with a clean face and an even, moisturized eye area. I’m partial to the Seaweed Eye Cream followed by lids chock full of Eye Fix. Eye Fix neutralizes redness, which is important because we don’t want the natural redness of our overworked, under-rested eyes to interfere with the expertly engineered red color that will take centerstage in this makeup look.

Grab a Matte Eyeshadow in a color such as “Nude.” Cover your lid as you did with the Eye Fix. We need an even, matte canvas on which to paint. And we’ll pull out a good eyeshadow brush in the next step, but I simply used my finger for this one.

I chose a thin, angular brush and, because I’m turning eyeshadow into eyeliner, wet my brush beforehand. This high-quality shadow is pigmented already, but the wetting of the brush really helps to concentrate the color, making it easier to apply in a long, thin line. Simply dip into “Surprise” and guide your brush along the lash line, winging it out at the end as you would a cat-eye. While it may seem daring, winging out your eyeliner in this case helps create a defined makeup look, rather than a mild case of Pink Eye on your lids.

Next, beginning at the end of your wing-tip, take the line underneath your eyeball, creating a sort of V-shape on the outer corner of each eye. Go over the lines again, just to make sure that they’re super bright and well-defined. One thing to note is that the old mantra “blend, blend, blend” does not apply here! While blending is often the key to making eyeshadow merge with your skin rather than sit caked on top of it, we’re going for a bold dash of color in a shade that, when blended, looks like a medical issue rather than a makeup look.

In conclusion, let the red eye-makeup look speak for itself. If you listen closely, you can almost hear it say… “Surprise!” If you’re curious, I finished off my face with a bit of highlighter from the Nude Color Wheel swept onto my brow and cheekbones, plus a bunch of waterproof black mascara on both upper and lower lashes. And I couldn’t resist a lick of clear lipgloss (that’s shade #1) because, well, when can I ever?

2. Mellow Yellow

 

When considering yellow eyeshadow the first thing to note is, do not be afraid! It’s just gold without the shimmer. And we’ve all got plenty of experience with gold. The second thing is that, unlike red eyeshadow, yellow looks best when blended into a gradient. I also tried out a bare-faced look with a bold dose of yellow eyeshadow on my lids and that looked great too! But the following is a bit more subtle and a nice way to experiment with integrating yellow into your daily routine.

For this look, we turn to Face Stockholm’s Matte Eyeshadow in “Fun.” Fun, however, isn’t always spontaneous. In this case it requires a bit of planning. Eye Fix Primer on the lids, Magic Wand basically everywhere because… that’s what it’s made for, right? Then I suggest going through your vast eyeshadow collection and looking for any darker colors with copper or gold undertones. Pearl Eyeshadows in #17 and #40 are both excellent options, just stay away from anything in a lighter hue than “Fun.” Go ahead and dip a fluffy eyeshadow brush into your copper shadow, and feather it into your crease and a bit outward, elongating the eye and setting the stage for the beautiful sunset oil painting we’re about to create. If you’re wondering whether I referenced Bob Ross’ “Sunset Aglow” painting for this look, well yes, I did.

Here’s where the fun begins. I recommend another coat of pale (or even white) shadow just on your lids to layer underneath the bright yellow shadow. It’ll make it stand out as a separate color rather than disappearing into your skin. Simply swipe it on your lid, taking care to use several coats to achieve that opaque, yellow-on-purpose look. Then go back to your initial copper shade and blend a bit more into your crease and outward to create a gradient.

I don’t recommend using grey or black shadows here (because bumblebees), but if you have a shimmery dark orange shadow such as Eye Dust in Shangri-La then by all means blend that in between your copper and yellow (because sunsets). Afterwards I went back and added a warm-toned highlight shadow on my brow bone as well as a thin line of yellow underneath my eyes, just on the outer edge, to tie it together.

Did I also finish off with mascara, a bit of coral cream blush, and a sheer, coral lipgloss? You bet. It’s a fun way to play off the sunset-toned look we’ve created with yellow eyeshadow. There you have it: “Fun,” in just a few steps.

3. Palette Fatigue

You know the drill. Eyeshadow palettes with a beautiful, almond-shaped eye on the back and a diagram that shows you which colors correspond with her lid and crease. Usually they consist of a highlight, a contour, and a base shade, which can often be a helpful way to effectively use the family of colors. You might be thinking, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? A fair question, but I’ve always been somewhat of a rebel. Eyeshadow rules were meant to be broken— or at least turned on their heads once in awhile.

Enter Face Stockholm’s Legacy Palettes. They’re designed to recall the glittery, jewel-toned eras of yore and full of shades so enviable you could honestly put them wherever. But after some experimenting, here are a few ways I like to wear my favorite shades. No paint-by-number diagrams necessary.

From the “Arts & Crafts” palette, I pulled the two shimmery green shades, one light and one dark. After lining the outer (top and bottom) edges of my eyes with a bit of Cake Eyeliner in “Brown,” I applied the pale, silvery green shade to my lids. Next, I dabbed a bunch of dark green into my crease, blending outward. I put a swipe more of the pale shade on my brow bones, and finished off with mascara and tinted brow gel. Rather than beginning with the darkest shade on my lid, I reversed the process, opting instead for a light, fairy-like lid and then brought some smokiness to the crease only. This look is simple but smoky, colorful but subtle. I’ve also had great results using the dark green from this palette on the lid (as per tradition) but accenting it with the burgundy and copper colors in the crease.

Next up, I like the shimmery dark plum shade from the “Baroque” palette, used as eyeliner. I wet the tiny, angled brush included with the palette, and swiped it across my lash line, winging out at the edges for a subtle, plum-colored cat-eye. From far away, it doesn’t quite look purple, but up close it’s a festive alternative to black or brown eyeliner this time of year.

The great thing about the Legacy Palettes is that they contain colors which might not traditionally go together— plums paired with greens, pinks paired with burgundys. So there’s no prescription for where to place each shade. You can pair the colors together for some beautiful but unexpected accents, or simply pick one or two and place them wherever your heart desires. This winter, I’m feeling a pale, shimmery lid either on its own or with a darker accent in the crease. Either way, mascara is in order. Happy experimenting!