This is probably really weird, but as I’m laying in bed at night, I’ll close my eyes and think about what makeup I want to wear the next day. I’ll think about the specific colors, products, and techniques I want to use…
Does anyone else do this? Just me? Dang it!
Sometimes, I’ll have a really fun lip color that I’m dying to wear, but I’ll have a hard time thinking of what to wear on my eyes that won’t clash with it. Lucky for me — and maybe you — I’ve come up with the easiest eye look out there that goes with any color you can think of, like bright purple!
The other awesome thing about this trick is that you can find colors for it almost anywhere. I bet you $50 (you can email me for my Venmo name ☺ ) that you already have two colors just like these in your collection.
I used the Morphe 35O palette just because I think the mattes in the palette are the best! A mid-toned matte neutral brown and a darker matte neutral brown are all you need, and what I mean by neutral is that neither one is too warm or cool toned, so it’ll go with any shade you wear on your lips.
To start out, using a Mac 217 blending brush or something similar (almost every brand makes something similar), blend the lighter brown shade all over your lid and through the crease.
I like to pull the color outward beyond the corner of my eye to make my eye look more elongated, but feel free to create any shape that suits you.
To smoke out the look just a tiny bit, using the same color and the same brush, run the color along your lower lash line.
I leave the look here when I just want something light and simple, but most of the time I’ll add a little more depth. Using the darker shade and the same brush, blend it into the outer V.
And there ya have it — literally — that’s it for the eye shadow. It’s universally flattering! And you can stop here, or you can keep going with some liner.
Normally, I’m a winged liner gal, but today I just wanted to smudge a little Laura Geller INKcredible Liner in Blackbird along the lash line to make my lashes appear a little thicker.
This next step is optional, but for me, having tiny mouse-y eyes, I like to use a nude eyeliner, and today I used the Honest Beauty Velvet Eyeliner in Eye Opener on the waterline to make my eyes look just a little bit bigger and more awake.
To finish things off, pop on some Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, and you are good as gold!
Slap on any lip color your heart desires, and you will look completely pulled together no matter what you choose!
Just curious, what’s your favorite off-the-wall lip color?
My favorite bold lip color would be red, but I don’t feel the this is very extravagant, so I will go with Revlons Cherry in the Snow, the only other bright I will wear that isn’t red.
Red lips are ALWAYS a good idea! 🙂 Cherry is the snow is like a reddish pink right? I think I’ve seen that one before and it’s beautiful! Good choice 🙂
Nailed it! You are so right, a look in these kind of colors is just so neutral and so flattering that it will go with pretty much anything. That said, I am usually not very adventurous when it comes to lip colors. I do own one blue and one black from MAC though! But I’ve only experimented with them for shits ‘n giggles. I have yet to go out wearing them.
Thanks girl, I’m so glad you like it! Even if you don’t experiment too often, this is still such a pretty look that’ll get you out the door super fast! And I actually love the look of blue and black lipsticks, I wish I were brave enough to wear them for no reason 🙂
This is totally my style! I love pairing a simple neutral eye with a bold lip.
My favorite off-the-wall lip color is probably MAC Heroine.
Same! I used to be all about the eyes, but right now I’m loving bright lips, spring fever I guess! 🙂
great look on you, really compliments your eyes. I love a bold lip, but usually just pair it with a fierce winged liner and mascara. maybe some gold or silvery shadow all over the lid if it’s at night, but I feel like the less shadow the better.
Thank you Yelena! I haven’t done an awesome wing and a bold lip in forever, I forgot how much I love it! Thanks for the inspiration!
I don’t know why it’s easier for me to be dramatic with my eye makeup but not my lip color. It should be the other way around, then I could wear brights more easily by popping on a bold lipstick and doing liner or wash of color on my lids. I’m backwards!
I’m totally with you, for a long time it was so hard for me to feel comfortable leaving the house in a bold lip, but crazy dark smokey eyes were no problem! Eventually I just decided to fake the confidence till I had it, now I love it! I’m sure you look absolutely amazing in a bold lip!
This really is a multi-purpose eye look. I could see it going with anything from a nude to a bright red for light to mid-tone complexions. Beautiful!
I’m so glad you like it! It really does go with everything, I still haven’t found a person or a lip color that it doesn’t complement. 🙂
Wow. You’re beautiful. Just had to put that out there. Great blog post, Jen! You have a new follower.
My fave off the wall lip colour would have to be Kiko Milano Smart lipstick in 934.
Have a lovely day!
Jen. 🙂
You’re so nice Jen, you just made my day! I like your name by the way 😉 I need to try more Kiko! I’ve heard it’s amazing but I haven’t really played around with it.
Love this post, thanks Jen! I’m sure I’ll be using this eye look a ton. It’ll come in handy now that I have a newborn and will probably have to resort back to my 10 min makeup looks when I go back to my busy schedule. I have a question about the honest beauty eyeliner please. Do you wear contacts? Does it smear onto the lenses? Also do you find it long wearing? Thanks!
Congratulations on your new little one! That is so exciting! As a mother of 1, soon to be 2, myself, this is probably the look I’m going to be wearing 99% of the time! I hope it helps you feel fresh and pulled together 🙂 I don’t wear contacts myself but I have extremely sensitive eyes and this doesn’t irritate them at all. My Mom wears contacts though and I used this on her when I did her makeup the other day and it didn’t bother her either! As far as wear time, it stays put for a few hours. Definitely not all day, but pretty good for a nude liner.
I also lay in bed and plan out makeup looks in my head! I’m always trying to rotate through my collection, but sometimes I have a specific look I want to achieve.
I think my favorite off-the-wall lip color that I wear out of the house is MAC’s Heroine. It’s so pretty!
Yay I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does that! Haha! Mac Heroine is so pretty, it’s been mentioned a couple times now too. I may have to add that one to my collection 🙂
Agree with other commenters. You nailed it. I’ll usually dust a shadow all over my lid that is almost flesh tone on me. I sculpt & define my brows (and add highlighter), mascara, eyeliner in the outer third lash line, & any lippie. I have so many colors that I pair with this look. Red, fuschia, purple, nude, or even a metallic coppery shade (MAC Viva Glam Rihianna 2). It’s my “no makeup” makeup look. Actually rocking it today with KVD Lolita 2 matte lippie 🙂
Oh my gosh I want Lolita 2 sooo bad! Do me a favor and enable me for a second.. is it worth it? 🙂 Haha!
Y-E-S! In fact, I like it better than Lolita. You must make it yours 🙂
That waterline pencil looks great on you!
Thanks Erin! I’m loving it 🙂
I love this look, Jen. It’s something I can handle in the 15 minutes I have to put on makeup. Yay for easy and flexible eye looks!
P.S. How is wear time on that Honest Beauty liner? I’m always looking for a good beige waterline pencil.
Thanks Karen! You could totally manage in 15 minutes, maybe even less! The wear time is pretty average. It’s not going to last all day but it does last for a few good hours! This is probably my third beige eyeliner that I’ve tried and this one is by far my favorite, the color is perfect, not too white, not too orange. I think you’d love it!
Love the eye look! 🙂 You are so beautiful too. 🙂
Love this. My makeup skills are not advanced but I feel like I could do this & do it well. Thank you!
This is the perfect look to start with if you aren’t too comfortable with your skills yet! Just make sure you take lots of time to blend the colors into each other and into your skin so there are no harsh lines and it will look amazing! Good luck! 🙂
Love it! I need a quick go to look and this seems perfect ! Thank you so much. Since you’re a self professed winged liner girl, I’d love a post on winged liner instruction. Just a request. Or , if you happen to know of one that helped you, could you point me to it?
Thanks again!
Ooh girl I’m so happy you asked! Winged liner is my jam. I actually have a tutorial on my own blog that shows how to do it in 4 easy steps. Here’s the link! I hope that helps you out a little! If you have any other questions, don’t be afraid to ask, I’d love to help out! 🙂
http://www.jenleighbeauty.com/flawless-winged-eyeliner-in-4-easy-steps/
Great tutorial! I’m going to give it a go!The issue I have is I’m 40 so I have some hooding to my eyes from age- not too bad yet. But, I have seen most people just draw the wing part onto the hooded part if it needs to go there. I used to wer wings when I was younger and stopped for years and lost my skill. I need to get back on it! Thanks doll! XO
You did such a great job creating a simple, but lovely, smokey look that does go with just about anything. I think a pin-up eye look goes with any almost any lip color, too.
I LOVE “off-the-wall” lip colors, and I wear them all the time. I’ve especially been into grays and grayed shades this past year. My current favorites: ColourPop Ultra Satin in Marshmallow (grayish lavender) and Petit Four (dark blue-gray); ColourPop Ultra Matte in Dr. M (deep green-leaning teal); Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Dirty Money (grayish green), Weirdo (opaque matte black), and I’m Royalty (vivid royal purple); LA Splash Dia De Los Muertos Collection Liquid Lipstick in Catrina (brown w/blue shift; think MAC Blue Brown Pigment in liquid lipstick form); OCC Lip Tar in Black Metal Dahlia (metallic blackened vampy red) and Technopagan (metallic blackened deep blue-violet); Nyx Liquid Suede Cream in Stone Fox (blue-gray, slightly lighter than Petit Four); Nyx Wicked Lippie in Trickery (metallic olive/gold) and Stone Cold (metallic gunmetal with a blue shift); Nyx Macaron Lippie Blue Velvet (turquoise cream); Kat von D Studded Kiss in Poe (sparkly navy) and Piaf (dark brown with violet sparkles & violet shift); Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in A Go-Go (brightest neon orange); Jcat Pout-holic Lipstick in Man Candy Mon (dark cadet blue); Tater Rounds x Drac Makens in Night Pain (icy blue-gray) and Absinthe (neon yellow-green like the liquor).
Oh my gosh! Thank you for all the amazing recommendations! I am actually saving all those so I can go through and look at them all later and possibly get a couple 🙂 I’ve actually been wanting to give Colourpop’s Marshmallow a try, do you like the satin formula better than the ultra matte?
You’re welcome. I’m sorry my favorites turned into a book. lol I’m passionate about my weird colors. I think you’ll love Marshmallow. It’s different without being too “out there,” and its a beautiful color.
So far, I like the Ultra Satins a lot more than the Ultra Mattes. They don’t have quite as much staying power, but to me they’re much more comfortable to wear. I found the Ultra Mattes to be really inconsistent: Dr. M is fabulous and the formula is great. Sundae & Trap make my lips look shriveled and feel really dry on me, but most people rave about those them in particular. The other shades I got fell in-between. The Ultra Satins can be given 2 layers if needed, but the Ultra Mattes will lift off or peel if I put on more than one layer. There are people who adore the Ultra Mattes, though, so maybe it’s me & not the product. At least they’re cheap enough to try a few shades and see whether you like the formula.
Love the post. I’ll try it with my MAC Heroine, because as gorgeous as it is, I never know how to wear it.
i also do that. think about my makeup for the next day. true sign of an addict. hahahahaha