Learn how to make your pink makeup extraordinary

June 26, 2015 4:23 AM

Pink colour as makeup is far more audacious than we give it credit for.

Pink makeup

Pink can be the prissiest colour in a makeup palette and the most subversive.

The colour is far more audacious than we give it credit for.

Think pink in a punk way, and we will show you just how to get there.

EYES

Here's how to get pink eyes without looking like you have pinkeye.

Be clear: Use eye-whitening drops. Line the rims with a flesh-tone eye pencil and dab primer on the lid.

Go strong: If you have dark or olive skin, draw a line of electric pink or fuchsia along the upper lash line, winging it out at the corner, or make one line on the bottom lashes for impact.

Take it easy: If you have fair skin, swipe the lid with dusty pink. Concentrate on the outer corner. Too much pink at the inner corners makes eyes look puffy.

LIPS

The difference between edgy pink and sweet pink is a matte lipstick.

Pick your pink: Shades that are more white than blue brighten fair to medium skin but look harsh against dark skin. The latter needs the strength of magenta, neon pink, or violet pink.

Avoid gloss and glitter: "A shiny or glossy pink lip looks cheap," says makeup artist Kathy Jeung. And don't worry about matte lipstick being bone-dry. "The new matte lipsticks have a balmy quality," says makeup artist Troy Surratt.

Get in line: Choose a lip liner that's the same color as your lips or that matches your lipstick. Use it to pencil in your lips entirely before applying anything else.

NAILS

Pink can look really cool on the nails when the color is a bit off," says manicurist Keri Blair. "It should look synthetic or chemical, like a pink that could never exist in nature."

Look for pink shades that read a little yellow, gray, or muddy. To kick up the cool factor a notch, finish with a matte topcoat.

"If you don't want to go full matte, mix a bit of matte topcoat into the polish before you paint it on," says Blair. "It gives the polish a rubberized texture."