TeeWhy-Hive: Pretty In Pastel: Spring’s Guide To Pastel Makeup For Every Complexion

Thursday 6 April 2017

Pretty In Pastel: Spring’s Guide To Pastel Makeup For Every Complexion

One of the biggest beauty trends of 2017? Pastel makeup.
Whether it’s on eyes, lips, cheeks, or nails, soft, 1950’s-inspired pastels in super feminine shades ruled the runways—and are finding their way onto the faces and fingernails of real women.

Wearing the pastel makeup trend, however, isn’t for those scared of statement makeup. “Pastel colors for eyes or lips this season is indeed a very hot trend, but it can be difficult to wear,” says celebrity makeup artist Nakeah Fuller, who has worked with Jodie Kidd, Chaka Khan, and Victoria Justice. Her advice? “Remember this beauty rule: ‘Strong eyes/nude lip’ or ‘strong lip/soft eyes,’ and then you can’t go wrong.”
Just in time for Easter, i’ve compiled some of the best pastel makeup items – along with easy tips on how to rock them — for every complexion.
EYES
When done properly, pastel eyeshadow can be flattering, fresh, and youthful. (But when done improperly, it can be like something out of a horror show.) To get the look, keep the rest of your face neutral, and make sure you offset it with defined brows and lashes. Most importantly, work with your skin’s undertones. Here are a few pastel shadows that look great on different complexions:
For pale or cool-toned complexions, try a pink like Makeup Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Whimsical ($10) or Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow in Off the Rack ($21), or yellow like NYX Cosmetics Primal Colors in Hot Yellow ($5) or MAC Eyeshadow in Shock Factor ($16).

For darker or warm-toned complexions, try a vibrant purple like Nars Hardwired Eyeshadow in Lunar ($26) or ColourPop Eyeshadow in Dare ($5), or a green like NYX Cosmetics Prismatic Eyeshadow in Mermaid ($6) or MAC Eyeshadow in New Crop ($16).

CHEEKS
Peachy and bright pinks liven up any complexion, and look even cooler when the face has a monochromatic feel. To make your cheeks the star of the show, keep eyes and lips minimal, but don’t be afraid to go for the glow; a little highlighter will make your face pop.

For pale or cool-toned complexions, try Nars Blush in Angelika ($30) or E.L.F. Blush with Brush in Shy ($2).

For darker or warm-toned complexions try a peach with a touch of bronze, such as Too Faced Papa Don’t Peach ($30) or NYX Professional High Definition Blush in Summer ($7).
LIPS
Icy pastel lips a la mod icons Twiggy and Veruschka are huge right now. While some of the bolder statements on the fashion runways included jellybean hues of baby blue and robin’s egg, the look can be tricky to pull off in real life. (The wrong shade is way more corpse than cool.) A more wearable—but still totally on-trend alternative—is a sheer pastel, in a shade like pink, orange, or plum, with the slightest hint of white. Here, a few of our favorites:

For pale complexions or cool-toned complexions, try a violet like Nars Audacious Lipstick in Dominique ($27) or NYX Round Case Lipstick in Castle ($4) or a lavender like Inglot Lipstick 257 ($14) or Dior Addict Lacquer Stick in Gamer ($35).

For darker or warm-toned complexions try a tangerine like Giorgio Armani Beauty Ecstacy Lacquer in Tangerine ($38) or L’Oreal Paris Infallible Le Rouge in Always Apricot ($10), or a cotton candy shade with blue undertones, like Too Faced La Crème Color Drenched Lip Cream in Clueless ($23) or Revlon HD Gel Lipcolor in Pink Cloud ($9).
NAILS
We’re of the firm opinion that anything goes when it comes to nails, for every complexion. Luckily, there are a slew of pastel nail polishes available this season, meaning you could literally wear a different shade every day of the week – even every day of the month! – and you’d still never try them all.