YBBF Challenge: Turquoise eyeliner

As we get older it is very easy to view brighter makeup trends as total no-go areas. However, after many seasons of bare-faced beauty looks and attempts to be the best-most-natural version of yourself (whatever the hell that is!) it is fantastic to see creative makeup trends returning to the catwalk again. After all, makeup is supposed to be fun isn't it?

With this in mind Kay challenged me to come up with a wearable version of the turquoise eyeliner trend. Admittedly the term 'wearable' very much depends on personal taste. Despite being thirty I am more than happy to throw caution to the wind where makeup is concerned... but I think this look is something you could easily adapt to suit your personal style.

Please excuse the non-glam photo, this was first thing on a Sunday morning...

I decided that to keep the majority of my eye makeup simple and neutral with just a cream shadow base and taupe in the crease, winged eyeliner and black mascara. Then beneath the lower lashline I used a jade green pencil almost all the way along, before blending a lighter turquoise eyeshadow into the inner corner. On the outer corner I took a small amount of black eyeshadow on a liner brush and blended it along the outer third until it met the winged liner.

The gradual colour change, from dark on the outer corner to light on the inner corner gave the look some dimension which I think is key to making bright colours flattering. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this look so I used cheap high street products to try it out – the green pencil is the Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner in Emerald Sparkle and the turquoise shadow is from the MUA Winter Forest palette.

Having decided I would wear this again I think I will consider adding some green and turquoise shades to my MAC palette. High street makeup is a great way to try new colours at a fraction of the price, however brighter colours (particularly eyeshadows) are one area where you tend to get what you pay for and sadly the pigmentation didn't impress me with the MUA shadows. The turquoise looks much brighter in the pan than it is on the skin and I had to add a bit of water to intensify the colour. The Rimmel pencil had a much more vibrant colour but it contained flecks of glitter which frankly I think is just a bit weird. (Perhaps the word 'sparkle' in the name should have given the game away!...)

If you fancy trying a bright colour in a more subtle way you could always just use a turquoise pencil along the waterline. However I wanted something a bit bolder and more long-lasting as I was heading to a festival and I can report that this lasted all day with just the MUA shadow fading.