Wearing the Red Eye Shadow Trend

Catching the red-eye…

True Story.

Red is my least favourite colour.

You will never see me wearing it and I haven’t worn red lipstick since the 90’s—despite it pulling together a LBD like nobodies business. But here’s the thing, I also avoid wearing black if I can. Bizarro world, I’m aware.

I do enjoy a matte red poupée blush on cheeks and I’m certainly a fan of the highly wearable clash of red and pink worn together— Nicole Richie really sells the trend setting combination below.

Nicole Richie Wearing House of Harlow 1960

If forced, I definitely gravitate to more of a blue-red or cherry-red, however anything with even the slightest tinge of orange in it, and I’m heading for the hills! I even go as far as avoiding posting anything with red in it on my Instagram when I can help it, and as you guessed it black-anything.

Perhaps this is why no one is more surprised than myself to be intrigued by the latest red eye shadow trend I’ve seen scurrying up in my Pinterest feed and in fall 2017 previews?!

I actually REALLY like it. So much so that I would even deign to try it!

But where to begin?

From where I’m standing, I would say that it looks best on brunettes with hazel-to-light green eyes and can be worn matte…

… or glossy

Wanting further insight on how to wear a ‘red eye,’ I prompted Canadian makeup artist Simone Otis for her expert opinion.

“Red eyeshadow and eye liner are super hot right now,” says Otis who sees it as a singular “monochromatic” wear ie; just the eyes and nothing else.

↑A monochromatic wash of red eye shadow, with darker red eye liner on the water line.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t wear any makeup. A perfect canvas of matte or dewy skin, nuanced by adroit usage of highlighter & gloss can really make this look pop, as do a generous set of eyebrows.

Photo & Makeup Simone Otis

“It’s not a subtle look,” says Otis who recommends it for anyone who likes a “bold or fashion forward look.”

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What truly got me jazzed about this trend was this photo of Bella Hadid at Alberta Ferretti’s fall 2017 show. Her incredible eye makeup literally stopped me dead in my tracks. I had to perform some “due dilly” and find out who was behind this stunning artistry that would somehow make red eye shadow palpable for me?

Granted, Hadid’s eye balls are kaleidoscope dreamy and would make an appliqué of fresh mud look covetable, but that doesn’t mitigate this make up mastery.

Love This Look. Photo: Alberta Ferretti Fall 2017

After some sleuthing, I discovered that famed make-up artist Tom Pecheux was the great and powerful Oz behind this phenomenal look.

The secret to this head turning red eye makeup is using it in combination with black—and lots of it. Pecheaux traced the waterlines, and blended the top and bottom lashes + the inner/outer lids in black liner leaving the center lids completely bare.

He used Mac Chromecake in Basic Red— a highly pigmented water-activated formula that can also be used for fake tattoos and body painting. He finished off the look with yellow/gold highlighter in the corner of Hadid’s eyes which brought out the yellow specs in her intoxicating ice blue green eyes.

Telling Allure.com back in February, Pecheux explained…

“by having the red eye shadow just in the center of the eyes, it comes as a surprise when you blink or move your head. Because first all you see is black, which always looks great, but then you see a flash of red and you’re like, Ooh!”

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So what’s your verdict?

Is it an “Ooh” or an “Ew“….