By Helene Ravlich
Easy, breezy and most definitely fun, one of summer’s must-try eyeshadow trends is a monochrome wash of colour.
Vastly different from the super precise, cut crease technique that has defined the last few years — specifically thanks to seemingly endless YouTube tutorials emulating the Kardashians — this new approach calls for a more fun, personalised and definitely expressive approach. Refreshingly easy for those that have neither the time nor the inclination to master the perfect wing, this look is as bold as you want to make it and best delivered in rainbow shades.
Nonetheless, learning how to achieve any eyeshadow look — even monochrome — takes a little patience and time to play around. Creating a monochromatic eyeshadow look can be as simple as a single wash of colour or an elaborate layered variation of the same shade; the level of difficulty all depends on how dramatic you want your end look to be.
Pandemic life has meant little to no make-up for many of us, so this joyful jolt of colour is a perfect way to greet the warmer months with a feeling of lightness and ease. After weeks and weeks of forgoing makeup apart from a few Zoom calls, a wash of bright colour across the eyelids feels extremely summer 2022 and is easily adaptable even for the colour shy.
When it comes to achieving your best ever monochromatic make-up, playing with texture is a great idea. For an after-hours look maybe play with a mix of matte, metallic, frost or glitter finishes to create more interest and add dimension, or by day a single wash of matte with a little gloss to highlight. Either way, always start with a primer to keep things looking bright and fresh.
Some great places to start in the lead up to the summer silly season are…
Avani Gregg
The Morphe x Avani Gregg For the Bebs Artistry Palette
An eye-popping 30 pan eyeshadow palette featuring 20 bright and colourful shades – plus 10 cake liners – that clocks in at under $50, this palette is hours of fun with a great price point. The packaging features personalised drawings from TikTok phenomenon Avani Gregg herself, and you can use the palette to re-create some of the 18 year old’s attention-grabbing looks and experiment on your own – no matter what your age.
Morphe x Avani Gregg For the Bebs Artistry Palette RRP $49.00
SHISEIDO Makeup’s POP Eye Collection
Whether it be a single, statement pop or a carefully blended melody of colour, SHISEIDO Makeup’s POP Eye Collection delivers bold pigment with graphic precision – and I love it. The lineup consists of revolutionary products and tools that can be combined to create multiple eye looks: POP PowderGel Eye Shadow, HANEN FUDE Eye Shading Brush, KATANA FUDE Eye Lining Brush, and five new shades of the best-selling MicroLiner Ink (one of my favourite liquid liners, hands down). “Adding a pop of colour and texture to lids or lash lines instantly wakes up eyes and helps you feel a little bit more on,” says James Boehmer, Global Artistic Director for SHISEIDO Makeup.
SHISEIDO Makeup
The star product in the collection is the POP PowderGel Eye Shadow, which features ground-breaking Hybrid Powder-Gel Technology. I instantly fell for the silky-smooth texture and the rich colour payoff, which is like a pigment but with the ease of a cream and the staying power of a powder.
SHISEIDO Makeup
NARS Single Eyeshadow
A powerfully pigmented make-up staple of which one is never enough, NARS Single Eyeshadows deserve a place in every kit. The innovative, long lasting pigments provide bold colour in just one swipe, and the shade options include everything from buttery mattes to glittering metallics.
NARS
My picks for monochrome looks are Outremer (a jewel-like, vibrant blue), Sultan (a lush purple) and Persia for a pop of tangerine that just won’t quit.
NARS RRP $31.00
Haus Labs Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder
If you want something totally foolproof for creating a monochrome look, I love the Haus Labs Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder formulas. Versatile, multifaceted shimmer liquid eyeshadow, these beauties are weightless, smudge-proof and easily layered and blended. Building up creaseless pigment intensity is simple, so you can dial it up or dial it down depending on your vibe.
Haus Labs Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder formulas RRP $31.12