This past weekend, my friend Cassel showed me this great red eye shadow she bought ( I think it was Anna Sui 400 shown below), she loved the color but was unsure about using it. The best way to take those punchy shades out of the drawers and out on the town is to use them as accents on the outer corner of the lid. Just pat a small pop of the bold color as shown on the outer 1/3 of the lid just up until you meet the fold of your eye. Next use a shadow that is just a touch darker than your skin tone and add that to the lid at the inner corner blending inward until the two colors mix together as they meet. This will create a watercolor effect so there isn't a distinguishable line between the two colors. The blending color shouldn't be too shimmery or too dark since the whole look centers on the bold color, the look can easily lose its focus and just be too loud. I finished with black liner to make a thin, almost invisible line on the top and underneath the upper lash line and left the bottom lash line bare.



This really ends up being a subtle look in the end because once you have the bold color placed, the other elements are simple and require a light touch. So the next time you're headed out, don't shy away from that blazing blue or intense violet, a light hand and a little courage is just the recipe for a sublime set of expert eyes.