How To Wear Bold Makeup Colors This Spring Without Looking Like A Freak

Spring is upon us, and with its arrival comes a brand new wave of makeup trends! This season, prepare to see some of the most colorful makeup since decades ago, with striking red lips, detailed eye shadow, and peachy cheeks reigning supreme. If you’re interested in trying out something a little bolder this spring but find the process of sporting such out-there makeup looks, don’t sweat it! Below we’ve listed our favorite bold makeup looks and just how to incorporate them into your daily routine without looking like an Oompa Loompa. Here’s how to wear bold makeup colors this spring without looking like a freak.

1. Start With The Eyes

Just venturing into the world of false lashes and standout shades? Try experimenting with a little mascara and eyeliner, and perhaps a bit of shadow if you feel comfortable with it. Line your top lashes with a smooth swipe of black or dark navy and go slightly lighter on the bottom. This will highlight your pretty peepers without making them appear smaller. Then, apply the mascara- take off the excess product off of your wand with a tissue, start at your roots, and zig-zag that wand to the ends of your lashes until you get your desired result. Want more of a “false lashes” look? Add a little baby powder to your eyelashes after the first few coats of mascara, let dry, and add a few more layers. Not only is this look astonishing, but it’s also office-appropriate.

2. Coordinate Colors To Your Outfit

Sure, it’s always helpful to have a makeup look that goes with anything, but if you’re looking to try out colors that are a bit outside of your comfort zone, coordinating colors with clothing is the way to go! Take a hint from the gorgeous Scarlett Johannson- oranges, golds, and dark teals on the eyes go wonderfully with a similar sunset shade, as she’s wearing with this warm plum shade (with a hint of magenta). This particular look is best for a night out on the town or somewhere without a dress code (maybe try neutral eyes at work and bold eyes on a date). Taking a few extra minutes to make sure that your makeup and outfit go together will make you look polished and chic- no matter how bold you decide to go with your eye shadow!

3. Try Limiting It To One Feature

Bold makeup, limitations, sounds a little contradictory, right? Let us explain. If you’re planning on going out in a showstopping lip color (complete with lip liner and a bit of gloss), maybe add just a hint of mascara and eyeliner instead of adding fifty layers of shadow. Don’t get us wrong- the full-on glam look has its time and place! But most of the time, highlighting one of your beautiful features is plenty to make a lasting impression. To get a similar result to the look below, find a shade of red lipstick that is perfect for your skin tone and blot with a tissue to make sure the color won’t bleed into the outside of your mouth. Then, add a little defining mascara and a bronzey, peachy shade to your outer eyelids and cheeks. Beautiful!

4. Keep It Retro

There’s a reason why makeup looks from old movies looks just as pretty on women of today as it did on Audrey Hepburn and Marylin Monroe. When done right, bold eyes and lips look great on just about everyone! In the image below, model Gigi Hadid rocks a stunning, yet classy look, incorporating a burgundy lip, precisely winged eye, groomed (and likely unfilled) brow, and a peaches and cream complexion. Her eyes also appear to be wearing a bit of warm brown shadow and mascara, making both her eyes and lips the main focus but not adding anything too obnoxious to the mix. If you want to take after the 50s’ starlets and Miss Hadid, try emphasizing your eyes and lips with classic colors of your choice (brick red is a good go-to for lips) and using a thin veil of blurring foundation to your face with a subtle blush to top it off (we love anything from Bare Minerals). Looking good, bombshell!

5. Keep Your Palette In Similar Color Families

If you know anything about John Legend’s lovely wife, you’re probably already well aware that a) she has some delicious recipes that we’d all love to try out if we just had the time and b) her makeup always looks great, whether it’s the most colorful look around or something a bit more subtle. We love the look below because it’s the perfect medium between the two extremes- not crazy enough to look like a member of KISS but not so subtle that it goes under the radar. To accomplish a perfectly balanced makeup look of your own, try using lip, cheek, and eye colors in similar shades or at least in similar color families. The cool pink Chrissy wears in the image below on her lips, cheeks, and eyes make her glowy bronze skin tone really pop, and the warm brown eyeliner used on her top and bottom lids draws the spotlight back to her almond-shaped brown eyes. If you’re a little lost about which shades to go for, here’s a simple tip: always aim a little warmer than you think you’ll need, as any hints of orange will translate to a peach or pink color on the face (which may very well be what Chrissy Teigen is wearing after all, and the shade just looks cooler on her).

6. Wear With Confidence

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times- confidence will completely transform your look! You could be wearing the most flattering bold makeup while going out with your girlfriends, but if you’re not 100% confident in how you look in it, you won’t be looking your best. To increase your chances of feeling as wonderful as you should while sporting a bolder makeup look, make sure you’re wearing something that fits your personality and truly highlights your best features. Then, walk out the door with your head held high and a big smile. Look out world, here you come!