Tips & Tricks

How To: Wear Red Eyeshadow

March 6, 2010

First, Francois Narscreated a matte brick red color dubbed Grenadines for the NARS Spring 2009 collection. Now, red is splattered all over the A/W 2010 runways. The popularity of red eyeshadow is on the rise and can no longer be ignored! So read on to learn how you too can become a master of the trend!

Cushnie et Ochs and Altuzarra Fall 2010


Pick the right red. This is key in making the look work. Pale skin can pull off brighter reds while darker skin tones look best in deeper reds like burgundy and maroon.

Pair it with another color. Throwing in a darker color like black, charcoal, brown and plum can make the look more wearable. Alternatively, adding a dash of shimmer in the inner corners like I did below also helps.

Red eyeshadow nude lip makeup look


Go heavy with eyeliner and mascara. This is a must to avoid a bruised/swollen look.

Wear it as an eyeliner. If you are not quite ready to wear red all over, try lining your eyes with red.

• Red eyeshadow tends to intensify any redness in your eyes so if your eyes are tired, save it for another time.

• The dye used to make red eyeshadows can potentially trigger off a bad reaction on certain people. Please use with precaution, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Been rocking red eyeshadow all along? Share your tips!

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7 Comments

  • Reply Ashley March 6, 2010 at 9:51 pm

    Wow you actually look really good with red eyeshadow! What lip product do you have on your lips?

  • Reply Phyllis March 6, 2010 at 10:07 pm

    Thanks Ashley! I’m wearing MAC Myth Lipstick in that picture. You can use a concealer for a similar effect.

    For a complete breakdown of the look, please refer to this:

    http://makeupforlife.net/2010/02/fotd-fall-2010-runway-inspired-reddish-brown-eyes-with-nude-lips.html

  • Reply Pinklye March 7, 2010 at 5:10 am

    Thanks for the post !

    I use my Nars blush in Exibit A like a shadow and I wear it as an eyeliner with an angled brush.

  • Reply Emily March 7, 2010 at 12:58 pm

    Thanks, this post gave me some new ideas on how to wear red eyeshadow! I don’t own any red eyeshadow because I’ve never figured out how to make it wearable, but have always wanted to to try it out! Another color I find hard to wear on the eyes but have wanted to try is hot pink. Do you have suggestions on how to wear that color?

    • Reply Jack December 20, 2010 at 8:24 pm

      Hot pink is a tough colour, so you have to play it up. You can either use it as a base colour and then layer on some degrees of purple (plums and violet with a shimmer for a night out, or light purples for a fresh look), or rock the look with some neon or black clothing and heavier eyeliner for a look to take to the club.

  • Reply Shirley March 7, 2010 at 11:58 pm

    Definitely I’ve been loving red eye makeup lately! Red liquid liner, red eye shadows paired with golds and blacks are really pretty and bold.

  • Reply Tracey May 20, 2010 at 8:19 am

    Isn’t the WWW amazing – you need to find out about how to wear red eye makeup and you can find the very thing! You have given gorgeous photos as examples, but not sure I could pull it off. I was a little concerned to read that the red dye could cause allergy as I have very sensitive eyes.

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