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This Makeup Artist's 4-Step Tutorial Will Have You Glowing Like Golden Hour
While occasions to get all dolled up are few and far between, sometimes I do meet the urge to dip into my makeup bag. Testing new shades, colors, and confections helps me express my creativity—makeup is an art form, after all.
So as I sit here shivering at my desk, a dreamy, sunset-inspired beauty look is exactly what I need to feel, I don't know, inspired. There's just something calming and contemplative about the soft amalgamation of warm shadows, like I'm awash with the sun's rays as it hits golden hour—granted, the bronzy hue on my lids is the closest I'll get to a warm sunset stroll for the time being, but a girl can dream.
If you, too, are looking for a beauty look to stir all the warm, beachy feels, give this sunset shadow by makeup artist Alexandra Compton, product development manager at clean beauty retailer Credo, a try. "This is a great universally flattering look," she says, especially for those with monolid or hooded eyes, and it's so easy to master.
A universally flattering tutorial for sunset shadow.
Follow along for Compton's ethereal eye look:
- First, grab your colors: You can choose whichever warm, beach-goddess tones set your heart aflutter—but Compton suggests using three or more soft, shimmery shades. “That will give off a sun-lit from within radiance,” she notes. Take this LAWLESS Eyeshadow Palette, for example: If you’re after a peachy glow, you could choose “Everything” for your lightest shade, “Baby” for your medium-deep shade, and “Next Level” for your deepest hue, maybe adding in some “Crushing” for a bit of shimmer. Or, if you have cooler undertones and the thought of dusting on orange-toned shadows makes you shudder, create a more pastel vibe with pinks, lavenders, and blues—like the sun at twilight, just as it dips below the horizon.
- Next, create the ombré: Sweep your lightest shadow on the entire lid, says Compton, just below your brow bone. Then take your medium shade across the lids, stopping at your crease. Finally, smudge your deepest shade across the upper lash line, blending it softly into the medium shade with a fluffy brush. “The key is to build intensity starting from the lash line and working up,” says Compton (exactly like the ombré smokey eye we previously discussed). “Start from lightest shade to deepest shade to control the gradient effect.”
- Intensify the look, if you so choose: To accentuate your eye shape and make the orbs appear even bigger, Compton suggests taking your medium shade across the lower lash line. She also says you can use a concealer or eye primer as your base to increase the vibrancy before shadow. Or, you can always add a stark, contrasting color to the mix: “A pop of hot pink or violet blended into the upper lash line would look stunning,” she notes.
- Or make it even softer: Maybe you’re going for a foggy, magic hour instead of a fiery sunset. Says Compton, “If you want the finished look to appear softer, focus the lightest shades on the center of your lids instead of smoking out the lid with deeper shades.” Play around with colors here, swapping the deeper shades for a sheer family of hues
And to finish off the look? Compton suggests throwing on a subtle highlight (like this glowy serum) to complete the golden hour vibe, or add a complementary red lip for balance.
The takeaway.
For a look that emulates golden hour every hour, try your hand at sunset shadow. All you need is three or more colors that practically scream long walks on the beach.
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