How to Wear Bold Makeup Looks (That's Daytime Appropriate)
The fun about makeup is that all the looks you create can be washed off at the end of the day. Experimenting with bold makeup looks, whether it be a smokey eye for a night out, green eyeshadow for St Patrick’s Day, or a bright red lip, bold makeup can be for any age, skin type, time of day or event. Here’s our tips on how to wear bold makeup looks and still look appropriate.
Choose One Feature to Emphasize
Picking only one feature for your bold look, such as eyes, lips or cheeks, and not all of them at once, will not only save you time with makeup application but it will also lend to a less done-up effect. If you choose a smokey eye, keep the lips and cheeks in neutral tones. If doing a red lip, opt for mascara, eyeliner and a light bronzer only. Emphasizing just one part of your face keeps the whole look more casual and appropriate for daytime.
Match Foundation to Your Look (Not Your Skintone)
The bolder, brighter or darker your makeup look is, the darker your foundation color should be. A dark smokey eye or berry lip can wash out the face due to the stark contrast of color, so going 1-2 shades darker in foundation will re-balance the skin tone and add warmth back to the complexion. And an easy way to keep the skin fresh (not heavy looking) when doing a bold makeup look is by applying foundation with a damp makeup sponge while looking into a lighted makeup mirror so you can see your face clearly and blend the foundation flawlessly.
Pops of Color
If you’d like to try a step down from full-on dramatic bold looks, try just a pop of color instead. A colored eyeliner gives a hint of fun instead of a bright eyeshadow look. As a softer alternative to a bold lip, try a sheer lip gloss or blotted lip stain. Subtle pops of color are also perfect for spring and summer makeup looks when the weather warms up and you don’t feel like wearing a lot of makeup.
Highlighting
Keep light and dimension to the overall look when doing bold makeup by adding highlighter. Blend the highlighter on tops of cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose, on the inner corner of the eye (especially if doing a dark smokey eye), on the chin and cupid’s bow of the lip. For an all over radiant look, mix a liquid highlighter with your foundation.
Bold Lips for a Quick Bold Look
If you’re weary of dark eyeshadow application, opt for a bold lip color for a quick and easy statement look. It’s easier and faster to apply a bold lip than blending eyeshadows which takes some practice. No matter what stand-out color you choose, make sure to apply a matching lip liner first using a bright magnified spot mirror so that you can control the application for a sharp and clean effect. If you make a mistake, use concealer and a cotton swab to clean up the edges.
