How to wear the trendy new blue eye makeup? A Nars artist shares tips

Blue eye makeup is back. But it has broken free of the 1970s, when powdery eye shadows matched that era’s signature, sky-colored, ruffled prom tuxedos. What gained momentum on the fashion runways for fall has exploded into a full-on trend. Makeup artists showed us a range of blues from sweetly pretty to punk, from pale to navy to midnight — to what can be imagined as the perfect blue-turquoise sea in the tropics. We asked Nars makeup artist Uzo for tips on how to wear blue and look modern.

Do you think navy eyeliner is a fresh alternative to black especially for women who want to experiment but aren’t comfortable wearing bolder shades of blue?

Navy never goes out of style, and it’s always what we reach to when we don’t want to wear black. There’s something deep and moody and mysterious about a blue on the eye, no matter what the eye shade is.

Blue is opposite of orange on the color wheel, so does it make sense that blue eye makeup makes brown eyes look more sparkly?

I’m a Nars artist and we don’t really use the concept of the color wheel; we’re all about experimenting. But yes, when blue is placed next to a brown eye it does tend to bring out a little bit more of the gold. Blue can make your eyes pop no matter what your eye color is, depending how it’s used.

A graphic eye, particularly a single line of color on the upper lash line, can look really clean and pretty.

Yes, that single splash of blue against your upper eyelash line is very in right now — it’s the graphic eyeliner trend. It’s possibly the easiest trend to do this fall. Going into fall and winter, I highly recommend the deeper shades of blue. Save the turquoise and the brighter shades for spring. Anything that has that royal blue, navy, or true shade of blue, it’s perfect along the upper lash line.

You can use a little bit of concealer or powder to even out the skin tone or a neutral shadow that closely matches your skin tone swept through the crease to create that perfect anchor for blue eye shadow. Or try a champagne shimmer to base the eye for a navy liner.

As for the mascara, keep it modern by layering blue mascara on top of black mascara to give your look an additional pop. Or you can just use a blue on the tip of the eyelashes.

Liquid liner, often used for a graphic eye look, can be difficult for many women to use, yes?

Many women prefer a nice, soft, pencil liner they can smudge. Right now we have these beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Velvet Shadow Sticks. It’s a shadow but it can be used like a pencil. It’s just perfect for smudging and it’s in the most intense shade of navy called Glénan (Nars Velvet Shadow Stick, $28, narscosmetics.com). Just one swipe along the upper lash line and then smudge and set it and it’ll stay on all day.

Graphic liner is more of a statement. It’s bold, it’s precise. But sometimes you want something a little more subdued, a little more sultry that you can do in two minutes versus maybe five minutes.

Would contouring the eye with different shades of blue look too dated?

I prefer the word “retro” to “dated.” If you desire to contour the eye with two or three shades of blue and don’t want to look retro there has to be something that anchors it down so that it still looks beautiful and you don’t look like a walking fashion victim. I would suggest the rest of the face look modern and luminous with a nude lip.

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Here are some products that can help achieve today’s modern blue eye:

Nars Velvet Shadow Stick in Glénan ($28, narscosmetics.com)

Nars Eye Paint in Solomon Islands ($25, narscosmetics.com)

Laura Mercier Creme Eye Liner Cobalt ($25, lauramercier.com)

Guerlain Écrin 4 Couleurs Long-lasting Eyeshadow in Les Bleus ($65, shop.nordstrom.com)

Benefit They’re Real! Beyond Mascara in Beyond Blue ($24, benefitcosmetics.com)

MAC Paint Pot in Clearwater ($22, maccosmetics.com)

Chanel Blue Rhythm de Chanel collection including LES 4 OMBRES Eyeshadow 244 Tissé Jazz ($36, chanel.com)

Bobbi Brown Rich Navy Eye Shadow ($24, bobbibrowncosmetics.com)

Clinique Chubby Lash Mascara in Massive Midnight ($17, sephora.com)

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