The eyeliner colour that is back from the dead (but beware if you have blue eyes)
There is little more striking a combination than a heavy application of electric blue eyeliner and the sparkliest diamonds, as Princess Diana so often demonstrated in the 1980s. But as popular as it was almost 40 years ago, blue eyeliner was left in the Eighties, making way for a much less colourful and more minimal popular make-up look in the Nineties and Noughties.
Interesting, then, that blue eyeliner has made a sudden resurgence in popularity. Searches for “blue eyeliner” are up by 107 per cent year-on-year. This week, Victoria Beckham added a denim blue shade called Jeans to her best-selling Kajal Pencils, £32 each, and Jones Road – a make-up line founded by 67-year-old Bobbi Brown – has just launched a beautiful Gel Liner in Navy Blue, £26.
“Blue is the new black,” agrees Mary Greenwell, who was Princess Diana’s go-to make-up artist in the 1990s. But, as Greenwell explains, there is some advice to follow if you want to try blue for yourself.
Blue eyes beware
“If you have very blue or green eyes, you should opt for a darker navy blue,” suggests Greenwell, as anything brighter will compete with your eyes. “Blue is not a colour that suits everyone, but if you find the right tone of blue it can work to enhance the eyes,” she adds. Darker brown eyes can get away with brighter shades of blue to add an element of contrast.
Anchor it with a base
“If you’re wearing a blue eyeliner, you need a taupe or brown eyeshadow to ‘anchor’ it,” says Greenwell. This will make the jump from your skin tone to the striking blue less severe and more flattering. “If you have hooded eyes, in particular, you need to add a little depth into your socket with a neutral colour before you apply eyeliner,” she adds. Try the Oh So Neutral Eyeshadow Quad, £39, by Elizabeth Arden, which has four wearable brown-toned shadows.
Try tightlining
If you don’t want to apply a stroke of blue eyeliner on the upper eyelid, try lining the inside of the upper and lower waterline instead. “Tightlining with a blue is great with dark brown eyes in particular, and makes the eyes pop,” says Greenwell. She loves the pencils by Armani and Sensai, in particular. If you have blue eyes, Greenwell advises using a dark brown in the water line instead of blue, which provides a more subtle enhancement.
Use it sparingly
“If you are new to blue eyeliner, one way to use it is sparingly on the lower lash line, focusing from the centre and smudging softly across to the outer corner,” suggests Sascha Jackson, the brand manager for cosmetics company Stila. “You can mimic this on the upper lash line, too, starting in the middle and working your way to the outer corner. Finish by smudging it out to give a more modern and diffused finish.”
If you are looking for a bright blue option, Stila’s Smudge & Set Waterproof Eyeliner in Electric Lapis, £18, is beautiful. “Blue eyeliner is often deemed as dated, but it’s seeing a resurgence for a reason,” adds Jackson. “It can be a modern and playful way to dabble in colour.”
