Category: ‘eye shadow’

If the crummy winter weather has you thinking of gloomy grays and slushy browns, you need to look to the perpetually sunny islands for some pick-me-up makeup inspiration. Rhianna and Ugly Betty's Becki Newton have both rocked the tropical vibe on the red carpet, with shimmering emerald shadow and sparkly lagoon-blue liner, respectively. Here are our picks for can't-miss aqua eyes:

Most Luxurious: Shiseido's Hydro-Powder Eye Shadow in Green Exotique ($23) goes on silky smooth and dries without creasing. The effect of this buttery créme shadow is subtle at first, but gets bolder as you add layers. The opalescent greenish-blue hue catches the light beautifully, making your eyes look wide and bright.

Most User-Friendly: It's ok to be a little leery of swabbing on a swath of jewel-toned color — we all remember the '80s, and those eye shadow trends were not good. But with Black Radiance's Shadow Créme in Ocean or Jewel ($2.50), you're in total control. The lip gloss-like applicator wand is long and tapered, so the cream shadow goes only where you want it to. And the colors — lush green Ocean or cobalt blue Jewel — are a far cry from the powder blues of the '80s.

Most Versatile: VonNatur's Natural Minerals Eye Color in Lapis ($16) has everything going for it. Apply the gold-hued blue dry for a subtle sheen, or add water for a more dramatic nighttime look. You can even break out the eyeliner brush to add just a hint of the moistened powder to your lids. The vegan and sun-friendly loose powder formula is packed with metallic minerals like mica, so the color is potent enough to really make a statement.

Remember: no matter how far you take your aqua eyes, be sure to pair this look with minimal makeup to avoid looking too campy. A peachy blush and nude gloss should do the trick without upstaging your island-ready eyes. Did we miss your favorite beachy-keen eye color? Let us know all about it in the comments section.

Time to own up: we've all had a disastrous smokey-eye mishap. One slip of the pencil, one overzealous sweep of dark shadow, or one shake of the too-inky liquid liner, and we end up looking like pandas or prize fighters. We've tried all the fancy tools and followed all the pro-generated tips, but the perfect smokey eye still eludes. We covet the seemingly effortless looks of our favorite dramatically made-up starlets and wish for our own personal makeup artists to give us flawless, smoldering eyes whenever the mood strikes.

Well, help may have arrived in the form of ColorOn Instant Eye Shadow Applicators – handy little shadow stickers with all that smokey eye goodness built right in. These one-use shadow patches come in an array of colors and patterns, from simple gold-hued and silver-hued definers to daringly bright jewel tones to funky leopard and camo prints. Simply line the applicators up with your lash line, press, and peel. Voila! A professional-quality eye makeup job.

But can it really be that easy? Doesn't everyone have differently shaped eyes? Would I end up with, say, zebra stripes above my eyebrows if I didn't apply the shadow absolutely perfectly? And who would want camo-print eyes, anyway?

These stickers will set you back a pretty penny. A five-pair pack costs $20 (that's $4 a wear, if you're keeping track), while a good solid shadow palette you'll use for months can cost less. So are these babies worth it? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

 And check out other SheFinds ways to achieve that sexy smokey eye. 

What: Pop Beauty’s Eye Class—Smokey Eyes, $32

Why: Have a hard time perfecting that smokey eye look? With everything from Smokey Steel liner to Green Olive-Gold lid finishers, London Pop Beauty’s Smokey Eyes kit can transform you from a Plain Jane to a seductive creature of the night in minutes.

The kit comes with a palette of 12 colors that serve as everything from base to liner for a girl who likes her eyes done up with a little mystery. Just to make things even easier, it also includes a little set of instructions for those of us who are less-than professional with a set of brushes. Get yours now and have date make-up ready by Friday night.

Get Yours: Amazon