It’s no secret that eyeshadow is a great tool for emphasizing your favorite facial features. It can also help with emulating a youthful look (when used correctly to flatter your eye shape and skin tone!) We caught up with professional makeup artists and experts for timeless eyeshadow tips, and to learn more about one shade that is best avoided no matter what your skin tone or age: red.
Read on for suggestions and insight from Kerrin Jackson, celebrity, film and television makeup artist and creator of The Makeup Refinery blog.
Pro Tip: Avoid Red Eyeshadow For A More Youthful, Flattering Look
One eye makeup color Jackson suggests skipping if you want to look younger or more awake is a red, scarlet or crimson one. "Red eyeshadows can add years to your face simply by making your eyes look tired, irritated and generally giving a look of being unwell," she explains. There is "very little" that is flattering about a red eyeshadow, Jackson stresses, and she always recommends "avoiding red on the eyes altogether."
"I generally avoid red eyeshadow because it is such a tricky shade to get right on the eyes," Jackson continues. This, she says, is purely because of the "color of our blood," which is red, of course. "What happens when we cry, or have an allergic reaction to something, rub our eyes, or get a bruise? Our skin and eyes go red," she continues. This, she says, is why using a red eyeshadow can inadvertently look like "you have been crying, have allergies or something unpleasant altogether is going on. It’s not a very appealing or flattering look."
In addition, any red shadows with sparkles can look uncomplimentary on aging skin, as well. As seen on Euphoria, BeautyTok and elsewhere, "metallics are back," Jackson says, and "for us over 40s, that may not be such good news anymore." A shimmery red eyeshadow, she adds, can be "particularly cruel to even the most slightly textured skin."
Due to the light-reflecting flakes or ingredients in many shimmer products, this kind of eyeshadow can "end up highlighting every wrinkle, line or textured surface you usually spend your makeup time trying to soften," Jackson warns.
Instead, Try Neutral Mattes
As a celebrity makeup artist, she says she ultimately "avoids metallic eyeshadows on older skin because shimmers and metallics are so harsh on textured and wrinkled complexions."
They can "cause lines and wrinkles to look more pronounced" than they actually are, she continues. Jackson goes on to note that the best bet is to "avoid these products and stick with neutral mattes instead."
"If you must use a shimmer eye shadow, try a cream-based product that you can blend in softly," she concludes. This will be "far more flattering and flexible on your skin" than a powdery metallic or shimmery eyeshadow. Got it!
