Color Clash! How To Mix Up Your Makeup

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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When it comes to selecting makeup shades, most of us tend to err on the side of conservative: brown eyeshadow, dusty blush, and the like. It seems that we were all significantly traumatized by ’80s-era images of women wearing electric blue eyeliner with fire-engine-red lips — the look was Bozo The Clown meets lady-of-the-night, which is a look that we generally try to avoid. As a result, however, our daily makeup routines can get a little…safe. 

Thankfully, there is a middle ground between all-taupe-all-the-time and Rainbow Brite. Inspired by the launch of Sephora Collection’s new Colorful Eyeshadows — an 80-shade rainbow of eye-accenting hues — we invited Sephora PRO artistGilbert Soliz to pair tones and hues in a way that’s unconventional yet chic. (Hey, if this doesn’t brighten these drab days of winter, nothing will). The result: six fresh, eye-centric looks that mix color, texture, and finishes in innovative ways. 

Because we want to share the color love with you, our dear readers, we’ve teamed up with Sephora to give you the chance to win all 80 full-size eyeshadows or a $50 Sephora gift card! So get inspired by our looks, enter the Endless Eyeshadow sweepstakes here, and who knows? You may be mixing and matching before you know it.

Pink and navy aren’t the most obvious eyeshadow match, but look closer. “Pairing pink and blue up can be a good thing when you’re using one as a feature and the other as an accent,” Soliz says. “It’s about an equal balance of warm and cool tones, using the navy shadow to anchor the color.” 

J. Crew sweater, Acne collared blouse.

Get The Look: 

Using an angled brush, Soliz swept Prom Queen (a matte pink) along the lid, tapering out slightly past the outer corner. Then, he used Sephora’s #24 liner brush to draw Sailor Kiss — a dark blue — along the lower and upper lash lines, extending beyond the outer corners. “Use small feathered strokes to create a winged shape,” Soliz says. In the crease, a hint of gold (French Riviera eyeshadow) adds shimmer. A slick magenta lip (OCC Lip Tar in Pretty Boy) makes a statement, while NARS blush in Deep Throat adds an innocent flush of color to this otherwise daring look.

Pink glitter. Even the words are enough to normally give us pause. Add green in the mix, and it shouldn’t work — oh, but it does. Meet the newest so-wrong-it’s-right duo. 

H&M cardigan, stylist’s own blouse.

Get The Look: 

“The two colors naturally neutralize one another,” Soliz says of pink and green. “So, when they’re together, it makes for a great pairing.” To create the look, he used a shadow brush to cover the lid in Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in Love Song (a razzle-dazzle pink). Next, he usedSephora’s #27 brush to apply Rolling In the Grass (a metallic forest green) along the crease and outer corner, blending carefully to create a diffused look. Along the lash lines, Lucky Penny brings a hint of shimmer to the eye. To balance out the bold eyes, Soliz applied Sephora Colorful Blush in Sunbaked and OCC Lip Tar in Melange. “Keep it simple,” Soliz says. “When you have a bold eye, opt for softer, neutral shades for cheeks and lips.”

Intense from afar but soft up close, this smoky eye has a chameleon-like quality that demands a second glance. 

Tanya Taylor blazer, Asos top.

Get The Look: 

“It’s always good to mix textures and finishes,” Soliz says of this metallic look. “It gives the eyes more dimension.” Though this palette seems to have tans and moss greens, surprise — it was created with black, orange, and beige. First, Soliz applied a light dusting of Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in Black Lace (a matte black) to the lid. Using a blending brush, he mixed Indian Summer (a shimmery orange) into the crease. To soften these statement-making colors, he used Sephora’s blending brush #27 to work Secret Boudoir, a matte pale beige, from the crease toward the brow line. On lips: Sephora Collection Lip Last in Vintage Pink.

The key to creating a sexy — not smudgy — smoky eye? Finding light in the darkness. “When you use shadows that have a soft sheen and or shimmer, they grab light and bring the feature forward,” Soliz explains.

Surface to Air sleeveless blouse.

Get The Look: 

Soliz covered the lid with Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in Wedding Day, whose glitter provided a multidimensional base for the shadows to follow. Moving along the crease and lower lash line, Soliz used Sephora’s #27 blending brush to apply Idol, a plum black shade with a mirror finish. Along the outer corner, he used Colorful Eyeshadow in Fireworks to create a sultry effect. The perfect pout: OCC Lip Tar in Melange.

Neutrals don’t have to be ho-hum. Transforming the overall look is as simple as adding a bold lip. “A more natural eye benefits from a bright lip because you focus on one feature,” Soliz says. “The rest of the face supports it through subtle enhancement. This look is unexpected, it’s fresh, and it’s right on trend with the warm caramel eyes.” 

Surface To Air tunic, Zimmerman jumper.

Get The Look:

For the base of this eye look, Soliz used Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in Blonde Ambition, applying the shimmery golden beige shadow all over the lid. Next, he hugged the lash line with a thin line of Indian Summer, a warm orange tone. To create a sense of structure, he used a crease brush to blend Let It Snow (a white matte) from the crease toward the brow bone. Wiggling dark brown eyeliner into the lashes brought more emphasis to the eyes, while OCC Lip Tar in Pretty Boy created vinyl-like pink shine on the lips. Not sure which finish complements another? “If you have sheen, shimmer, or glitter on the eyes, then opt for gloss,” Soliz says. “Pair matte or velvet-finish eyeshadow with matte or satin finishes on the lips.”

Earth tones usually suggest a barely-there look. Change up the usual textures, though, and the impact is anything but minimal. 

Timo Weiland blouse.

Get The Look: 

To create this warm-meets-cool tonal mix, Soliz focused on the finish of the shadows. “It’s important to mix textures,” he says. “If you work with only shimmer, for instance, you won’t have dimension. Shimmer brings the eye to life, and it contrasts with the matte.” To create this look, he began by applying Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in Under The Covers, a matte white. Then, he worked Faux Fur Jacket (a shimmery taupe) into the crease. Then, using a blending brush, he accented the outer corner of the eyes and lower lash line with Cashmere Coat, a matte brown shade. Flawless-looking skin came courtesy of Make Up For Ever HD Foundation, while a glossy pink lip — try Sephora Rouge Shine lipstick in So Cute! — provided a cool-toned balance to the eye makeup.

Makeup by Gilbert Soliz,

Photographed by Ben Ritter,

Styled by Haley Loewenthal,

Fashion Assistant Chris Legaspi,

Hair by Tina Mercurio,

Modeled by Ashley Turner and Tania Balash

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