Tough Meets Pretty: 4 DIYs To Try Tonight

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

What, exactly, is punk? Ask a dozen people and you’re likely to get 12 different answers. For some, it’s a full-fledged movement; for others, it’s a bunch of glorious noise. No matter how you define the term, there’s no question that punk continues to massively influence style, both on the street and the runway. 

With that in mind, we let punk inspire our latest beauty shoot — a little ’70s attitude here, a little ’90s influence there. And, who better to create some rock ‘n roll beauty looks than Theo Kogan? When she’s not wielding her lip brush as the founder ofArmour Beauty, the makeup artist sings in NYC band Theo & The Skyscrapers. Add the hair talents of Adrienne Flores of The Drawing Room, and you’ve got the makings of a pretty/edgy mashup. Ready to learn how to do these four looks? (After all, what’s more punk than DIY?) Read on for the breakdowns — ready, steady, go! 

Not ready to commit to a half-shaved head? Fake the look with this tight braid, which will make ’em do a double take.

First, section your hair into a deep side part. Use a comb if you prefer a sleeker look, or part your hair with your fingers for a devil-may-care look.

Next, starting at the top of your head, create a tight French braid. It should come down around your head at a diagonal angle.

After braiding past your ear, clip the back section of your hair up, leaving enough out to continue the braid along the nape of your neck. Don’t continue braiding on the other side, though; stop French braiding and continue the braid until you reach the end of your hair. Secure the braid with a clear elastic. 

KNOCK OUT NAIL POLISH IN FLATTE BLACK, $14, AVAILABLE AT MIO MIA.

For a not-too-perfect look, pull random bits of the braid.

All of the badass appeal of an asymmetric cut, minus the commitment.

hink going dark around your eyes will make you look like Rocky Raccoon? Not so — with the right shape and a hint of metal, you’ll look equal parts bad-girl and glamour goddess. “It’s strong and has a very defined shape — almost winglike, yet round,” Kogan says of this eye makeup. Here’s how to DIY. 

ZARA CHECKED SHIRT, $59.90, AVAILABLE AT ZARA; MCM SPIKED COLLAR, PRICE UPON REQUEST, AVAILABLE THROUGH MCM..

Now for the fun part: creating the eye shape. Beginning at the inner corner of your eye, use an eyeshadow pencil (we like Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Blackmail) to draw an outline of the shadow shape. Fill it in, making sure to cover your lid entirely. Line your lower waterline with black eyeliner.

For metallic shine, reach for Stila’s new Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Metallic Lavender. Because of the eyeshadow base, you don’t need to use the included primer — just use your fingers to dab on the shadow.

The finishing touch: Apply a matte lip pencil in a light pink, then top it with gloss before blotting down. We used Bite High Pigment Matte Pencil in Madeira and Armour Opaque Lip Gloss in Edie.

“It’s very dramatic but not overly severe,” Kogan says of the finished look. “It’s a definite eye statement, but still very clean and wearable.”

POP CLIP-IN COLOR STRIP, $10, AVAILABLE AT ULTIMATE LOOKS.

“This look is an updated and very wearable Soo Catwoman/Siouxsie Sioux/Nina Hagen-inspired eye,” Kogan says. Ready to rock it?

UNIQLO FLANNEL SHIRT, SIMILAR STYLES AVAILABLE AT UNIQLO; ASOS PLUNGE METALLIC LEATHER DRESS, $202.51, AVAILABLE AT ASOS; NOIR PAVE PYRAMID STUD BRACELET, $300, AVAILABLE AT NOIR; NOIR AXL PAVE TREE SPIKE BRACELET, $380, AVAILABLE AT NOIR; NOIR NOIR STACK PYRAMIDS RINGS, $55, AVAILABLE AT NOIR.

After grooming your brows, apply MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade with a tapered blush brush — it’ll help you shade and highlight your cheeks. Apply the powder from the high point of your cheekbones to your hairline, then accent your cheekbones with Shu Uemura Glow On Blushin P Soft Amber. 

“It can be nice to balance a strong eye with a simple more ‘natural’ cheek,” Kogan says. “It depends on your skin tone, of course but a natural bronzer and/or contour shade that suits and matches your skin tone would be perfect for this look.”

To define your eyes, use a metallic navy eyeliner on the bottom waterline and above the top lash line. Kogan used Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes eyeliner in 3L. “Line the upper lid and be sure your lashline is covered to touch the lashes,” Kogan says.

Next, you’ll create a winged shape in two steps. First, apply a creamy eyeshadow in a cobalt blue shade; Kogan used Shu Uemura’s Natural Brush 10 to apply the blue hue from Make Up For Ever’s12 Flash Color Case. Next, use the brush to pat on a shimmering deep violet powder eyeshadow; here, Kogan used Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in Elemental Chaos, whose iridescent undertones create a multitonal effect. Don’t worry if you make a mistake — just clean up the edges with a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover.

All you need on lips is a bit of tinted lip balm.

…and you’re done!

A strong cheek and out-there cat eye is one of the iconic punk makeup looks. Let’s do this.

ZARA CHECKED SHIRT WITH CONTRASTING COLLAR, $49.90, AVAILABLE AT ZARA; NOIR SPIKES AND CZ MINI PUNK BRACELET, $150, AVAILABLE AT NOIR; NOIR MINI PUNK NECKLACE, $300, AVAILABLE AT NOIR.

Brush your eyebrows straight up and out to an angle, then keep them in place with brow gel. Here, we used Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Blonde.

For a truly punk influence, amplify the color of your cheeks — no barely-there blush this time. Use your fingers to blend a coral cream blush from the apples of your cheeks into your hairline. Aim to move along the lower side of your cheeks, not the top part, for more of a nod to the original punks. On Leah: OCC Crème Colour Concentrate in Grandma.

To create the dramatic eyeliner look, start by lining the upper lashes with Marc Jacobs BeautyMagic Marc’er Precision Pen.

Next, draw an obtuse triangle to form the winged shape. It should arch out from the outer corner of your lashes, then connect with your existing liner. And, don’t be afraid to really go for it: “Extending the line further out from the corner is more punk,” Kogan notes. “The ’50s usually kept it at a closer flick.”

Use the eyeliner to fill in the triangle, and clean up any mistakes with a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover.

Highlight your lower lashline by applying a pencil eyeliner — here, Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes again — to your lower waterline. Follow with two coats of volumizing mascara on the top lashes.

Finish with a bit of gloss (we used Armour lip gloss in Shattered). To keep it from feeling too young, blot it down a bit with your fingers.

“A lined cat eye is beyond a classic punk way to do eye makeup,” Kogan says. “This look is inspired by everyone I knew and worshipped growing up.” Well said.

Photographed by Ben Ritter

Click HERE to read more from Refinery29.