Today just happens to be International Happiness Day, and since everyone could do with a lot more happy in their lives, we’re saying no to Monday Blues and gloomy colours (or neutral nudes, while we’re at it).
After all, science has proven that bright colours can have an effect on your psyche, whether you know it or not. Indeed, there is a ton of research behind the different colours and how they can affect your mood, right down to very specific emotions (like red being associated with hunger, blue associated with calm, and pink associated with love), but in general, bright colours are an easy way to get yourself feeling more positive and spirited.
So if you’ve been getting too comfortable with wearing blacks, browns or blues and are in dire need of a little more joy, here are four ways to incorporate bright colours into your makeup looks, from subtle to all-out glamour, as well as a host of product recommendations to get you going.
Coloured eyeliner is the easiest way to brighten up your makeup: A pop of liner isn’t too overwhelming and still looks very wearable if you favour a more toned-down look. Plus, you can opt to just fill in your waterline instead of drawing a wing with bright greens or oranges. Sticking the colour in your lash line is more subtle and can also help make your eyes look more awake and brighter.
The cheapest of the lot, these eyeliners from Colourpop are wonderfully creamy, pigmented, and will stay on your eyes all day, even when drawn in your waterline. There are so many shades to choose from; there are even fun metallic ones if you want more than brights. Since they’re all of US$5 a pop, you can even get yourself several options to rotate through the week.
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With daring bold colours at the heart of the brand, it’s no surprise you can find almost every colour under the sun at Urban Decay, whether it’s in an eyeshadow, lipstick, or eyeliner format. The 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils are long-wearing and creamy, which makes them a breeze to apply: Keep it to a thin liner for something more subdued, or get more dramatic with a bright cat-eye. Some fun shades to try are Goldmine (a yellow gold that looks amazing at night), Chaos (a bright electric blue), Deep End (a teal), Woodstock (a bright fuchsia pink), and Electric (a brighter and even more electric teal).
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
The brand just launched its Highliner eye pencils in a new matte formula, and the colour payoff and staying power is pretty darn impressive. These waterproof eyeliners come in the usual range of dark colours, but with an added number of brights and pastels that are super wearable for all skin tones.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
As part of its latest Work It Out Spring 2017 collection, Mac Cosmetics has introduced a range of new eye pencils in an array of colours. Three in particular are wonderfully bright and perfectly suited to lift your spirits: Genuine Orange, Primary Yellow and Process Magenta, which are exactly how you’d imagine them to be given their cheery monikers.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
These pencils are long-lasting, creamy, blend easily, and ultra-resistant. They also come in a variety of finishes like matte, metallic, iridescent or satin. Like Urban Decay, Make Up For Ever has created some crazy colours for this eye pencil, like M-40, a matte pastel yellow; M-26, a matte pastel blue; I-24, an iridescent blue; and M-92, a matte pastel purple. The matte pastel shades are my favourite for the way they look on a neutral lid.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
When in doubt or when looking for the most fuss-free option, bright lipsticks are a foolproof option. They’re high impact, but easy to apply; can be taken off in the middle of the day, or touched up where necessary. You aren’t committing yourself to that one lip colour the entire day like you would be for eye makeup, and you don’t need your cleansers at home to switch your lip colour after lunch.
Lipsticks of every colour and hue are probably the easiest thing to shop for, but we’ve still got a couple of new recommendations for you.
In celebration of unbridled colour, Mac Cosmetics has released a Colour Rocker collection of 28 new matte lipstick shades that’s got something for every taste with its range of neons to greys. The colours are fully opaque and high impact that are truly meant to stand out. Our picks from the collection? Show and Teal (a bright teal because why not), Jean Genie (a light sky blue), Into the Madness (a lime green), and Feeling Fizzy (a bright hot pink).
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
Affordable K-Beauty brand Mamonde has finally launched in Singapore on Lazada.sg, with one of its bestsellers being this Highlight Lip Tint. You can definitely blend it out for a sheer wash of pigment or build it up for a brighter pop of colour. It also leaves behind a slight tint even if you wipe it off, which is wonderful for anyone who wants some colour on their lips all day without any discomfort.
Shade number 6 Pin Spot in particular is a hot favourite thanks to a ringing endorsement from brand ambassador and Korean star Park Shin Hye (she wore the shade on the hit Korean show Doctors).
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
The boldest move is of course eyeshadow. It requires the most skill and time out of all these options, and of course is going to stay on your face all day (with the right eyeshadow primer). Pro tip: If you’re trying to maximise the pigment payoff of your lighter or brighter eyeshadows, put down a base layer of white on your lids using a white cream eyeshadow or a crayon eyeshadow like the Milk Jumbo Eye Pencil from Nyx. This will help your shadows look way brighter, more intense, and true to colour since it’s no longer affected by the base pigment of your skin.
Brand new to Singapore and Sephora Singapore, this palette is from Smashbox’s latest Cover Shot range. It’s packed with bright shadows in seemingly every colour of the rainbow, but also has a brow highlight shade and a dark blue shimmery definer shade, both of which are very wearable indeed. The brand’s director of International Education Will Malherbe recommended an alternative use for the palette if you don’t always wear bright shades, which is using the colours to change the tone of your existing eyeshadows. For example if you have an eyeshadow that’s a little too cool-toned, you can mix in some yellow or orange to warm it up.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
We love the Full Spectrum Eye Palette for its rainbow array of colours and finishes, but if you’re truly going for high-impact brights, then this pressed pigment palette is the answer. It boasts both smooth mattes and shimmery shades, both of which are contain pure pressed pigment for an intense colour payoff. Fair warning: You will get some kick-up when you stick your brush in the pan, but the pigment payoff is worth it. Just remember to do your eye makeup before your base makeup when playing with a palette like this.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
Bright colours can be fun, but realistically they aren’t going to get used very often if you’re more comfortable with neutrals on a daily basis. So if spending a lot on a palette you won’t use much sounds like an uneconomical idea, then this bright mattes palette from Sleek Makeup is perfect. You get 12 eyeshadows at less than two dollars per shadow. Plus, Sleek is pretty decent as far as quality goes. The neutral palettes in particular are often sold out online.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
The most subtle way to wear brights are the lashes. Of course, you could go bolder with brightly coloured fake lashes, but if that’s not something you want, then keep it (slightly more) natural. Because your real lashes are shorter and less dramatic, the bright mascara won’t be too loud or attention-grabbing, but will instead serve as an almost secret injection of bright colour that’s going to make you feel good and have people stealing a second look at your eyes.
One of Marc Jacobs Beauty’s best selling mascaras has received a shade upgrade this month, with a few fun new colours to choose from. While not as bright as the Mac Cosmetics or Nyx ones, these are still going to do the trick and get you going about your day with some pep to your step. The four new colours are a blue, violet, deep red, and a purple, which can be worn as is or layered over a white lash primer again for more obvious colour payoff.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
Another range in Mac Cosmetics’ Work It Out collection are these stunning mascaras. There are just so many colours to choose from (17 shades including a black) that we expect the decision will be a tough one. Our favourites for maximum impact? The amusingly named Abs of Steel (fuchsia pink), Energized (bright yellow), No Pain No Gain (green with a hint of blue undertone), and Warm Up (orange with a reddish undertone).
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.
Fun colourful lashes at a fraction of the cost? Yes, please. This coloured mascara comes in three fun shades (the fourth is a brown) that will give you anything from subtle colour (we’re referring to the purple) to the brightest turquoise lashes. To make this mascara really pop, I’d recommend applying it over a white eyelash primer so you can really see the colour.
READ MORE: 5 new super moisturising yet pigmented lipsticks you need to try, 8 epic tips on surviving a long day of work effortlessly, and how to create the new ‘fishtail’ eyeliner trend.