Trend to Try: Purple Eye Shadow

By InStyle.com
Updated: Sep 26, 2012 @ 12:04 pm
Trend to Try: Purple Eye Shadow
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Find Your Perfect Purple: Green Eyes

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For green eyes, Levy, who created this look for Mila Kunis, recommends an eggplant tone. "Green eyes look great with any deep shade of purple," she said. "You can create a really elegant effect with a sweep of dark aubergine." Tarina Tarantino's Jewel eye shadow palette in Fantastical ($32; sephora.com) has a particularly velvety version.
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Regal and Understated

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On first thought, purple eye shadow might feel teeny-bopperish. But on stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, it's regal and understated, not juvenile. Worried that the flashy shade won't work for you? "It's not the color that doesn't work on someone-it's the undertone," makeup artist Tracey Levy told us. "There's a shade for everyone." Read on to find your perfect purple, whether it's lilac, lavender, plum or beyond!

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Stick With a Single Tone

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Some colors are meant to be layered and blended. (That's what a traditional smokey eye is all about.) Not so with purple. "If you are going to do purple, I would stick with one bold eyeshadow color," Levy says. Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Illusoire ($36; chanel.com) is a subtle but spectacular basic hue.
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Find Your Perfect Purple: Brown Eyes

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If you have brown eyes like Zoe Saldana, Levy recommends looking for purple shadows with warmer tones. "I think brown eyes look gorgeous when accented in purple shades with a bit of bronze mixed in," she says. "The extra warmth really makes eye color pop." The Guerlain Ecrin 6 Couleurs eye shadow palette ($85; neimanmarcus.com) contains a few bronze-flecked purples.

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Find Your Perfect Purple: Blue Eyes

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When it comes to pairing purple with blue eyes like Laura Linney, cooler tones are the way to go. "Try a purple that has gray undertones," Levy said. "Dusty purples can also work to spice up a gray outfit." We love the Givenchy Le Prisme Veux Quatuor in Bucolic Blossoms ($57; sephora.com), where a true periwinkle and a blendable taupe are accompanied by two springy shades.

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What to Wear

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Ashanti paired her lilac shadow with a copper dress-what works for you? "The possibilities are endless," Levy said. "I'm not opposed to mixing bold purple with other colors, or pairing it with a bright pink dress. If done in the right way, it can look amazing." Just keep lips sheer, and apply eyeliner with a light touch.
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Other Great Finds: Purple Smoky Eye

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Bored with the same old smoky eye? Add a dark violet accent with lavender shimmer to highlight your browbone. "I love the deep, rich purple in the Dior 5-Couleur Palette in Mystic Smokys palette ($59; dior.com)," said Levy. "It's perfect for a putting a twist on the traditional smoky eye."

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Other Great Finds: Purple Eye Shadow

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"The Lancome Color Design Shadows (in Trendy and Miss Sweetheart D, $18 each; lancome-usa.com) make a statement with high-impact pigments," said Levy. "If you're feeling bold, wear one of these with a neon yellow dress, but stick to just one."

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Other Great Finds: Purple Eye Shadow

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"I love pairing plum shades with brown dresses. I love the exotic earthiness the combination creates," Levy said. "Sue Devitt's Eye Intensifier in Zaire ($22; suedevittbeauty.com) is a great liner that can be smudged into an eyeshadow, and I always mix it with the amazing aubergines in Dior's 5 Couleur Palette in Stylish Move ($59; dior.com)."
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