Starting today, I’m going to do a series of eye looks that are inspired by the colors all around us in nature. Rich earth tones, shimmering blues, sunny yellows, glowing greens, and of course all the exploding pinks, oranges, and purples of flowers. Let’s explore how to borrow these hues from the earth and use them to highlight our own natural beauty!

Earlier this year I got to thinking about using “nature colors” to spice up my makeup routine, and my mind immediately went to forsythias. They are one of my all-time favorite flowers: not only are they a pure, bright yellow, they also are almost always the first sign of spring in the desert regions where I grew up. Their sunny petals make a stark contrast with all the soggy brown and gray around them. In my mind, seeing my first forsythia bloom is better than seeing a robin!

Now, yellow might seem like a strange color to wear on your eyes, and while it is unexpected, it can be incredibly flattering to all eye colors, and it looks sophisticated and intentional if done right. Since it is a bright color, I’m going to use rich browns to balance it out, which is appropriate since forsythia flowers happen to bloom on brown, leafless branches.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Products you’ll need:

• Champagne Pearl for the brow highlight
• Chestnut Brown eyeshadow for the crease
• Pure Gold eyeshadow
• Rich Earth eyeshadow to deepen the crease
• Deep Brown eyeshadow for eyeliner
• Small All-Over Eyeshadow Brush
• Angled Crease Brush
• Eyeliner Brush

First, cleanse and moisturize your face. I like to work on my eyes first before applying my face makeup (foundation, concealer, blush, etc.), because if any eyeshadow happens to sift down onto my face as I’m working, it’s a lot easier to wipe it off bare skin than to try to preserve my newly-applied foundation.

Start with Champagne Pearl on the Small All-Over Eyeshadow Brush and stamp the shadow up underneath your brows and into the inner corner of your eyes. Wipe off the brush a few times on a soft cloth to get most of the Champagne Pearl off.

For the crease, use Chestnut Brown and our Angled Crease Brush. Working from the outer corner inward, lightly apply Chestnut Brown, keeping the outer corner darker, and getting lighter as you work inward.

Now for the yellow! Again using the Small All-Over Eyeshadow Brush and a stamping motion, apply Pure Gold over your lid, from the crease down to the lash line, and from the inner corner to the outer corner (the part that actually covers your eyeball when your eyes are closed). If you’d like a soft yellow, apply Pure Gold dry. If you’d like a more dramatic, vivid yellow, you can “foil” the shadow by moistening your brush with a little water and applying the shadow damp.

Deepen your crease by using a bit of Rich Earth on your Angled Crease Brush, just in the outer corners. This will really make your yellow pop! Be sure to blend well.

Lastly, use Deep Brown and our Eyeliner Brush to set off the shadows perfectly with a deep brown liner. You can either do a softer dry liner, or a more defined liquid liner by dampening the Eyeliner Brush and applying Deep Brown as a liquid liner. (Give winged eyeliner a try!)

There you have it, ladies: springy forsythia-themed eyes!

I would pair this eye look with your perfect foundation shade and a warm, rich blush like Cherry Bloom on cheeks and lips.

See you next week!