Lately we’ve been focusing on neutral eye shadows, which are very wearable, very easy, and can be either no-fuss casual or sophisticated and dramatic. Today I thought it would be fun to talk about how to wear some of our more intense, vivid eye colors in a way that integrates with your already established everyday tried-and-true neutral look.

Bold eye colors can look intimidating in the jar; I think our minds automatically jump to using that single bright color all over our eyes… but a very effective way to incorporate your favorite bold color is to simply add a bright pop of color alongside the neutrals you are already comfortable wearing.

Let’s talk about two of my favorite ways to add a bold pop of color: as a smoky wash of color, and as a dramatic liquid liner.

I’m using our Warm Neutrals look and then adding an electric blue shade. To recreate this yourself, you’ll need:

• Matte Cream Base Eyeshadow
• Cinnamon Rose Eyeshadow
• Rich Earth Eyeshadow
• Boldly Blue Eyeshadow
• Eyeliner Brush
• Smudger Brush (coming soon!)

Start off with our Warm Neutrals eye look, and your best foundation and blush combo; this will be the backdrop upon which you’ll add a punch of bold color in the foreground.

Dive right in with the Smudger Brush and grab up some of that bright color! Using a circular motion, lightly dust Boldly Blue on your lower lash line, creating a bright smoky glow. If you like, you can take it all the way in to your inner corner for the most dramatic look, or you can keep it to the outer third of your lower lash line and blend it with some more Matte Cream Base as you go inward.

Now you could leave it here and have a fabulously fun look… or you could take it a step further and add a bold blue liquid eyeliner on your upper lash line too. And since I always tend to lean toward the dramatic, let’s do that!

Grab your eyeliner brush and get it wet with a drop or two of water, and mix it with some Boldly Blue in the lid. Don’t overdo it with the water! You want to make a paste with some of the dry shadow, not colored water.

Once you have a well-mixed paste, apply it as lightly or as boldly as you dare to your upper lash line. Remember, the water creates an even more vivid color than the dry powder itself, so you might want to test it out on your wrist first to see how intense you want it.

Let the liner dry for a minute or two before opening your eye, you don’t want to smudge it onto your eyelid. Once that dries, finish off with mascara and you’re all set with a fun, bold pop of color!