It’s super fun to jazz up your makeup routine with splashy colors and dramatic looks, but let’s be honest, on a daily basis most of us reach for the neutral look that we know works. It matches everything, is basic without being boring, and is a comfortable no-brainer when you just want to look “done”, but not glammed up.

What I love about matte shadows is that they can be dressed up with minimal effort when the occasion calls for it, but they never look overdone.

Neutral eye shadows are basically like your best pair of jeans: you can cuff them and wear them with flip-flops and a basic white tee for taking the kids to the park, or you can pair them with a swanky top and heels for a night out on the town.

The right combo of neutral eye shadows kinda do the same thing for your eyes! You can dash them on lightly in 5 minutes and you’re instantly pulled together for anything your day throws at you, or you can build the richness and depth of the velvety color for a more glamorous and sophisticated special event look. Either way, neutral eye shadows are a staple in any woman’s makeup bag!

Last week we put together a warm-toned neutral look, and today we’re focusing on a cool color combination. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Matte White Base
• Lavender Shale Eyeshadow
• Matte Black Eyeliner
• Pinky Pink Blush
• Small All-Over Brush
• Angled Crease Brush
• Eyeliner Brush
• Smudger Brush (coming soon!)
• Chubby Blender (coming soon!)

Start with Matte White Base and apply it with your Small All-Over Brush from your brow bone to your lash line. Take care that you apply it very lightly, otherwise you’ll end up with chalky white lids, which is not exactly the look we’re going for here. Think light and bright.

Then use your Angled Crease Brush and dip up a bit of Lavender Shale, applying it lightly to your crease area. You can build drama and intensity at this point if you like, or you can leave it light; just enough to define your crease. Be sure to blend this really well; you want to make it look like a fluffy storm cloud, rather than a block of color.

Now you can take the Smudger brush to your lower lid and echo what you just did on top: first grab some Matte White and bring it down from the inner corner along your inner lower lash line, right about half way around your eye. This will brighten and visually enlarge your eye. Then do the same on your outer corner with Lavender Shale, smudging a soft, blurry line under your lower lid to about one-third to one-half way around your eye. I love defining my eyes this way as it’s softer than a bold, dark line, and tends to look fresher and brighter for daytime. It also distracts from undereye bags! Win-win!

Now line your upper lash line with Matte Black on the Eyeliner Brush. Experiment with a dry line or a liquid line to strike your perfect balance of casual or drama. Finish your eyes off with a coat of your favorite mascara and you’re set!

Our Pinky Pink Blush coordinates perfectly with these cool neutral colors; apply it to the apples of your cheeks with our silky soft Chubby Blender Brush.