NYFW Beauty: The Spring 2014 Runways Showcase Eyes that Sparkle and Shine


Backstage at New York Fashion Week, we began to notice a glittering new trend that began to crop up over the days. That craze was all about eyes that sparkled in a myriad of ways. Whether it was an all-over kiss of iridescence, a concentrated dose of shimmer, a sporadic twinkle, or a flash of glitz, shadows that shined were the beauty product du jour at the spring 2014 shows. Here, we break down our favorites.


Ohne Titel

We were positively transfixed by the duo chrome color-shifting eye makeup at Ohne Titel. (Seriously, the pictures don't do it justice.) Inspired by the collection that was smattered with silvers and metallic textures, makeup master Lucia Pica set out to create "mermaid-like skin with a futuristic, sci-fi feel." She smeared the shimmering white M.A.C Cream Colour Base in Luna as a base on the eyes, temples, and on top of cheekbones, then pressed the iridescent Sparkle Shadow in Dual Jewel (new for spring/summer) into the crease and dragged it down to the tops of cheeks, "blending it into nothing so that it looks like it's part of the skin," she said. The effect was surreal skin that reflected into a prism of shades from pink to turquoise, burgundy to blue. To get the look now, try M.A.C Pigment in Blue Brown or Ardency Inn Modster Light-Catching Eye Powder in Teddy Boy .


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3.1 Phillip Lim

Beauty buff Francelle Daly created a "new take on a summer glow" at 3.1 Phillip Lim by crafting "laminated skin with opalescent accents and holographic textures." To get this "monochromatic techno-glow," she tapped the pearly light pink Nars The Multiple in Luxor across the eyes and all over the high points of the face, then beefed up the iridescent factor by dusting the icy blue shade in theIceland Duo Eyeshadow on top. For a "multidimensional feel" on eyes, Daly then lightly buffed the pewter hue in the Kauai Duo Eyeshadow (new for spring) into the center of creases; but for everyday, she recommends just using The Multiple stick to add that opalescent quality without going overboard. "The great thing about it is you can use it with your hands and it's buildable, so it's as easy as it gets," she said.


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Jenny Packham
To convey "ethereal youthfulness with a touch of juvenile naughtiness" at Jenny Packham, makeup pro Talia Shobrook applied a hint of silver glitter mostly onto the center of eyes that trickled down onto the cheeks. (Try Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Sterling or Make Up For Ever Glitters in Silver 2 .) To make the glitter stay in place, Shobrook mixed the loose particles with gel before tapping it on eyes, but she recommended using an eye primer like Eye Canvas otherwise. "Make sure the primer is your skin color because if it's any shade that's lighter it's going to look chalky and it will mattify the glitter," she advised.

Jeremy Scott
Inspired by early "'60s rock 'n' roll and the detailing found in hotrod cars," cosmetics whiz Kabuki conjured up an ombré flame-like cat eye for Jeremy Scott. He swept the beige M.A.C Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre onto the inner half of lids and applied the magenta cream Fluidline in Phlox Garden (launching in spring-try Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR in Pomegranate Punk to the outer half in a winged shape. After diffusing the two colors together in the middle with a finger, he topped off the center with the glitzy brick red Sparkle Shadow in Starry Eyed (to be released in spring/summer-try M.A.C Pressed Pigment in Pink Pepper so that all the hues seamlessly transitioned into the other. "The trick to doing something really conceptual like this is to know when to stop, so there's nothing under the eye here," Kabuki explained. As to how one can pull off such a vibrant look in real life, Kabuki revealed that hair and eye color are key. "The colors we're using are dark enough where they're not going to make you look wacky, but black hair is the best because you can really get away with colored makeup," he said. "I'd also recommend this for light brown eyes or green eyes to make your eye shade pop."


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