Do “The Double Purple”

I’m 100% on board for coffee and gunmetal eyeliners (they’re workhorses, for sure), but sometimes you want — no, you NEED! — to wear something besides the usual, and that’s when something I like to call “The Double Purple” comes into play.

By adding a gorgeous violet gradient to your lower lash lines, you can incorporate a colorful complexity in your eye makeup while exerting minimal effort.

This tip is great for smaller lids and hooded eye shapes, as the focus is on the lower lash lines.

Here’s what you’ll need

Grab two of your favorite purple pencil liners — one lighter, one darker.

They should be close enough in color that when you see them side by side on your skin, you like how they look. That is to say, they should be harmonious to you.

The darker shade should be one you can wear on your waterline without it smearing off, but it should also be creamy enough to blend. The lighter shade should also be creamy enough to smudge.

Here’s what you do

1. Start by lining your lower waterline with the darker color, but —-> it doesn’t have to be super neat. You’re totally fine if you end up with a little smudge here and there between your lashes or along your lower lash line.
2. After your waterline is drawn in, dot a few circles between your lashes with same dark pencil. Then, smudge with your finger, a makeup sponge, the edge of a flat eyeshadow brush or the tip of a pencil brush.
3. Next, grab your lighter purple, and place a few dots on top of the darker smudged liner. Blend until the two colors on the lower lash line look seamless.
4. I like to keep liners nice and tight up against my lashes/lower lash line. Basically, I don’t want them to stray too far down because the lower I take that color, the crazier I think the eye makeup looks. By all means, though, if you’re going for edgy, feel free to draw it down as much as you want!
5. When you’re done, you’ll have a subtle gradient that transitions from dark (on the water line) to light (on your lower lash line).

A few tips

• Neutral eyes! You can pair The Double Purple with a simple wash of brown or neutral/nude eyeshadow on your lids. I particularly like the Clinique Teddy Bear palette for this because the shadows are all mattes (so they’re kind to the “experience lines” on my lids), and because the brown/tan shades don’t lean too warm or too dark, I can pretty much wear them with any combination of purples.
• Get toasty. Warm orange-browns also pair well with purple liner. Two to try: MAC Soft Brown or MAC Saddle.
• (Golden) Taupe is dope. You could also do a golden taupe on your lids as well. I’ve been all about MAC Woodwinked layered beneath MAC Satin Taupe as of late.
• It’s all about balance. I would also suggest tightlining your upper lash line with a gray, taupe or brown eyeliner; otherwise, the purple on the bottom can look heavy.
• Extra credit points. If you’re feeling extra fancy, grab a purple eyeshadow, and blend that on top of the liners on your lower lash lines.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen