Our Best Tips To Create A Halo Eye Makeup Look
Single-color eyeshadow styles get the job done, but when you start blending and fusing multiple hues into one look, you end up with something a little more special. Aside from looking like they were applied by a professional makeup artist, multi-colored eyeshadow looks bring about depth and intensity, and help your eyes to shine. And if you want your eyes to truly pop, you'll need to get acquainted with the queen of the blended eyeshadow trends: the halo.
This makeup style uses a dark matte base and then illuminates the eyes with a circle of metallic shimmer on the eyelids. The contrast between the dark and light shadows creates a complex yet striking aesthetic that — if you get it right— will always look professionally done. Pulling off this look is a matter of applying your matte base and then your shimmer circle, blending the edges, and finishing off with your preferred eyeliner and mascara. But there are a few tips to follow that can help your odds of getting a stunning final result.
Take into account your skin tone
The beauty of the halo eye makeup look is you can achieve it with a wide range of colors. The key is that the lighter, shimmery shade will sit in the center of the eye, while the darker matte shades will lay behind it. But as long as you follow that basic rule, the world is your oyster when it comes to picking your palettes. To help you narrow it down, think about what specific color scheme complements your skin tone the most, per Stylecraze.
For those with dark skin tones, gold and copper palettes tend to look the most beautiful. If you have a fair complexion, reach for pinks and pastels, and for those who sit somewhere in the middle, anything from peach to bronze should work wonders. Of course, this guideline is for those who prefer to play it safe and be guaranteed to bat their halo eye right out of the park. In reality, any skin tone can use any palette. You never know what new look you might stumble across if you have the time and energy to experiment with different colors. Otherwise, stick with the classics, and you can't go wrong.
Use darker matte products for more contrast
Once you've selected your overall palettes, whether they sit within the range of pinks or coppers, think about the specific contrast between your base color and your halo shade. The darker you go with your foundation matte shade, the more contrast you will have in the end. Similarly, the more bright and shimmery your halo hue is, the more this look will pop. Speaking to Byrdie, Lizzo's makeup artist, Alexx Mayo, confirmed that utilizing the power of contrast will make your look more intense in the end: "The darker you go with the inner and outer corner shades, the more dramatic effect you will get," he revealed. "Don't be afraid to play with contrasting colors as well."
Along the same lines, if you're wearing halo makeup as part of a day look, you can tone it down by choosing base and halo colors that have less variation between them to create an understated look that still has a glam factor.
Start with your matte products first
Since the shimmery halo section of this look is the most important part, you might think that it's best to start there. Instead, kick things off with your flat, matte, darker colors, which will shade the areas around your halo. "Use a flat shader brush to pat a dark, matte eyeshadow onto your eyelid on the outer ⅓ and inner ⅓ of the eye — leaving the middle ⅓ between them open," celebrity makeup artist Melissa Murdick told Byrdie. In effect, what you're doing is creating your border first. Only once you're happy with your darker foundation should you move on to your halo.
Before you add your lighter color, remember to blend your makeup flawlessly, particularly around the edges. You can do this by working a medium matte shade into the darker base shade with a blending brush. "This will help blend out the edges of the dark color you applied first," Murdick explained.
Use concealer beneath the halo
There are a few ways to actually create the halo look, with some makeup artists preferring to leave blank space between the two sides of the base matte color. This way, they're applying their halo in between the corners or borders onto clean skin, rather than applying it on top of a layer of makeup. However, if you don't like the idea of leaving that space, you can go ahead and apply your base on the whole eyelid and then top it with concealer where the halo will go (via MyGlamm).
When it comes to choosing your concealer, go with a water-resistant and creamy formula that will glide onto your eyelids smoothly. Anything too thick or tacky could jeopardize your final look. You only need a small amount to create a fresh slate to work with, so don't be tempted to overdo it if you want this concealer hack to make your eyes pop. Also, don't blend the concealer beyond the perimeters of where your halo will go, or else you'll undo all your beautiful base work.
Extend the halo to the whole eye
For the minimalist, there's nothing wrong with limiting your halo eye makeup to the top lid only. But this is the kind of makeup look that was made for stealing the show, so don't be afraid to make it as big and bold as possible by extending the halo to the whole eye. This process begins when you apply your base color, so apply some of that darker shade to the outer and inner corners below your bottom lashes.
When it's time to create the halo, don't forget to apply your shimmery shade to the center beneath your lower lashes. Ideally, you'll want to use a small brush for the area under your lower lashline, as using too much product can end up making you look like you've got a black eye. If you go too far with your eyeshadow beneath your lashes, simply clean it up with a few more dabs of concealer. For big messes, use a Q-tip dipped in some micellar water. If you think mistakes under your eyes are likely (no judgment here!), it's best to leave your under-eye concealer coverage and foundation until after your halo makeup is complete.
Wet the brush
The goal of the halo eye look is for the shiny circle of halo magic to pop. While the best shimmery eyeshadows will stand out on their own, there's no harm in enhancing them even more with a damp eyeshadow brush. This will help to bring out the pigment in the eyeshadow. "Dampening your eye makeup brush will enhance the intensity of the colour," makeup artist Zoë Taylor told Sheer Luxe. "This trick works particularly well with metallic and shimmery shades."
The best liquid to wet your brush with is setting spray since that will help the intensity of the color while also ensuring that the product lasts. Keep in mind that you don't want a sopping-wet brush. Taylor advised that only the bristles of the brush should get wet, and there should be no water in the eyeshadow. Wet it a few minutes before you need to use it, and then squeeze the excess liquid out so it's not overly wet.