Thanks to TikTok, Taylor Swift’s song “Lavender Haze” and the past spring and summer fashion runway shows, the color purple is having a major moment in the beauty and fashion world. And it’s an easier color to wear, both as makeup and clothing/accessories, than we might think because purple is considered a universal color since it has an equal mix of red and blue. This means that it can look beautiful on everyone.
So, today we’re going to explore which shades of purple might work best for us based on our skin undertone and how we can beautifully incorporate this color into our makeup routine.
The Power of Purple
Purple has long been a captivating and mysterious color since it combines the calm serenity of blue with the fierce energy of red. It’s often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power and ambition. And the color purple specifically includes the shades lavender, plum, violet, fuchsia, magenta, indigo, thistle and orchid. Cooler tones of purple have more blue in them and warmer shades of purple have more red in them.
If you have a cool skin undertone, you’ll look best in cooler tones of purple and if you have a warm undertone, warmer shades with more red mixed into them will look best on you. And if you have a neutral undertone, you’ll look wonderful in both warm and cool shades of purple. If you’re not sure of the undertone of your skin, here’s a link to a video I’ve done on this topic which I hope will be helpful.
Ways to Use Purple
Adding a pop of purple to our makeup routine is a fun and easy way to switch things up. We can highlight a single feature using purple, create just a pop of purple – or go full bore – with a complete monochromatic purple look. And, of course, the full monochromatic look can include all different shades and intensities of purple.
So, whether we decide on a purple eye look, a more natural-looking pink toned purple flush on our cheeks, or a light lavender lip gloss, there are endless ways to incorporate this color into our makeup routine.
In today’s video we’re going to focus on seven different ways we might include purple in our makeup routine: with our eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, highlight, lipstick and finishing powder.
It’s Universally Flattering on the Eyes
Let’s start with eyeshadow. Purple eyeshadow can work for all eye colors. Purples and plums can give a boost to grey or blue eyes and any purple will make hazel eyes look especially dramatic. Pairing purple with brown eyes is lovely, and any shade of purple will look beautiful.
Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!
Before we take a look at some gorgeous purples in a variety of eyeshadow palettes, let me first say that purple pigment can be a little challenging to blend, so it’s important to practice a bit. It can also be difficult to clean off, so make sure to use a gentle makeup remover like micellar water.
Since some people have allergies to a common red dye which is sometimes used in purple and pink, it’s always best to be sure you don’t have a reaction to the eyeshadow before you head out the door. So give a skin test to the color you want to wear by patting a little on the inside of your wrist and then letting it sit there for a few minutes to see if you have a reaction.
And here are some beautiful eyeshadow palette options that I’ll share with you in today’s video that have some gorgeous shades of purple:
- Colourpop’s “Cabana Club,”
- Oden’s Eye “Solmane II,”
- Colourpop’s “It’s My Pleasure,”
- Colourpop’s “Lilac You A Lot,”
- Huda Beauty’s “Purple Haze,”
- Blend Bunny’s “Blends” palette,
- the Glamlite “Mikayla 2” palette,
- “The Nubian Royal” from Juvia’s Place and
- ABH’s “Norvina Palette #5.”
But the eyeshadow palette I’m actually going to use for the first time in the video is the “Fleur” palette from Ace Beaute.
Other Purple Options for Our Eyes
If you’re not comfortable wearing purple eyeshadow, just using a deep purple eyeliner or eyeshadow as eyeliner can be a beautiful touch. But it’s a good idea to stay away from red-based purple eyeliners because those can definitely make us look tired.
And believe it or not, there is such a thing as purple mascara. L’Oreal makes one and so does NYX Cosmetics. A great way to use purple mascara is to apply one coat of black mascara first and then use the purple on the tips of the upper and lower lashes.
Beautiful Purple Blush Options
When it comes to blush, the biggest challenge to going purple is choosing the right shade with the right amount of warmth. Many shades of purple blush can create a lovely flush that adds vibrancy to our look and can instantly heighten our glow since it brightens the eyes and enhances the natural pigment of the lips.
Here are several blushes I’ll share with you in the video:
- Em Cosmetics’ blush called “Chiffon” which is a cool pink with lilac undertones;
- Em Cosmetics’ Color Drops blush in “Little Lilac” which is a lavender shade;
- Nars’ Afterglow Liquid Blush in the shade “Wanderlust” which is a soft lilac;
- Hard Candy’s Face Off Blush in “Pop Star” which is a very light lavender;
- NYX Cosmetics’ Jumbo Multi-Use Face Stick in “Blueberry Muffin” which is a light pink lavender with some pearlescent glow; and
- About Face’s blush “Score” which looks like a very deep purple in the compact, but is actually a very sheer pinky violet.
Some purple blushes I don’t have which look gorgeous are the Tower 28 cream blush in the shade “Party Hour,” the Glossier Cloud Paint blush in “Wisp” and Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in “Faith.”
A Variety of Options for Our Lips
A purple lip color can really be fun because purple lipsticks range from very deep purples to lavender. And it can be easier to pull off a purple lip color than you might think because of this range of hues, undertones and formulas.
One good option is from the clean beauty brand Ilia and is called “Ultra Violet.” Next is a drugstore lipstick from Flower Beauty in the shade “Dahlia Desire.” Another drugstore lipstick that I love is one from Milani called “Violet Volt.”
There are so many beautiful purple lipstick shades, but the wonderful thing is that if you’re not quite ready to go full-out purple, there are a lot of wonderful ways to adjust the color by mixing a lighter lipstick shade with it – or adding a lighter lip gloss.
There are some lovely purple toned glosses in the Sephora makeup line. One is called “Regal” and another that I use a lot is “Wild” which is a light shimmery lavender. And this last gloss is pink. It’s called “Daisy Girl” from Lawless Beauty, and it works beautifully to tone down purple shades which are too dark for me.
There are two other Lawless glosses in purple shades which are beautiful: “Lavender Sorbet” which is a pale, pinky lavender and “Violet Bloom” which is a soft orchid.
A Beautiful Purple Finishing Touch
And the last option I want to focus on is finishing powder. Applying a finishing powder which has just a light touch of lavender in it can be a great way to stick your toe into the purple makeup trend because it can never look overdone and can instantly add life to our makeup and counteract any ashy or grey tones in our complexion.
Also, icy tones in the purple family reflect light which can add a beautiful glow to our complexion. A cult favorite finishing powder which I’ll never be without is from Hourglass. Their shade “Mood Light” is a soft, sheer lavender pink powder which is stunning.
So whether you’d like to add just a touch of purple to your makeup or go full-out, there is a wide range of wonderful products from which to choose.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Is purple one of your favorite colors? Do you have a favorite purple makeup product you love? If so, please share it with us!
