For as long as I can remember, I’ve been intrigued by color. And I feel that, even as a youngin’, I picked up on the concept of color theory. That different colors can illicit different emotions. So as an adult, I went into a creative field (fashion) and focused my sights on color trend forecasting — something I’ve gotten a little away from but is still fresh on my mind.
However, when I was old enough to wear makeup my love for color wasn’t very apparent. I’m a neutrals girl. Give me a good neutral palette, with a mix of textures and tones, and I’m in! I’ve admired the beauty of certain color palettes, but color hasn’t really had a place in my makeup collection. Until recently.
So why the sudden change?
Instagram. I found the beauty realm of Youtube in high school, and it fed my neutral heart. That’s where I was convinced to buy the OG Urban Decay Naked palette (rip) 9 or so years ago! The Youtube space has been feeding my every day neutral and brown smokey eye tutorials for all of these years, because it knows for sure I’m clicking on them. Instagram, however, has been my go to resource for editorial makeup for the past few months. It, unlike Youtube, feeds me videos of avant-garde, editorial, glitter cut-crease looks, and COLOR. More importantly, it’s been showing me inspiration to incorporate wearable color into my daily life. And that’s what The Lipstick Narratives, and me, is all about, wearable.
Of course, wearable is a term that differs person to person; but in the context of colorful makeup, it means something that makes me feel at ease when wearing and that is easy to apply. As much as I think I want to be, I’m not sure I’ll ever be entirely comfortable in a precise, multi-dimensional, blue eye shadow look that incorporates multiple shades with liner and falsies. But a nice one shadow look using a navy blue shadow with a hefty amount of mascara is something more manageable and intriguing.
Thanks to a handful of accounts on the ‘gram, I’ve opened my eyes and allowed myself to embrace the inspiration of color when it calls me — but in a way that feels me. As a beauty creator, there’s a lot of pressure to keep up with the trends, but sometimes the trends don’t suit me. This way, I can join in on the fun without losing any of myself. So if you’re in the mood for some wearable color, whip out your phone and give these accounts a follow…
My Favorite Beauty IG Accounts for Editorial but Wearable Makeup
For a beginner’s guide to color … Allana Davison. If you’re familiar with Allana, she’s a Canadian beauty Youtuber/Vlogger. I’ve always jived with her due to her dry sarcasm, gravitation to high end products, and love for everyday smokey eyes. She tends to incorporate color into other everyday types of makeup looks, including smokey eyes with a pop and bright lips.
For a bucket load of inspiration … Byrdie Beauty. On Byrdie’s beauty page, you get a little bit of everything. Bathroom shelfies to die for, quirky quotes to get you through the day, and a ton of glamorous & colorful makeup looks.
For wearable editorial inspiration … Mariah Leonard. I’ve been following Mariah for years now, and I think I’m falling more in love, if that’s possible. Her aesthetic is so chic and cool, and she makes editorial makeup look incredibly easy. I find myself saving her posts again and again to go back to for reference, and she definitely inspires me to play with color. Unlike some editorial makeup shoots and accounts, Mariah plays with color in a way that makes you think “Huh, I could do that.”
For more wearable editorial inspiration … Pati Dubroff. Pati Dubroff, makeup guru to Margot Robbie and Priyanka Chopra, is fabulous. Hers is another account that has me hitting save on a regular basis. Because of her, I’m wanting to embrace a smokey peach or red smokey eye or turquoise blue liner.
For color to the max … Natasha Denona. I couldn’t achieve Natasha Denona’s skill level if I tried, but what I can do is admire how easy she makes it look! Her work is bold and dreamy and full of punchy color. *heart eyes*
How do you like to wear colorful makeup?
Let's Chat!