Summer Makeup: The Bright Sunset – Yellow, Orange, & Red
I just can’t help it! The latest shades to join the permanent range at MAC are all bright, they’re so *summer* and it’s not even technically spring yet! Oh, well… call it fashionably early? Hm. Whatever. This was just me having a little fun late at night 
If you want to wear it yourself and make it a little more tame or “everyday” (but I mean, it is bright!), use a more neutral highlighter (maybe Nylon) rather than going with color up to the brow bone. I’d rock it either way!
You will need the following…
- Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot (neutral beige base), (yellow gold), MAC Golden Lemon Pigment (yellow gold), MAC Going Bananas Eyeshadow (soft bright yellow), MAC Goldenrod Eyeshadow (golden orange-yellow), MAC Free to Be Eyeshadow (coral), MAC Red Brick Eyeshadow (orange-red), MAC Nylon Eyeshadow (golden highlighter), Urban Decay Bourbon 24/7 Liner (brown), Chanel Exceptionnel Mascara (black)
- Cheeks: Dior Vintage Pink Blush (pink with peach)
- Lips: MAC Bronze Shimmer Lipstick, MAC Lychee Luxe Lipglass
- Brushes: 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
- Substitutes: Going Bananas = Nylon + Bright Sunshine (or Chrome Yellow)
For eyes, start by applying Soft Ochre paint pot as your eyeshadow base all over the lid with the 249. With the 239 and water-based mixing medium (or water), apply Golden Lemon pigment all over the lid portion. Using the 239, apply Going Bananas eyeshadow on the inner third of the eyelid. Next, apply Goldenrod eyeshadow on the middle third of the eyelid and lightly blend with the inner corner. Darken the outer third of the lid with Free to Be eyeshadow with the 239, gently brushing it into the lower crease. Next, define the crease by applying Red Brick eyeshadow with the 226. Lightly tap and brush Going Bananas eyeshadow directly above the crease to soften. To finish the eyeshadow look, sweep Nylon eyeshadow as a highlighter on the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Bourbon eyeliner on the lower lash line, and Going Bananas eyeshadow lightly patted below the lower lash line with the 219 brush. Finish by sweeping lashes with Exceptionnel mascara.
For cheeks, apply Vintage Pink blush to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.
For lips, apply Bronze Shimmer lipstick first, and then layer Lychee Luxe lipglass for a complementing lip.
Check out more photos!
Beautiful, Christine. I love the lips, especially.
Thank ya, Shontay
Soooo pretty. And I’m surprised that you didn’t use an eyeliner, though I think the look rocks regardless.
Thanks, Trisha! I used some on the lower lash line – I thought about doing upper lash liner, since I was washing it off anyway so I could minimize any reaction, but I thought maybe it’d be too much. I was tempted to do a coppery upper lash line, though (black seemed too stark).
If you’re tempted, next time take a pic with and then a pic without the liner.
I would have LOVED to see a black winged eye with this look. Yellow and black always give a confident, rocker vibe.
Either way, I love, love the look. Very hard to find such well done yellow EOTDs.
I think black would have been too harsh, personally! I really wanted the colors to be the focal point, and having done something similar with black eyeliner, it definitely pulls away a bit (IMO) from showcasing just the colors. It definitely works, but it wasn’t what I was going for in this look! Normally I do my liquid liner before mascara, otherwise that’s a good idea. It’s way less messy (otherwise I end up with liner in my lashes, lol) pre-mascara for me!
Thanks a lot, LiLi!
UD Lucky would be beautiful with this look!
Thanks for the suggestion, Daphne!
Sometimes I go without liner. I think it can get in the way sometimes and going without it makes my eyes look more open. If you have a really great mascara you don’t always need liner.
Agreed
i’m amazed at how pretty this is! i thought the thumbnail of the eye was kind of intense but the full face shot is beautiful. great work ^^ i love to be surprised~
Thanks a lot, Kitty!
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this look! It reminds me of a popsicle on a summer day.
So pretty.
Thanks a lot, Stef
The colours are very cheerful and I never expected yellow orange eyeshadows to look so good.
Thanks so much, Amy!
Dang it I was just telling myself today I wasn’t going to buy these new shadows but I guess I’m going to have to now. Thanks alot!
lol.
Sorry
Aw Christine, this look rocks!!
I will definitely do this look in the summertime
(and hopefully I will have aquired the extra colors I don’t have from this look by then lol
Thank you, Brittany
Great color combo and it really warms you up in a nice way. =)
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
woah!!! that is amazing. fiery. the lips are gorgeous, and you manage to make the reds and yellows seem less scary – a talent!!
Thanks a lot
It’s a great look! I’m not brave enough to use a bright colour as a higlighter! It’s always the neutral dazzlelight or matte Bobbi Brown’s e/s Bone!
I haven’t done a yellow eyeshadow look before because I don’t have a yellow eyeshadow yet! Any recommendations(PRO shades including!)???
Oh wait! I have Gorgeous Gold but it casts slightly green so it’s not yellow enough for me, lol. Dreammaker is a total mess in my opinion, no staying power for that one and not really pigmented.
Dreammaker can be harder to work with, and it’s more golden (and paler). But really, try Nylon + Bright Sunshine/Chrome Yellow mixed together.
Thanks, Rosanna!
It’s all good — these days, I’d probably do the same, though I really don’t think it looks bad either way. I think if you want to rock it, you can. Confidence is key!
Bright Sunshine is my fave of the yellows available. Going Bananas is my favorite, period, but you can get close mixing Bright Sunshine with Nylon.
Hi Christine,
Love your website and all the passion and hard work you put in to this. I live in the Netherlands and will be marrying very soon and wanted to do my own make up for the big day. Could you show how to do a sweet bridal look and still stand out in the pcitures? I am a light to medium browns skin and i’am not sure which colors suit me best.
Thanks, Liseth! If you browse my neutral looks, you might find a good bridal look there – it might not be labeled explicitly as a bridal look, but it’s really about what you want to wear.
I do fully recommend getting a makeup artist for your big day, though!
What a gorgeous, fun, bright look! The eyeshadow is fabulous, but I adore the lip and cheek combo. I am now absolutely convinced that I need that blush and Lychee Luxe lipglass.
Thanks so much, Catherine
it’s summer here in aus, so you’re just thinking of your readers in the other hemisphere ;]
GOOD CALL! Let’s go with that
I love my Aus readers!!
I love the colors! This look looks like an energy-bomb, love it!
lol, energy bomb!
Thank you!
LOVE the lip on this one :]
Thanks, Annie!
Gorgeous! I knew those colors would look fab on you! I like Red Brick and Golden Rod. And loooove the lips. They complement the eyes very well!
Thanks, Roxanne! haha, you know me too well
Wow, this is really pretty
I love how you have the guts to wear colours like these! They really suit you too 
Thanks, Pinch! Ah, well, sometimes you just live and learn and experiment and then *learn* to get over it and ROCK THEM COLORS
LOVE the lip color! It’s amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
I do something like this from time to time. I use a blue-green eyeshadow to line my eyes, though. =P I like what you did with your lips. =] Very pretty.
Awesome
Do you have any photos? Would love to see ‘em!
I tend to really like sunset eye looks, and this is one that’s very well done(Yay for you!!). Lots of yellow, but with shade variations so it has depth and dimension; bright, yet not so bright as to be everyday unwearable. And the lip is everything that I wanted Morange topped with Utterly Posh to be but wasn’t.
I already have some sunset pigments (Golden Lemon, Acid Orange, and Electric Coral) as well as Chrome Yellow, Orange and Passionate, but there are some definite addons to my list. Thanks, as always Christine!
Thanks a lot, Cindy!
I think you can definitely re-do it with what you have!
Gorgeous lip color! I’m always surprised when you have lychee luxe on because on me it’s almost an orange red, totally different appearance of the color (even with mixing)
Thanks, Wilcoa! Hmm, have you tried using it lightly or mixing it over a pinkier shade? Sometimes I’m just using it very sparingly!
So fiery!!! I really like this look, the gradient of the shadows reminds me of the beautiful sun and clouds in the Caribbean
Thanks so much, SiaM!
This is such a pretty look! You look so pretty. I really love the lip color. I think I have to make a trip to MAC today.
Thanks a lot, Natasha
Happy shopping!
That is really fun and intense with the eye! But OMG – I read what you used on the lips and was like, oookaaay (I’m not crazy about Bronze Shimmer), but then I saw them and WHOA. What a color, I LOVE IT! Makes me thisclose to picking up Bronze Shimmer with my next B2M just to wear that lip all the time. It’s so different and SO gorgeous.
Thanks, Daphne!
Bronze Shimmer is an interesting shade, haha. It’s nice, but it can be finicky to work with at times.
Yeah, I pretty much feel that way about all frosts! The only one I ever use is Viva Glam IV. It would definitely be silly to buy/B2M for a lipstick JUST to use it for *one* combination, so I probably won’t, but it does look so cool on you.
Pretty look and the lips are gorgeous!
Thank you, Megan
Beautiful!
Thanks, Steph!
Love this eye look on you I was just wondering if you think they would ever bring out Going Bananas again. I know they’re some substitutes but I don’t think they even come close IMO.
Thanks, Diana!
They may. They brought it back in the Manish Arora palette, which was maybe two years ago… I think if you mix Nylon and Bright Sunshine or Chrome Yellow, you get close.
love it, soo bright and pretty
Thanks, Rowan
I LOVE this look! It looks amazing on you and I love the bright lip and eye combo
Keep up the awesome work Christine!
Thanks so much, Kristen!
GORGEOUS =) love love the lips
Thank ya, Egon!
When I get better colors, I am totally ripping this off because you picked the BEST colors for this look! Love it Christine!
I hope you do, haha! I will be flattered
Thanks, Brian!
Oh wow, that is hot! I might have to go get these colors now. I especially love the lips, they go perfectly.
Thank you!!
So pretty. I love it. I especially like the lip combo.
Thank you, Sarah M!
WOW! Very hot look!
Thank you, Chiara!
Real nice Christine! Makes me long for the days when I can wear my flip flops and not have to worry about being bundled up before going outside:)
Thank ya, Tami!
lovely! the shimmery lip is soo gorgeous, and i can’t get enough of these bright colors! lol~
Thank ya, Ezzie!
I love the look! its so bright and vibrant!
Thank you, Danya!
Oh this is delicious, it’s like candy, as a makeup artist myself you have been a great inspiration
Thanks so much, Gianna!
I wouldn’t have touched those colors with a ten foot pole but on you they look great! I suspect on me, people would be calling 911
LOL! Awww!
Oh this look is delicious, it’s like candy!, As a fellow makeup artist your work is truly inspirational
Thanks, Gianna!
Wow !! Amazing…you’re best look !! Fresh and colorful…just right for summer
Thanks, Maude!
Your eyes really stand out. Love it
Thank you, Marsy!
You look so beautiful! The bright colors suit you so well
Thanks, Mikaela!