26 Plant-Inspired Eyeshadow Combinations to Try

Christine — Tue, 19 May 2020 14:00:00 +0000

A reader recently suggested (but insisted they didn’t want credit, so thank you dear reader!) using plants as inspiration for color stories, and here I am with some! These are inspired by the plants and trees we added to our home as well as ones I considered (or wished I could consider), but it’s a process determining what will thrive/survive through Arizona heat! We recently completed updating the front and backyard, which included quite a few plant and tree additions. Some of the types of flowering plants that do particularly well in the Arizona heat are lantanas and bougainvilleas, which are now all over my front and backyard. ?

In the above photo, there’s a close-up of a blossom on the Hong Kong Orchid tree, Rosenka bougainvillea with Purple Potion lantana and a Blue Glow Agave, Pink Pearl (I think, they’re not… well-identified at local nurseries) bougainvillea with Purple Potion lantana and a Blue Glow Agave, and Purple Queen bougainvillea with Rose Sunshine lantana and a Blue Glow Agave.

About This Series

Each look idea is centered around a “quad” of four shades with the expectation that one might bring in the appropriate brow bone or additional transitional shade based on skin tone. I know that I tend to use more like five or six shades in a typical look, but I think that four is a happy medium to give a good idea of the “core” color scheme of a look while giving you the ability to lighten/darken as desired. I have listed the colors in this order: inner lid, middle of lid, outer lid/crease, and crease/above crease.

You might see combinations that seem slightly repeated but placement will vary (e.g. a halo placement where the lightest and more shimmery shade is placed on the center) as placement can also create a different effect/look! You might also want to consider incorporating your favorite matte/shimmer shades (as applicable) to increase the versatility of certain palettes. Consider these ideas a jumping off point!