Spring 2011's Eyeshadow Trend

Take a look at Andy Warhol’s iconic Marilyn Monroe painting. Now take a look at the models at New York Fashion Week. It’s hard to miss the spring eyeshadow trend: the vibrant hues of all the colors of the rainbow really made eyes pop, and Andy Warhol seems to be one of the forces behind the look this spring. Paired with low-key lips, the eyes took center stage – and happily, the look doesn’t have to be confined to the runway. Though turquoise and canary lids may sound like classic beauty no-no’s, the artists backstage show us the way to make it work.

Eyes were electric at Jason Wu, whose collection was influenced by Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes. In keeping with his muse, Diane Kendal for Shiseido used three bold colors present in the line – electric green, turquoise, and purple – to create a modified cat eye on the models. To avoid detracting from the clothing, the rest of the makeup was kept minimal with contoured cheeks and nude lipstick.

At the Victoria Beckham show, the heavy lilac lids lined with thick black liner were certainly reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.  Charlotte Tilbury for Lancome finished the look with glossy pink lips and clean, dewy skin.

Perhaps less practical for everyday use were the looks found at Betsy Johnson, where Sarah Lucero for Stila painted on moss green shadow from lid to brow. Complemented with hot pink on the apples of the cheeks and fuschia lips, the result was less wearable but very fun and very Betsy.

Meanwhile, bright yellow framed the eyes of models at both Zac Posen and Peter Som. Tom Pecheux for MAC Cosmetics used Peter Som’s collection as inspiration for the looks he created, sweeping a line of yellow eyeliner over the lid and skipping the mascara to avoid competing with the color.  At Z Spoke for Zac Posen, Charlotte Willer for Maybelline New York used three dramatic looks for the models: gold and copper eyes and cherry lips, canary yellow eyes and hot pink lips, and blue and green eyes and orange lips.

To take this from the runway to the streets, avoid harsh lines by blending the color out on the sides and pair it with a fearless attitude – an accessory always in style. Backstage at Peter Som, Pecheux had some advice on how to adapt the look in the real world: “We do fashion shows, so we have to create a statement. So in real life, perhaps do your black eyeliner with a yellow shimmery shadow, or a yellow eyelid lined with some black. There's always a way to take your everyday routine and make it more playful."

Photo source: Marieclaire.com / StyleList