What better look to complement those sunny summer days that a bright pop of colour on the eyes. It’s fun, it’s appropriate and it’s the perfect excuse to finally use the eyeshadow palettes which have always been tucked away inside. The only hitch is, bright eyeshadow can be intimidating because most are afraid to use it or don’t know how to use it properly. We’re changing that for you. With these six makeup tips, you’ll be sporting vibrant lids in no time.

1. Cover Up

While it’s important to prime your lids before using any kind of eyeshadow, it’s a bit different with bright tones. Besides primer, it needs a white base that acts as a canvas for the colours to come. You can do this by applying a white toned primer to begin with or thick strokes of white matte eye pencil over your lid. This allows the colours to show up more vibrantly.

2. Pick Well

There are millions of shades of bright shadow so ensure that you pick the one that best suits you. While skin with cool undertones look great in greens, blues and violets, those with warm undertones can find their fit in shades of red, orange and yellow. Rather than haphazardly picking any colour that grabs your attention, the right shade will go one step further to pulling your eye makeup look together.

3. Stay Close

Especially for makeup newbies, applying bright eyeshadow can feel like a daunting task so it’s important to tread carefully. When applying it, limit yourself to the lid area from the inner corner till the outer corner. A little goes a long way with shades like these so the limited lid area helps keep it all in place.

4. Blend Away

Like with all of your makeup, don’t forget to blend bright eyeshadow well, especially towards the edges. Pop colours can look patchy when they aren’t blended thoroughly so make sure to use a fluffy narrow brush to give it a seamless look on your lids, rather than a garish circus look.

5. Build It

To get the true intensity that bright eyeshadows are best known for, commit to building it on your lid. To do so, use a narrow applicator brush that’s dampened with water. Use this to apply it to the lid, let it dry then reapply once or twice again until you’re pleased with the finish. It’s the ideal way to get a pop of colour that isn’t patchy.

6. Seal The Deal

To give bright eye makeup a finishing touch, always finish off with a stroke of black eyeliner and black mascara. This lends a polished touch to the look and tones down the overall effect of the colours greatly.