White eyeliner is one thing, but white eye shadow? A whole other ball game. Good thing Ariana Grande is the MVP of all things beauty.
The singer celebrated REM Beauty's Sweetener foundation launch in style on Tuesday, pulling her look together with an icy white shadow all over her lids and the outer corners of her eyes. While white is typically used to highlight and darker colours in the crease to contour, Grande skipped the contrasting hues in favour of a clean wash. And it looks stunning. Fresh. Dare we say, groovy?
Although straight forward, the look can be complicated to pull off. You need the perfect balance of white powdered shadow washed all over the lids with subtle and neutral beige tones for the crease, so the eye still has some shape to it.
This is the ethereal, bright and fresh alternative to a classic smokey eye, and we don't know about you, but we've been dying to find out how we can achieve our very own version of this epic Ari look ourselves.
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How to do a white eyeshadow look in 7 steps:
Assuming that Ari would be rocking some of her makeup at her makeup launch, we can only presume she went in with her R.E.M Beauty Lunar Magic Blurring Primer all over to create a smooth canvas for the eyeshadow and ensure the pigment stays put all day. Then you can go in with a cream eyeshadow base to even out the colour on the eyes. For this, try the R.E.M. Beauty Matte Liquid Eyeshadow. You can then set that even further with translucent powder to prevent creasing.
With a soft, neutral transitional shade (taupe or light brown), define the crease by blending the shade using windshield wiper motions. For this you can try the R.E.M Beauty Midnight Shadows Eyeshadow Palette in Baby Doll. This will add dimension and depth to the eyes that can be lost with an overpowering light hue.
Using a small fluffy eyeshadow brush, apply a white matte eyeshadow all over the lids, focusing on the inner corners and the centre of the eyelids for a brightening effect. For this you could try the trusty MAC Cosmetics Small Eye Shadow in Matte Gesso. You can also add some shimmery pigments on the inner corners of the eyes for a little extra slice of fun and a 3D effect like the R.E.M Beauty Midnight Shadows Liquid Eyeshadow in Lusterous Labcoat.
You want this barely-there cat flick to be so subtle it barely leaves you lash line. For this use a liquid eyeliner with a razor thin, precise brush. Start at the inner corner of your upper lash and draw until the end of the eye line, all while remaining as close to the lash line as possible. For this try: KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner Trooper or Tom Ford Eye Defining Pen Eyeliner.
Go ham on the lashes by curling them with an eyelash curler to open up your eyes. Then apply a coat of your favourite mascara to enhance the length and volume of your lashes. If you want more drama, then why not opt for falsies? After all, it's all about the eyes here. For this R.E.M realness we would obviously recommend R.E.M. Beauty Flourishing Lengthening Mascara and the R.E.M Beauty Dream False Lashes.
Apply a concealer a shade lighter than your skin tone under the eyes to brighten the area. Blend it well and set with a translucent powder. You can also always add a touch of highlighter to other high points of the face for that all round ethereal finish that blends the full look together.
Step 7: Finish with lips and base makeup
To complete the look, opt for a nude or pink lip like Ari did, one that compliments the soft elegance of the eyes. Keep the rest of your makeup fresh and natural to really give the eyeshadow its moment.
Now it didn't all stop there. The pop star also paired her startling eyeshadow with a contrasting pop of colour in her outfit, a sunny yellow space-age look pulled together by her longtime stylist, Mimi Cuttrell.
Clad in a vintage Courrèges skirt set from the 1970s, brown patent leather go-go boots, and Loewe sunglasses, Grande spent the afternoon shade-matching and serving ice cream with her mother, Joan Grande, in tow. The ensemble's golden hue complemented Grande's freshly bleached blonde locks, having recently undertaken the hair transformation for her role as Glinda in the forthcoming Wicked movie.
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It's far from the first time Ariana Grande has worn one of the French fashion brand's creations. In fact, the brand seems to be one of her favourites. She wore the powder blue skirt set pictured below—a contemporary Courrèges design—earlier this summer.
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And she wore lots of Courrèges throughout her tenure as a judge on The Voice, including this black top and button skirt from the line's spring 2022 ready-to-wear collection.
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This story was originally published on Glamour.com and was updated.
For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona.
