Matching makeup trends have come, and gone, in many variations. There's matching your lipstick to your nail polish (a favorite of ours and often dubbed "matching lips and tips" in the beauty community), coordinating your eyeshadow or lip color to your outfit, and, perhaps the most on-trend right now, monochromatic makeup.Monochromatic makeup, as the name implies, is the technique of keeping your eyes, lips, and cheeks within one shade range — and it's having a huge moment right now. To wit, everyone from Rihanna to Gigi Hadid has been hitting the red carpet sporting perfectly coordinated shades.
The best part is that it's easy to pull off. Normally rooted in beige, brown, pink, or red, it can be accomplished easily by picking a shade that looks good on your skin tone, and keeping all the other products within that color family. Not sure where to start? Simply dump out all your makeup on a flat surface and make pairs or trios. This is a great time to break into the many eye palettes you rarely use or neutral lip colors you're not sure how to wear. Or, you can just follow the tips and tricks on the following slides.
Ahead, get ready to get your monochrome on, because we've collected five of our favorite versions of this look from recent red carpets and broken them down for a variety of skin tones.
Gigi Hadid: Burgundy Mono
At an event last week celebrating the Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Issue release, Gigi Hadid sported rosy, almost burgundy lids alongside lips and cheeks in the same color family, only muted. "We wanted to do something bold, yet beautiful; something different than [what] we normally do," makeup artist Patrick Ta says.
After applying foundation, a bit of contour, and setting powder, he dusted on a "pinky-bronze blush to the apples of [her] cheeks to tie the eyeshadow color together" and "in the crease [of her eyes] to create that transition color," he says. Then, he layered Maybelline's Eye Studio Color Tattoo Pure Pigment in Pink Rebel under Improper Copper. He finished with Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color in Nude Lust, which although a neutral, has a warm undertone.
Trick: Incorporating your blush shade into the crease of the eye, like Ta did here, makes matching shades more foolproof.
Shay Mitchell: Beige Mono
For the People's Choice Awards this year, makeup artist Mary Phillips gave Shay Mitchell a look rooted in shades of warm beige, which, although it may sound intimidating, is incredibly easy to wear. The secret? Keep all the shades slightly shimmery, as matte neutrals are a bit harder to master.
Phillips used Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eye Shadow Quad Palette in Mirage to build a dimensional and radiant smoky eye on Mitchell (keep the darkest shade in the crease and the shimmery, lighter shades around the lashline and on the lid) and kept the cheeks glowing with a slightly shimmery bronzer. Then, she used Giorgio Armani's Rouge D’Armani Lipstick in 202 Sheer Brown to ground the lip, and then topped it with added shine, courtesy of Lancôme's Ultimate Lasting Full Color Lipshine in Iridescent.
Trick: Keep shades of beige luminous, which makes them easier to apply and wear.
Tessa Thompson: Coral Mono
Fun fact: One-shade looks can be colorful and still approachable. Take, for instance, actress Tessa Thompson's (who we already know is a trendsetter) coral take on the trend. For the Rodarte fall fashion show last week in New York, she wore a vibrant array of the normally beachy shade, which translated to a finish that was equal parts cool and pretty.
Dig through your own kit for the right hues, or take our advice on your next shopping run: We're partial to Honest Beauty's Truly Kissable Lip Crayon in Coral Kiss for its sheer finish, Nyx's Blush in Intuition for its bright pigments, and MAC's Eye Shadow in Coral for its ease of wear — all of which will flatter a wide range of skin tones.
Trick: Keep bright shades sheer when wearing in threes.
Rihanna: Caramel Mono
In sharp contrast to the black lipstick worn by models on the Rihanna Fenty Puma Collection runway during Fashion Week in New York, RiRi sported a muted palette of caramel browns for her official design debut.
To score the look — which is heavily rooted in a '90s aesthetic— select a few shades from your go-to shadow palette and an eyeshadow guide to craft clean lines directed toward the ends of your brows. Stick to shimmery neutrals, which you can test on the back of your hand to find a flattering combination. (Any palette with many neutrals and finishes will have more than enough options.) An earthy blush is key (we like NARS Blush in Impassioned), but limit the shimmer to ground the look. Then, contour your pout using a neutral lipliner a shade or two darker than your lips. (You know that lipliner in your kit that's a bit too dark for your liking? Now is the time to use it.)
Trick: Temper contoured lips and an upturned eyeshadow look with matte foundation or a dusting of shine-busting powder.
Karolina Kurkova: Pink Mono
Ever wondered how the hell you're supposed to wear the shimmery lavender or pink shadows in your favorite palette? Here's your answer. The model attended a gala in Switzerland last month wearing the soft shades all over her face, but thanks to the smoked-out effect, the result is unexpectedly sultry.
Mimic the look by picking up a pink-toned eye palette — we've recently fallen for CoverGirl's new Tru-Naked Roses Palette, which is surprisingly easy to wear — and a small brush to build out a smoky look. Then, select a blush that aligns with the pinkish shade you land on (Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush has a great range of pinks to pick from) and a soft, pink lip color suited for your complexion. Just make sure the lip finish has a sheen, like that found in Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick. But again, there's a good chance you can find all these colors in your own makeup bag, if you commit to a bit of digging and swatching.
Trick: Shimmery shadow smudged all around the lashline feels more complete when complemented with soft, coordinated hues on the lips and cheeks.
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