Eye makeup tutorial: Butterfly eyes for Summer

An ode to the Morpho butterfly

Shimmering iridescence in waves of blue, green and teal with every flap of their wings, Morpho butterflies are a delight to behold.

Native to South America, Mexico and Central America, Morphos have long been used in the making of ceremonial headdresses and jewelry.

I was lucky enough to spot them at the California Academy of Sciences where they're part of the Rainforests of the World section.  I was blown away by the beautiful exhibits, history and ongoing research going on there.

A HUGE plus is that every thursday night, the Academy hosts special events with music and cocktails for 21+ folks.  Great way to party, learn new things and meet awesome people- check it out here.

Here's a picture of the Morpho butterfly btw:

I was inspired by the beautiful colors of the Morpho butterfly to create the look below for you.  It's shimmery, flirty and totally wearable.

The Finished Look

 

Products used:

 

Lilac eyeshadow base: Make up forever aqua cream #18

Teal eyeshadow base:  L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Endless Sea

Navy blue eyeshadow: Urban Decay Evidence

Blue mascara: MAC Blue Charge (This was a limited edition release and is no longer available.  Here's a great substitute)

How to achieve this look:

1. Use a flat shader brush to apply the lilac eyeshadow base on the inner corners of your upper and lower eyelids.  This is a great way to open up your eyes and make them appear wider.
2. Using a clean soft towel, wipe off the flat shader brush from Step 1.   Use the clean brush to apply the teal eyeshadow base along the remainder of your upper eyelid.  Overlap this color on the lilac base a wee bit to blur out any harsh lines between the two colors.  It makes for a much better gradation in color this way.  Also, try to avoid getting extending the base beyond the crease, we want to limit the colors to the upper eyelid below the crease for this look.
3. Using a fluffy dome brush, sweep the navy blue eyeshadow gently over the teal base. Sweep back and forth gently to blend the color.
4. Gently drag the color from the outer corner of your eyelid towards your brow- wing it slightly to lift the eye.
5. Line the bottom of the lashline with the same navy blue eyeshadow.
6. Curl and apply blue mascara.

The result is a complex, multi-hued symphony of purple, blue and teal that shimmers with every blink : )  And it's pretty easy to pull off.  The trick is to keep the rest of the makeup very neutral so the focus is on the eyes.

My husband, who's not as obsessed with makeup as I am, actually commented on how gorgeous this look was..we even went grocery shopping with my butterfly eyes....It was a bummer having to wash this off my face at the end of the day...oh well, c'est la vie.

Do you like butterflies?  Would you try this look out? What occasions would you wear it for?

I'd love to hear your questions or comments :)

Have fun and enjoy your week,
B