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10 best eye shadows for summer

Enhance your baby blues with one of this season's runway-inspired shades

Monday 14 November 2016 11:33 GMT

(Dolce & Gabbana)

The spring summer 2016 catwalk was awash with colour on the eyes. From tropical brights, to metallic shimmering bronze, choose from our pick of the best tones and textures.

1. RMK Color Performance Eyes in 03: £29, Look Fantastic

Diane von Furstenberg's spring summer show included Studio 54 inspired make-up – stunning aquamarine eyes in blue and green shimmer. Get a toned down, wearable copy of this look with RMK's trio palette of barely-there, soft, shimmery greens and blues and combine it with lashings of black mascara.

2. Max Factor Masterpiece Nude Palette in 01 Cappuccino Nudes: £14.99, Boots

This summer's sheeny, glossy, nude eyes and cheeks were seen at Alberta Ferretti and you can get the look with this stunning palette of eight contouring eye shadows in matte and shimmery neutrals. Try a wash of one of the three palest shades across the whole eye, followed by one of the middle three colours in the crease of the eyelids and into the corner to add definition. Finally use one of the two darkest shades along the upper and lower lash line to enhance the eyes. A great value set that gives high-end brands a real run for their money.

3. Bagsy Beautiful Eyes 24 Hour Eye Colour with Sharpener in Take The Plunge 04: £7, Feel Unique

Philip Lim featured bright blue eyeliner, while Missoni went for striking turquoise across the whole eye lid. Go for as much or little as you like with this inexpensive but highly pigmented, chunky pencil, that comes out in the most stunning aquamarine turquoise I've ever found. It's creamy, long-lasting, stays put all day and looks sensational with bronzed skin.

4. Delilah Gel Line Long Wear Eyeliner in Ink 1502: £22, Delilah Cosmetics

Cobalt blue, show-stopping turquoise and sunshine yellow were applied in graphic tropical blocks across the eyes at Missoni. Delilah's beautifully vibrant blue liner – which is water- and smudge-proof – will give you a more wearable version of this bold catwalk look.

5. Clarins Waterproof Eyeshadow Shimmering Cream Colour in Golden Peach 01: £18, Clarins

Metallic and foil finishes dominated the runway make-up this season with show-stopping eyelids a favourite. This shimmering, waterproof, crease-proof offering from Clarins is perfect as it won't slide in the heat by the pool or on the beach, and looks gorgeously glossy with a tan.

6. Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Mono Cream Eye Colour in Turquoise 113: £27, Harrods

From Diane von Furstenberg and Philip Lim to Missoni, Marc Jacobs and Max Mara, bold cyan blue, shimmering azure, aquamarine and deep turquoise were all over the eyes on this season's runway shows. A modern take on the 1980s blue eye shadow, get the look 30 years on with this easy-to-use, creamy eye colour – simply finger dip and apply a wash over the entire lid. Build up the intensity with as much colour as you can carry off.

7. Rosie for Autograph Cream Eyeshadow in Sparkle & Magic: £12.50, Marks & Spencer

Stand-out-from-the-crowd metallic lids brought a hint of retro disco glamour to the runways this season including gold lips at Prada and, in a homage to Ziggy Stardust, silver on the eyes at Maison Margiela. Get the look with this easy-to-blend, smooth, creamy pen eye shadow in stunning gunmetal silvery grey. Simply draw over the lids, smudge and blend in with fingertips. Add a little extra in the creases for definition.

8. MAC Eyeshadow in Bronze: £13, MAC Cosmetics

If you like your metallics and foil finishes warm in tone, then this beautiful, burnished, golden bronze will be just the shade you're looking for to give your lids a glamorous, futuristic sci-fi edge.

9. Make Up Forever Aqua Cream Waterproof Cream Color in Pink Beige 16: £17, Debenhams

This shimmering neutral, reminiscent of Alberta Ferretti's glossy nude skin and eyes, is ballet slipper pink in its tone and absolutely budge-proof and smudge-proof. Work fast, because this won't shift until you remove it with cleanser – perfect for staying put in the heat.

10. Bourjois Smoky Stories Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Blue-Issant: £7.99, Feel Unique

If you're keen to try the Marc Jacobs morning-after, smudgy blue eye-shadow look, but you want a toned-down version, this palette of soft smoky blues, a gentle grey and a shimmering highlighter is a good place to start. Easy to blend, with good pigments (but still soft and subtle), you can get the catwalk look without making too bold a statement. Lashings of black mascara help carry off a blue eye too.

Verdict

Max Factor delivers an all-round perfect neutrals palette, Bagsy has a simply stunning turquoise iridescent liner, while Clarins’ gleaming glossy cream is sensational on bronzed skin. But for capturing this season's must-have bright blues in a toned-down, wearable version, RMK has come up with a beautiful palette of softly shimmering blues and greens.