6 Ways to Wear Bright or Glittery Eye Makeup if You're Over 35

Neon eyeliner, glittery eyeshadows and sparkly gems: Bright eye makeup is one beauty trend that shows no signs of quitting anytime soon (especially with the Barbie movie coming out later this month). And though we don’t like to subscribe to any rules or limit ourselves by age when it comes to our personal style, it can be nice to have some guidelines when trying something new. So, without further ado, we present to you a short and sweet guide to wearing bright eye makeup for the 35+ crowd.

Let’s kick things off with this vibrant eyeshadow look that celebrity makeup artist Jo Baker created for actress Teresa Palmer. As she explained in an Instagram post, “Heavily inspired by all the Barbie movie promo and content I’m seeing on the gram, we wanted to add a neon punch to this classic black Dior two-piece to add a modern and fresh fun blast of color!”

As you can see when the actress closes her eyes, the pink eyeshadow is mostly concentrated on the outer thirds of her lids, so you get that pop of bright without overwhelming your entire eye area with it.

If neon pink is a tad much, try a softer version of the trending hue that will still brighten up your complexion. Using a light pink eyeshadow and a fluffy eyeshadow brush, diffuse the color over your lids, sheering it out as you blend up towards your brows. Then, add a dash of eyeliner and some mascara to define your eyes, before finishing up your look with a complementary pink lipstick.

Another shade that’s been seeing a surge in popularity lately? Green, which makes sense, as it’s the perfect partner to pink. We love how makeup artist Sabrina Bedrani added a crisp line of the hue just underneath the eyes and winged them out past the outer corners here. Tip: Keep the rest of your look muted to really let the green take center stage.

You better believe we’ll be trying this at our next fancy pants event (aka an upcoming wedding). Between the slash of floating eyeliner and the smattering of small gems above and below the eyes, it somehow strikes the balance between being super glam and understated.

For a similar vibe that’s slightly more retro, skip the graphic eyeliner and place your eye gems just along the lower lashes to create what Baker calls “tear drop sparkles.” Paired with a classic red lip, it’s the perfect combo of old-meets-new.

As for this beauty editor, I’ve been wearing a hint of shimmer nearly every day for the past year (even when I’m not wearing any other makeup). I’ve found that the smallest amount of glitter lends a near imperceptible sparkle to your eyes, so they look brighter and a little less tired. Plus, it allows me to indulge my inner K-Pop idol.

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