Here’s Why We Think Ombre Makeup Needs To Carry Over Into 2017, And Why You Should Have FUN With It

by Sejal Parikh · January 14, 2017

The ombre hair trend sprouted everywhere in recent times and has refused to budge ever since. From runways to Hollywood, it has been making its presence felt like a trend that’s here to rule. The multi-tone trend has, since, penetrated into outfits, accessories and makeup- making those lesser-daring souls among us take to these less-permanent ombre trends with all the love it truly deserves. Ombre lips have been a ‘thing’ since Monique L’huillier, Christian Dior, and Prabal Gurung made runaway successes of’em on the runway early in 2014 and every celebrity in the town from Cher Lloyd to Jessica Alba gave the two-tone a try. Ombre eye makeup has also been a hot favorite on the red carpet with everyone from Jlaw to Gomez pulling off the starkly dramatic pucker and statement ombre eye combo in style. Ombre nails have, since forever, been our favorite pinnable possibilities- and if any of you haven’t tried on any ombre yet, it is time to show the trend some love.

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Makeup artists all over the world haven’t exhausted the possibilities of playing with colors (can anybody ever?) and it is, therefore, no surprise that the ombre makeup trend needs some more lovin’ in the new year. Of course, the hair trend shall occupy a brief, noteworthy mention too- but we are all about ombre makeup today- so let’s get the hair trend out of the way quick.

Ombre hair

If celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Sarah Jessica Parker and Victoria Beckham haven’t evinced it already, ombre hair is going to be a ruling trend for a long time. Graduated tones add life and texture into any hairstyle and whether you are going for a dramatic color-job or simply, adding lighter tones to the ends, the technique can add vitality to any hairdo. All you need to do is give your hair a color refresh, rinse and dry out your strands, mix up your lifting shade for the ends, and take layered pieces to apply the same a few inches from the ends, graduating intensity upward to achieve an ombre effect. The color needs to be smudged up along the way, so you don’t get any harsh lines. If you aren’t going for an all-over ombre, this is the best approach for a scattered ombre look.

Of course, the possibilities of playing with colors, accessories and hairdos is endless- making the trend a hotpot of experimentation. Take a look at our lookbook here:

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Ombre lips

Ombre makeup is a hot favorite with makeup artists and ombre lips are, perhaps, the most underplayed territory. There is ample scope for experimentation in the realm as is evinced by the myriad puckers shouting out to the beauty world. The two-tone effect is the simplest form where a lighter shade is used on one lip and a darker on another, to blend in on the inner side.

The outer devil remains an ever-popular form where your lips are lined with a liner that’s one shade darker than the base color. The line is thicker on the corners and tapers toward the inside, while the base lipstick is applied leaving out an inner portion to be played up with an even lighter shade. This helps to create a dramatic gradient and it may or may not be topped off with a clear gloss. The inner devil is simply a reversal of sorts of the previous technique with the gradient varying in the opposite direction. The technique works best with colors where the contrast isn’t a stark one. Think a pink inner color with a nude outer gradient. Of course, there are plenty of other looks- like the dramatic play up with Goth makeup or the multi-toned gradients, sparkle ombre etc- depending on how deftly you could vary the basic techniques and draw out beautifully done gradients.

Check out the breathtaking variety of possibilities in our lookbook:

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Ombre eyes

Perhaps the most loved aspect of ombre makeup, ombre eyes can simply take your breath away. The sheer number of variants (if one can keep a count at all) makes the whole business an exciting deal. You could pick varying shades in the same color family or even ones from different families as long as you have mastered the skill of smudging and blending perfectly. The trick (if you are using a three-color combination) is to start out at the lash line with the lightest shade and move all the way up to the bow. Thereafter, the next shade needs to be filled in from the lash line until the crease and then, the darkest along the lash line. Of course, if you are using more than three-colors, you need to create a gradation accordingly. The ombre makeup add depth and dimension to the eyes and make them stand out.

If only we could present you with all the possibilities on the ombre eye makeup trend, but check out our top favorites- they shall give you a GOOD idea:

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Ombre nails

Whether you are going in for fRench fades, sunset skies, morning hues or simply, glitter gradients- you can create a stunning range of manicure designs that can match your level of expertise, time slot and occasion with a payoff that exceeds all the investment. From whole-hand gradient to diagonal, horizontal and vertical ones- and embellished designs to arty sticker/tape or decal patterns, there is a whole gamut waiting to be explored here. Check out some of our favorite picks for handy inspiration:

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