Coordinating Brighter Colors With Neutrals

I'm a neutral lover at heart but brights are nice to wear in sheer washes mixed in with neutrals. For coordinating brights I don't there are any rules you need to stick to. Just experiment with different combinations of colors to see what you're most comfortable with. I mainly pick out colors depending on the occasion or what clothes I'm wearing for the day (one example here with a yellow top, bright coral cheek, coppery bronze eye and nude gold lip). I usually go for something that is as natural as possible and here are a few things I go by:

• Brighten the face by applying bronzer first then layer a soft wash of bright pink or coral or peach on top
• Mixing pinks and peach blushes together can add depth and dimension
  
• Can you match your lip color to your blush? Sure! For example using different variations of pink can create a pretty coordinated look
• You don't have to match lips and cheeks, having a bright coral cheek with a sheer bright or soft pink lip can work well too
  
• If something is too bright, you can sheer it out with a soft blending brush or by adding a paler shimmer color on top

A few ideas - use these for color ideas rather than the specific name of the brand or product.

* Tip - At a national artist event for NARS, the artist blended Goldfinger with Nepal together and it created the most beautiful soft rose gold shadow. When using bronzer and a bright blush, I usually apply bronzer first, but most artists at events apply bronzer as the final touch.

* Tip - For the eyes, layering colors can be done by applying the lightest shade first, then the cream, and finally the bronzey powder on top. For MAC Fleur Power Blush, I find it so universally flattering it will go with either a bright lip and a pale lip, or the bright and pale mixed together for a softer peachy glow.

* Tip - Mix pinks and peaches by layering them on top of each other on the cheeks. Depending on your mood or preference, you can adjust the color by applying one color more heavily than the other.

* Tip - Coral blushes can be coordinated with either bright pinks or bright peaches for lips since many have both pink and peach mixed in.

You may notice there are no nail polishes featured in any of these looks. I think bright nails can be mixed and matched in almost any combination to work with a variety of looks. I hope you found this mini series helpful. Summer collections are about to trickle in soon - so I'm sure there will plenty of inspiration for all of you in the upcoming months!

If you have any tips or want to share how you wear brighter colors, feel free in the comments! Makeup events with a good artist can be incredibly useful for tips, tricks and ideas on how to incorporate new things with well-used loves :)