Ultima Beauty: Summer Purple Eyeshadow Tutorial

Collage: Text: Summer Purple Eyeshadow Tutorial. First Picture: Ultima Beauty's face, closed eyes with purple eyeshadow on eye lids; Picture two: Various cosmetics spread out on desk.

Hi Beauty Lovers!

Today I’m doing a summer makeup tutorial for you featuring purple eyeshadow and glossy neutral lips.

So break out your summer playlist (mine always includes The Click Five's Catch Your Wave, yeah I'm that old lol🎵) and the iced coffee and get ready for my new purple eyeshadow look --with some affordable favorites too!

Two colorful eyeshadow palettes on a fluffy purple pillow

NYX Avant Pop Art Throb palette and Urban Decay Ammo palette

P.S. You can check out my video tutorial of this post here

Purple eyeshadow is very popular for summer 2021.

The only problem I faced with this trend is: which one do I choose???

There are so many gorgeous purple eyeshadows to choose from.💜

Which shade? Do I go with a richer one like violet, plum, eggplant, or wine?

Or do I choose a lighter variation like mauve, lavender, periwinkle, or orchid?

Do I pick a pretty purple (try saying that five times fast!) to bring out the color of my eyes, which are hazel, and go for the eggplant or mauve?

(for blue eyes try deeper purples, for brown eyes all shades of purple look beautiful!)

Space Case in Alien Love Child, INMO in Super Bass, Suva Beauty in BBQ, Complex Culture in Lavender Metal, theBalm in Matt Moskowitz, Phase Zero in Velvet

With so many options I decided to go somewhere in the middle, a shade of purple between dark raspberry and mulberry. A purple with some red/pink undertones to bring out the flecks in my eye color, but also reminds me of summer sunsets on the horizon.

And then I topped it off with an iridescent lilac shade 😉

Index finger pointing at the purple eyeshadow shade in NYX Avant Pop Art Throb Palette

I picked the purple shade in my NYX Avant Pop Art Throb palette

(If you don’t have this palette, NYX Hot Singles eyeshadow in Flustered is a similar shade of purple and retails for about $4.50).

Now that you have selected your perfect purple eyeshadow, you can get started with my Summer Purple Eyeshadow tutorial!

Note: I realized after creating this summer look that many of the Urban Decay eyeshadows I used have since been discontinued (dislike). I’ve included dupes for all of the discontinued shades throughout this post.

Three Makeup compacts: MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation, Space Case eyeshadow in the shade Alien Love Child, MAC eyeshadow in the shade Carbon.

Recipe for My Summer Purple Eyeshadow Look

Makeup products and brushes laying on desk.

1. Primer & Purple Shadow: For any summertime eyeshadow look, prepping the lids is crucial. After applying a primer, sweep your purple shadow of choice all over your eye lids, stopping just a little into the crease of your eye.

Ultima Beauty's face: sweeping purple eyeshadow on eye lid with an eyeshadow brush.

2. Metallic Brown Shadow & Blend: Dust a warm brown shadow with a hint of a metallic finish in the crease of your eye for a brightening effect.

Run it all the way through and take it out of the crease a tiny bit, creating a slight wing. Use a blending brush to soften the lines for a diffused sunset effect.

-I used Smog from Urban Decay which has been discontinued, but MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow is a close dupe, Urban Decay’s Chopper is similar to Smog, but a tad lighter with more of a rose undertone.

Ultima Beauty blending brown eyeshadow into the crease of the eye with an eyeshadow brush.

3. Black Eyeshadow as Liner + Lavender & White Shadows: Heavy liquid liner is better suited for fall, use a super pigmented, matte black shadow on an angled eyeshadow brush to define your lashes.

Using a pressing/stamping motion, line your lashes with the black shadow, creating a tiny wing at the outer corner of your eye.

Next take a lavender shimmer shadow and dust it across your brow bone.

On top of the lavender shadow, sweep a white shimmer, just for an extra highlight.

-Dupes for Urban Decay’s Grifter (lavender shadow): MAC #Humblebrag is almost a dead ringer, MAC DazzleShadow in Shine De-Light is also close.

-A close dupe for Urban Decay’s Polyester Bride (white shadow) is MAC DazzleShadow in She Sparkles

Ultima Beauty lining eye lashes with black eyeshadow and an angled eyeshadow brush.

4. Champagne Eyeliner & More Brown Shadow: Run a shimmery champagne pencil liner along your lower water line to brighter up eyes.

Then use the same metallic brown shadow you used in the crease to line your lower lash line.

Ultima Beauty lining lower water line of the eye with a pencil eyeliner.

5. Waterproof Mascara, Iridescent Shadow & Concealer: Swipe a waterproof mascara on your top and bottom lashes making sure to “wiggle” the brush back and forth so it catches every little lash.

Using your fingertip tap a lilac iridescent eyeshadow onto the center of your eyelid.

Clean up any fall out with a concealer.

Ultima Beauty placing eyeshadow onto center of eye lid with middle finger.

6. Bronzer, Liquid Highlighter & Blush: Lightly dust a bronzer under your cheekbones and blend out. Gently tap a liquid champagne colored highlighter on top of your cheekbones and down the bridge of your nose for a lit-from-within glow that will look perfect when the summer sunset hits it!

Blend a baby-pink blush on the apples of your cheeks and softly into your bronzer.

Ultima Beauty dotting liquid highlighter down bridge of nose with applicator.

7. Brow Gel & Lip Gloss: Run a clear brow gel through your eyebrows to keep them in place.

Swipe on a hydrating rose gloss on lips for a dewy beach-like look.

Ultima Beauty applying lip gloss to upper lip.

Put it all together and you get...

Ultima Beauty; closed eye lids, finished makeup look.

A pretty purple eyeshadow look perfect for summer nights, picnics, or festivals.

Ultima Beauty: opened eyes, finished makeup look.

To help set makeup for hot days (or anytime) I use a setting powder to keep everything in place. I use MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NW10.

Ultima Beauty: closed eye lids, finished makeup look, with bangs

For an extra long lasting look, I recommend spritzing on a makeup setting spray in addition to a setting powder (my favorite is Too Faced's Hangover Rx Setting Spray)