How To Wear Red Eyeshadow Without Looking Like A Consumptive 19th Century Morphine-Addict

                   Pale, Tubercular Irish Wastrel? Maybe.  But Consumptive, no!

As the Fall makeup collections begin to hit the stores (already!), we inevitably get bombarded with intriguing and lovely eyeshadows with names like "Berry" and "Wine" and "Fall Leaves" and various other Autumn-appropriate colours.  And if you're like me, you look longingly - wistfully, even - at the lovely wine-reds and think;

That's going to make me look like a hungover, convalescing morphine addict from the 1800s.


However, this isn't necessarily true!  Take it from me - if i, with my Tubercular Irish Wastrel pallor and light hair can make it work, then anyone can.
The key is placement and colour-combinations.  If you want this to be a flattering look you can wear to the office (or generally out in public as a functioning adult), then it's important to know that you don't want to be wearing a glittery blue shadow along with your "wine" colours, for instance.
Provided, of course, you aren't heavy into the Goth/Punk/club scene, in which case you can wear red eyeshadow AND eyeliner smeared all over the damn place, with glitter, and nobody will care; I, however, got that out of my system a number of years ago, and if you're anyone over the age of 35, that's probably not a look you're rocking on a regular basis either.
Which is not to say i don't wear unconventional, and even "wild" makeup still.  And i show looks that are not exactly average on this blog. However, everyone has seen six different colours on a rainbow-eyelid look on girls who are still in their 20's; I love to look at it (and some of the girls whose blogs i read are remarkably good at it - that takes blending skills, yo), but if you're over 35 (like me *coughs*), then unless you're Betsy Johnson, you're probably not going to wear it out to work. 
I'm trying to show how even the less-conventional colours can be worn by anybody.

Even you, over there, clutching your Bobbi Brown palette to your bosom. Don't think i don't see you.

As you can see below, i placed the wine-coloured shadow in the V, carrying it up into the crease just a bit and blending it into both the crease and lid color.
To avoid the "consumptive morphine-addict" look, don't place the berry/wine/red tones directly next to your lashline and for the love of GOD don't put red eyeliner in your waterline.  Talk about sickly and strung out - add been up crying all night watching Twilight to the mix as well.

Nobody wants to see that.

The key here is subtlety. And blending.
I know i harp away on blending like some shrill, tapered blending brush-wielding fishwife - but it simply cannot be stressed enough.
Moving on; In the crease, i used the medium-toned taupe. The lid has a pale-ish gold blended into the reddish shade and i've highlighted with a very light, opalescent, sheer cream-toned shadow.  The liner is a very tame cat-eye and i've kept the lower-lashes free of liner, with just a touch of the crease-colour swiped lightly all the way across the lower lash-line - and a bit of the gold lid-colour blended into the inner-corner as a highlight:

Chanel's eyeliner Stylo Yeaux in Rose Platine  would have been a brilliant choice for under the eyes here, and it's what i planned on using - however i just ran out. And it was, of course, a Limited Edition colour...

As the little toddler i'm babysitting today is so fond of saying when he is denied more candy;
Sad-now :(.

But, Rose Platine eyeliner-crisis notwithstanding -  as you can see this is a very pretty, wearable look you could get away with just about anywhere - to tone down the look of the black eyeliner, you can replace it with a nice deep brown.

Combine with a neutral pink or peach blush and wine or neutral lip, and you're good to go.
Darker skinned beauts can get away with a deeper, wine-toned blush as well - in fact i'd recommend it.  However, on me it looks waaaaaay too un-natural and 19th Century Brothel (what is it with me and the 19th Century fascination today, anyway?).
I opted for the nude lip, because i am a Nude Lip Addict.  It's a problem.
I can't help it. It's a disease.

                                                      Nude lipstick - it's a disease



And that's it!  Below is a list of products used for the eyes, cheeks and lips:

Cheeks: 
Rouge Bunny Rouge blush in Delicata

Lips:
NARS lipliner in Tonga
Rouge Bunny Rouge lipstick in Prey of Lust

Eyes:
Chanel Prelude Quad - lightest shade for highlight, second-lightest shade on lid and second-darkest taupe shade in the crease.
UD pinkish-red/wine-coloured eyeshadow in Last Call
Chanel Stylo Yeux automatic eyeliner pencil in Ebene

I hope you enjoyed today's look!
Please comment, like, follow, share, praise, tout and otherwise help get this new blog a bit of love <3.

Thanks, and see you all tomorrow!

xo
The Painted Lily