Coloured eyeliner? For summer? Groundbreaking.

Colour theory, but for your eyes

Every year, summer brings not just the urge, but also the courage to wear lots of colour. I’ve been watching maximalist beauty creators like Rowi Singh and Yogitha creating stunning technicolor eyeliner looks and feeling inspired to do the same. Especially because in Mumbai’s heat, coloured eyeliner is always the friend I can rely on to stick around when my blush takes off with my sweat.

Colourful eyeliner? For summer? Yes, I know what Miranda Priestly would say and I don’t mean to disrespect her just a few weeks before The Devil Wears Prada 2 comes out, but it really is groundbreaking. Especially when you consider how different colours can completely elevate and transform everyday makeup looks.

And think about it, hasn’t colourful eyeliner always been iconic? From the viral South Korean idol and Chinese Douyin makeup trends, to Maddy’s (Alexa Demie) blue graphic eyeliner with rhinestones in the show Euphoria, or the smokey purple Kareena Kapoor Khan rocked in ‘Chhaliya’, a bold colourful eye-line has always signalled personality and playfulness.

So save the blacks for the dead of winter, and bring out your summer eyeliner palette. Here’s a bit of colour theory to help you make them pop.

How coloured eyeliners can shape and transform your face

For looking young and alive: nude, beige, white

White eyeliner was popularised globally by British model Twiggy in the 1960s, and the ‘doe-eyed’ look remains a makeup mainstay of many East Asian cultures even today. Like Japan’s Gyaru subculture—women and girls who participate in it use white eyeliner to make their eyes look bigger and more youthful.

For more utilitarian purposes, like if you’re crunched for time and can’t reapply your concealer but also need to look alive, fashion content creator Carla Rockmore recommends beige or nude eyeliner. Either of these in your waterline can freshen up your eyes in seconds, just like a shot of caffeine.

Add to cart

Makeup Revolution Streamline Eyeliner Pencil (White): This creamy formula glides on easily and is made for use either in your waterline or over your lids. The smudger also allows you to use the eyeliner as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base.

Estée Lauder Smoke & Brighten Kajal Eyeliner Duo (Noir And Cream): This duo pencil is perfect for a compact makeup kit, and beige mimics the waterline skin better than white, making the brightening effect look much more natural and subtle.

PAC Cream Eyeliner (Aqua Nude): Since cream eyeliners are more pigmented and dry faster than gel formulas, they’re better for brightening the inner corners of your eyes than in your waterline. You could also use this one as a neutral base to make other colours pop and bonus: eyeliner in a pot is much easier to control and learn with.

For smokey, daytime drama: brown, burgundy, grey

These shades give eyes definition without looking harsh or too ceremonial. It’s a trick I picked up from YouTuber Alexandra Anele, and though she used it in the context of lighter skin tones (on which black can look very harsh), I found they worked well on my medium Indian skin as well. In fact, I think they’d work for most complexions.

Browns, greys and burgundies can lift up the eyes, travel from day to night, and unlike black, won’t leave you with panda-esque patches on sweaty summer days.

Add to cart

Lakmé 9-to-5 Eyeliner (Medium Brown): This range of Lakmé eyeliners comes in different intensities of brown, like natural, medium and deep. I like to reach for the medium as it works best for my tone, but if you prefer a hue as close to black as possible, deep brown works best.

Kay Beauty Quick Dry Liquid Eyeliner (Shadow Play): Grey eyeliners are low-contrast, making them suitable for both nighttime and daytime looks. This one, described as a ‘demi-matte’, will add subtle smoke to your everyday eyeliner game. It also complements the rich browns in most Indian eyes really well.

e.l.f Cosmetics Smoky Kohl Eyeliner (Berry Necessary): Similar to the brown eyeliner, burgundy and berry tones are your partners in lowkey glam. I personally love pairing brown and burgundy eyeliners with gold eyeshadow to up the ante without looking like I’m headed to a shaadi.

For eyes like summer: yellow, green, chrome

Summer vacations are almost here and whether you’re the busy mom, packing everyone’s essentials for the amusement park, or the favourite aunt who keeps the ice cream coming round the clock, there’s barely time or care for anything more than sunscreen.

Enter pop-coloured eyeliners. I’ve found my younger cousins and nieces get a kick out of them, they give my relaxed outfits a bit of masti, and if I use setting powder just once, they last through the roller coaster rides and the tantrums.

Add to cart:

L.A. Girl Pastel Dream Auto Eyeliner (Sunshine): As the name suggests, it’s sunshine in a pencil. What’s more, the pigment is bright enough to work on Indian skin without needing a white-eyeliner base.

Charmacy Milano Stellar Eyeliner (Nebula 2): Chrome liquid eyeliners are ideal for a night out with the girls or summer concerts. A liquid format will give you lustre and a more even finish, even if it takes a few seconds extra to set and dry.

Nykaa Glamoreyes Shimmer Eye Pencil (Teal Spell): Green complements Indian skin tones really well, and can look super fun, festive or luxurious depending on the shade you pick. But teal does all three, and pops on medium and darker skin tones.

For glitter that’s grown-up: gold, silver

Did you know metallic eyeliners have been around for almost three thousand years? Beauty historian and content creator Erin Parsons recreated how the Assyrians used a mix of graphite and manganese to create that sheen. Those ancient Mesopotamians would rest easy knowing you’re rocking their discovery at your cousin’s sangeet as well as out on a dancing date.

Add to cart:

Urban Decay Moondust Liquid Glitter Eyeliner (Space Cowboy): Gold eyeliner is festive and makes brown eyes pop because it brings out their natural depth. This particular shade of gold would work especially well as it doesn’t have the usual heavy yellow undertone, which can add too much contrast.

Maybelline New York Tattoo Play Liquid Eyeliner (Spark): If gold eyeliners enhance brown eyes, silvers contrast their warmth to give edge. And if you have a bit of green in your eyes? You’ll look coolly futuristic. Any theme parties coming up?

M.A.C Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eyeliner (Serial Monogamist): I thought I was adding a subtle shade to my collection, but was pleasantly surprised to find how grungy, gritty and girly this khaki green looks instead. Especially when paired with a nude lip.

How to make your eyeliner stay

I like to use tools like thin eyeliner brushes, setting powders and Inglot’s Duraline to make each look last long. Brushes give me more control over how much pigment I’m using, and it’s easier to set eyeliner with thinner brushes and translucent setting powders. Duraline makes gel formulas last through sweat and also helps me resurrect pot eyeliners that are drying out.

Bright and colourful eyeliners used to intimidate me, but I realised that picking the right tone, depth and saturation can truly transform how my makeup ends up looking. Summer or not, I may never go back to black.