Steal Desigual's Runway-Ready Neon Eye Look

Sure, fashion week is all about the clothes, but the hair and makeup is half (or at least 30 percent) of the fun, right? The various looks always run the gamut from surprisingly wearable, a la the retro-inspired cat eyes at Max Mara at Milan Fashion Week to pretty strictly For Models Only (like the pearl facial jewelry at Givenchy, or the traditional Korean-inspired mega-braids at Chanel Cruise Seoul). Well, as a part of Barcelona Fashion Week (which appears to be going on right now — it's tough to keep up with all of the various international fashion weeks, eh?), Desigual just delivered a look that hits the perfect balance between runway-ready and poolside-lounging.

The look in question also happens to play off of the neon trend making the rounds (again) this summer — it's a mostly natural look, with the very notable exception of some eye-searingly bright blue eyeshadow, applied all the way around the eyes in a slightly cat-esque shape. Yep, the electric blue eyes are definitely the centerpiece, while the supporting players are the dewy skin, summery coral cheeks and glossy lips.

It's still a bit out there, if you don't happen to be stomping the runway, but it's definitely an achievable look, if you're feeling adventurous — so I decided to take a stab at it. Here goes!

The Base

• Foundation: In keeping with the summer theme, I ramped back my foundation routine, opting instead for a tinted moisturizer of sorts — equal parts of my favorite light coverage foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum), and my moisturizer of the moment (CeraVe Daytime Facial Lotion) swirled together.
• Blush: I did my best to go for that sunkissed look, by pairing Benefit CORALista (applied to the apples of my cheeks) and Benefit Hoola (applied to the mostly non-existent hollows of my cheeks).
• Brows: Keep it simple, because the eyes are the main attraction. I lightly filled them in, but clear brow gel (or nothing at all, depending on your brows/brow preferences) will probably do you just fine.

The Eyeshadow

Starting with my upper lid, I outlined to my crease line, making a slightly winged shape using a bright blue liner (Urban Decay Glide-On Pencil in Radium — unfortunately, it was LE, but Deep End is a pretty close match). I filled it in lightly with liner, smudged it all together, then topped with an equally bright blue shadow (Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Peace). I started with the liner to create a stronger base for the color, and also because I thought it would help give me slightly cleaner lines and precision.

If you'll notice, the Desigual models are sporting a more matte look — but I just used what I happened to have on hand. The shades I used were sadly not quite as bright — but they are slightly brighter than they photographed.

Next, I went for the lower lashline. I started off with an eyeliner base once more, and drew from the inner corner outwards, flicking up to connect to the upper eyeshadow, and to create a more defined wing shape. Then, I added the eyeshadow on top, and did my best to clean up my smudgy lines using my pinky (a makeup remover cotton swab might be your friend at this point).

The Finishing Touches

To top things off, I waterlined my upper lashline for more definition, added on a fairly thick layer of mascara, and put on my favorite coral gloss of the moment (TONYMOLY Fruit Princess Gloss in Pomegranate Princess — it's a little harder to find, but Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Kiss Me Coral will probably do you just as well if you're in the market for new gloss this summer).

And, ta-da! You're now officially ready to go all fashion-y at your upcoming 4th of July barbecue!

Images: maccosmetics/Instagram; Rosie Narasaki