Colorful and creative makeup is having a moment—the kind of bold, pigmented look that trades the dewy, no-makeup “clean girl” aesthetic for something louder. Think ‘60s mod eyeliner, ‘70s disco shimmer, and ‘80s color-blocked lids. Call it nostalgia, call it a correction—either way, color is back on the map.
For a lot of us, though, color still feels intimidating—especially in a country where humidity alone is enough reason to play it safe with a subtle wash of neutral shadow and call it a day. That hesitation is valid. But it also doesn’t have to be permanent. Makeup artist Slo Lopez is on a mission to make color more approachable, one step at a time—no overthinking required, and just a willingness to try.
Exploring color through a high-pigmented format
Slo Lopez is a working makeup artist with credits across editorial shoots and runway shows. She is also Issy’s Creative Visionary, whose worked with almost all of the brand’s product launches, starting with the Active Skin Tint.
Her signature makeup look? It varies, actually. It can either be too natural and skin-like or bold and painterly color work. Both treat the face as a canvas, rather than a base that needs correcting.
She first collaborated with Issy for an exclusive 24-shade single pressed powder shadow collection of mattes and duochromes. Her newest release takes a different route: a line of multi-use liquid paints that can double as eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, or even foundation, depending on how you apply them. When asked why she chose this format, she pointed to a specific gap in the market: powder already dominates.
“There’s lots of powder eyeshadows, and then when it comes to color it’s like it feels very like, ‘Oh it’s for Halloween, or oh, it’s for a costume,’” she explained. “So I wanted something you could incorporate in the most subtle way, but it would still perform like an eyeliner, or you could mix it to make it not so long-lasting.”
Kim Santos
Here are some tips from Slo to help you kickstart your journey to embracing more color in your beauty routine.
Tip #1: Practice before you shower
We all know the adage, “practice makes perfect,” and it applies to makeup, too. Being intimidated by color is normal—Slo herself calls it a mindset. Her advice: start practicing right before you shower.
“Just put eyeshadow on, and it’s okay. You’ll just shower it off, and if you do that every day, you’ll suddenly see yourself getting better or finding a way to make it work for you,” she said.
“It’s not about you being able to copy how it works for other people. It’s about you being happy with how you apply it on yourself. The next thing you know, if you do that constantly, you’ll find a way to, like, ‘Hey, I’m getting better at it.’”
Tip #2: Go for a color that’s closest to your skin
This might sound like the easiest one in the bunch, but colors can look different across skin tones. One color might read too warm, another one too cool, and another one might seem a bit…off. Slo’s advice? Just try different colors to see what’s closest to your skin.
“Go for something close to your skin. So for example, like warm tones, pinks, and reds, those are easy ones to try and play with,” she said. Another tip is that if not color, why not try on different finishes?
If color still feels like a stretch, finish is another way in. Start with something sheer, then build up the pigment as you go—you might land on a level of intensity you might actually like.
Kim Santos
Kim Santos
Kim Santos
Kim Santos
Tip #3: Start subtly with eyeliner
Colorful eyeliner can feel like the most intimidating entry point into color—but Slo says it’s not about the precision; it’s about lowering the stakes.
“Don’t start with the sharpest wing if that’s scary to you. Just get the pencil or the paint or the powder and just dot it in a color you love, and you’d be surprised, like, ‘Oh, I could actually wear it out and it’s not crazy,’ and then if you want it to be a bit even more friendly, just put some glitter on or like some reflects on top of that because it feels more whimsical that way.”
Tip #4: Layer slowly and thinly
Layering has its conventional rules—liquid and creams before powder, for a better payoff. But for pigmented and buildable products, you can shape the product to whatever consistency you want and skip the rulebook altogether.
Slo’s suggestion: layer slowly and thinly, so you don’t end up using more product than you’re supposed to.
“If you do thick layers, it’s harder to navigate, so I would say work in sections, and then there’s always a way to erase, so the nice thing is you get some makeup remover or a concealer, and you could totally clean it up,” she said.
Kim Santos
Kim Santos
Kim Santos
Kim Santos
Color isn’t scary
Color is already everywhere in our daily lives—the clothes in our closet, the curtains in our room, the palettes we scroll past on Instagram. We knew this instinctively as kids, too, coloring outside the lines without a second thought.
As we bring more color into our beauty routines, we just have to give ourselves the same grace—some room to try and room to practice.
Kim Santos
Frequently Asked Questions
Makeup artist Slo Lopez recommends practicing color makeup right before showering, since there’s no pressure to get it right. Doing this daily builds skill gradually, letting beginners find what works for their own face without fear of a lasting mistake.
Slo Lopez suggests choosing shades closest to a person’s natural undertone, like warm pinks and reds, since these read naturally across skin tones. If color feels intimidating, adjusting the finish from matte to sheer is another easier entry point.
Slo Lopez advises against a precise, sharp wing right away. Instead, dot a loved color onto the lash line with a pencil, paint, or powder, then add glitter for a softer, more whimsical, forgiving finish.
Slo Lopez recommends layering pigmented eyeshadow, eyeliner, or blush slowly and in thin sections rather than all at once, since thick layers are harder to control. Makeup remover or concealer can correct any uneven application afterward.
Slo Lopez has worked on nearly every Issy launch as the brand’s Creative Visionary, starting with the Active Skin Tint. Her newest collaboration is multi-use liquid paints that double as eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, or foundation.
