Julianne Hough's Makeup Artist Reveals How to Make Your Eyes Pop

Beauty pro Spencer Barnes shares tips and products

By Alanah Joseph Oct 06, 2017 8:00 PMTags
ESC: Julianne HoughNoel Vasquez/Getty Images

There's a reason why celebs like Julianne HoughNina Dobrev and Kristin Cavallari go to makeup artist Spencer Barnes. He knows how to make their beauty standout on the red carpet.

As Julianne's trusted beauty pro for nearly ten years, his advanced techniques and use of color helps to solidify her signature beauty: her brilliant blue eyes. While her natural color is piercing, his products and practices maximize their impact.

"The best tricks to making your eyes pop are two things: Structure, creating illusions, elongating lines; and, then the other thing is creating a focus," he said on yesterday's episode of freeSTYLE, alongside hosts Zuri Hall and The Bachelor's Vanessa Grimaldi. "If you have dark eyes, it's using color theory to play with colors that go opposite to create some interest." 

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The makeup artist commonly refers to the color wheel as a reference to selecting the perfect eyeshadow. It's his secret to making impactful eye makeup, no matter the color of his client's eyes.

"If you have blue eyes or green eyes and you're using orangey bronzes, really warm golds or purple and plums, you're going maximize the impact," he revealed. "So obviously red is opposite green on the color wheel, but if you were to use red on your eyes, it might be a little much. But, a plumy tone with red undertones or a pink even can be really beautiful."

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During the thirty minute show, the makeup artist revealed all of the tip and products you need to make your beauty standout among a crowd. Check out his must-haves and tips below!

Beauty by Piret

"What I love about the product is that it immediately smoothes the eye, so it looks like silk," Spencer Barnes said on freeSTYLE, after applying to the top and bottom lids. "Some people might have creases in their under eye area or it's a little red. This will keep [the product] from creasing."

Eye Silk, Now $31.50

Lorac

"If you want it to look natural or neutral, stick with earthy tones," he said while using this eye palette. "If you want to compliment them, choose a color that's most like [your eye color]. If you do browns on a brown eye, think Cindy Crawford. You're going to get beautiful, soft, warm, velvety eyes."

PRO Palette, $44

MOTD

"I have to say one of my favorite sets of brushes is MOTD, which stands for Makeup of the Day," he shared. "They have a cruelty-free, vegan brush line that is just beautiful."

Lux Vegan Essential Brush Set, $75

Benefit

Based on the beauty pro's application of this product, it only takes a small amount to gain control over the direction over the hair, and "also gives a little bit of depth and fullness to the brow."

Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel, $24

Merle Norman

Before you add lashes to increase the thickness of your lashes, there's a simpler way to mimic full lashes: "Often we want the lashes to look thicker, and by bringing some dark and rich color into the depth of the lash line, and then smudging it while it's still soft, you can actually create a haze of darkness that will give you the illusion of greater depth at the lash line," he revealed.

Soft Touch Eye Pencil, $17

Kevyn Aucoin Beauty

"If you have a hooded style lid, you're likely not to have a lot of that natural crease," he said after a viewer asked about making your eyes pop when you don't have large lids. "Curling the lashes will push them up past where the crease would be and help to create an open-eye effect."

SPACE.NK.apothecary Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Eyelash Curler, $21

Wet N' Wild

This must-have is only $2.99. "This is one of my favorite supermarket products," he said while swiping the slightly shimmery product with an angled brush. "Look how amazing it looks on the cheeks."

Kevyn Aucoin

"It's the ultimate thick and creamy coverage," the makeup artist stated as he placed small amounts of the product under Vanessa's eye, between her eyebrows and on her chin. "You can make it concealer. You can thin it out and use it as foundation. It's whatever you want to be. It has incredible coverage and stay power."

The Sensual Skin Enhancer Concealer and Foundation, $48

Sigma Beauty

Spencer's finishing touches includes this highlighter, which he places on the high points of the face, including the cupid's bow. "It gives that cupid's bow a little more light, which for whatever reason is associated with youth," he said.

Shimmer Cream, $16

Lord & Berry

Getting married soon? After a viewer asked for a mascara she could wear to her wedding (where she would mostly likely cry), the beauty pro recommended this mascara.

Scuba Pro, $23

Now, you're ready to shine!

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