In the ’80s, there was a cartoon series called Jem. Jerrica, the main character, invents an alter ego, and, as Jem, forms a pop band called the Holograms with some of her friends. While the ludicrously glamorous (and secretly espionage-based) band has many adventures and gets into more than a few scrapes, the most captivating part of the show is the characters’ gigantic cotton-candy hair, Siouxsie-esque eye makeup, and, of course, garish/brilliant sequin-laden outfits!
While it’s a little difficult to get one’s hair to match the same colors as the Holograms (though not impossible—let Indigo show you some easy DIY temporary hair color methods if you want to shred full Jem), you can recreate their makeup pretty easily—and you don’t even need to join an undercover pop band to cop the look! While Jem often changed up her makeup, I’m going to recreate her most iconic visage: pink, angular eye shadow, pink lips, and, obviously, PINK GLITTER.
What you’ll need:
- Face makeup (optional)
- Eyebrow pencil
- Pink eye shadow in the hue of your choosing. I used Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in Nitro Pink ($21, Sephora).
- Pink matte lip balm or lipstick. I used Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Unapologetic ($7, Target).
- Metallic or glittery eye shadow in a lighter shade of pink than your first color. I used Stila Magnificent Metallic Foil Finish Eye Shadow in Golden Pink ($32, Ulta).
- Mascara
How to do it:
Step One:
If you use face makeup like primer, foundation, and/or concealer, apply that first. (It’s also fine if you don’t use these products.) Use an eyebrow pencil in a color matching your natural brows to color them in, drawing as light a line as you can manage. Your eyebrows are not the star of this show, as you’ll see very soon!
Step Two:
Use your pink matte lip balm/lipstick to sketch two lines on the skin near each of your eyes (but not IN your eyes!): one underneath and one on top, as shown above. This is your outline for the shape of the eye shadow around each eye—it’ll help you keep it looking well-defined instead of smudgy.
Step Three:
Draw two more lines with your lip product in the same region: one connecting the bottom of the line beneath your eye to the edge of your eyebrow; the other outlining the space beneath your brow and connecting with the top line from the last step.
Step Four:
Use the pink eye shadow to color within the lines you’ve just drawn. I also suggest laying down a bit of the lip color beneath the eye shadow and blending it in with your finger: It keeps the eye shadow in place and makes it brighter.
Step Five:
IT’S GLITTER TIME! Cake your metallic eye shadow onto your lid. You want to make your lid as gilded-looking as possible, so instead of rubbing it on, gently pat it into place with your finger to layer it without having it look messy. Use smaller taps and touches of your metallic eye shadow on the rest of the first one you used on your eye area to give the end result a sparkling sheen.
Step Six:
Put mascara on your top and bottom lashes.
Step Seven:
Apply a coat of pink balm or lipstick to your lips. So hard to match up all the colors in this tutorial, right??
Step Eight:
Hairspray or tease your hair to the MAX and put on the gaudiest jewelry you can find. Shine on, you wild, holographic babe! You look like a TOTAL JEM. ♦