Roses are More than Red | A Tale in 20 Short Stories

Today’s color combinations are inspired by ColourPop’s Smoke ‘n’ Roses mega eyeshadow palette , which felt like a waste of a theme! There was so much that could have been done there. First and foremost, roses come in a variety of shades, undertones, and depth. There are pale and pastel roses that range from near-white to buttery yellow to soft orange, along with a slew of pinkish-white to light pink. There are an abundance of roses with deep, rich hues that go from true red to burgundy to purple.

This past spring, I had nearly 30 different rose shrubs and trees planted in my frontyard (not all of them survived, a tale for another day, but we planted some of the replacements a month ago!). You can see the many varieties of David Austin English roses for a reference point, but there are lots of varieties of roses beyond there.

There are several roses that appear more two-toned, like Boscobel (coral-pink), Queen of Sweden (warm pink that fades to light pink over time), Enchanted Peace (yellowy to pink-red), and Arctic Blue (pink-lilac with peach reverse).

These combos are less about the Smoke ‘n’ Roses palette and merely to showcase the range of hues that roses can be, plus using stems and leaves as accents. In a smokier take on rose hues, I’d lean into slightly more faded and deeper hues with earthy elements (think grungy neutrals to represent mulch, dirt, thorns, dying blooms)… for another day, perhaps.

About This Series

Each look idea is centered around a “quad” of four shades with the expectation that one might bring in the appropriate brow bone or additional transitional shade based on skin tone. Consider these ideas a jumping off point with four “core” colors that can inspire your next look. For reference, based on how I usually apply makeup, I would consider applying the shades in this order: inner lid, middle of lid, outer lid/crease, and crease/above crease or lid.