Yes, unicorn makeup is a thing and it’s not what little girls wear when they play dress up. What started as a Lisa Frank-inspired music festival look full of dreamy rainbow colours and all things that sparkle, has become a beauty industry category spawning creams, soaps, nail polish and entire makeup collections.

So, what makes a product unicorn-y? Pastel shades with an iridescent sheen (varying in colour when seen from different angles) in powder, cream and especially gloss, add a touch of glitter or face jewels and the rest is only limited by your creativity.

While looking like a unicorn is not a trend that appeals to the masses, we must admit that there are some really cool products that can be worn as a fun, creative look. And we promise you won’t be mistaken for a mythical creature.

Whether you want to add just small accents or a full unicorn face, these options suit a variety of styles:

Eyes
For those who like to experiment with eye shadow techniques…

+Unicorn palettes encourage you to experiment. There are no rules but here’s an easy technique to start with: choose a colourful palette and run the neutral matte shade along the crease with your point xs brush so you have a nude base to blend into for a clean edge. Sweep a shimmery pastel shade over the centre of the lid with the tip of your point xxs brush allowing the tapered bristles to do the blending for you. Introduce a third shade to the outer (or inner half) of eye lid with for a shift of colour then repeat the process on the lower lid or introduce a new shade or shades.

+ Add definition at the lashline with a tight liner or a deep shade (deep blue, purple, black) or go for a glitter shade of liner over if you want definition at the lash line.

Cheeks
Take your love of strobing to another dimension…

+Choose a prismatic powder and sweep over the tops of your cheekbones with a damp miracle sculpting sponge or a point s brush. Or, add in smaller areas like the inside corner of your eyes or cupid’s bow with your point xs brush.

Lips
When sparkly lips are your jam…

+Grab a lip colour that looks like crushed diamonds and work over bare lips  directly from the wand or layer over a lip colour with your lip brush.

If glossy lips are more your style…

+ Slay the unicorn lip with a holographic effect, layer lips with a pink or purple lipstick, then top with a light layer of prismatic lip gloss allow the gloss to remain a glaze on top of your base shade for the most dramatic effect.