When Kim Kardashian West stepped out on the 2018 Met Gala red carpet sporting a swingy, face-lifting ponytail, smoked out makeup, and a custom, Versace gown that accentuated her bombshell curves, there was nothing that particularly stood out as something different about her. Closer inspection, however revealed, the type of subtle transformation that has the ability to update the entire look.
If you looked closely at the reality-star-turned-business-woman’s makeup, you’ll notice that her bright, honey-colored gaze isn’t just a result of her bronzed-out eyeshadow, courtesy of her go-to face painter Mario Dedivanovic. Kardashian West later took to Instagram to reveal that colored contacts were her “new obsession”, and shared a post on her app detailing why she decided to sport colored contacts for the ceremony. “This year at the Met, I wanted my glam to complement my ’90s-inspired gold Versace dress,” she wrote. “We [Mario Dedivanovic] chose honey-colored contacts that weren’t too far off from my natural eye color, just a bit brighter. We can sometimes achieve this color when I wear a golden eyeliner and the lighting is right, but I wanted to really go for it on the red carpet.” After all, if there’s ever time to take a beauty risk, it’s at the Met Gala.
Perhaps Kardashian West took a beauty cue from her husband, Kanye West, who donned icy-blue contact lenses at the 2016 Met Gala. A penchant for temporarily switching it up (whether its their eye or hair color) runs in the family as her younger sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner are fans of light-colored lenses too, often showcasing a shift from their chocolate-colored eyes via Instagram selfies. Also finding favor in eye-enhancers is Selena Gomez, who has sported them on numerous occasions including during her performance at the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and at the 2016 American Music Awards.
But while colored contacts are just re-emerging as a show-stopping beauty trend in red carpets across the pond, our regional stars such as Maya Diab, Nadine Nassib Njeim, Elisa, and Najwa Karam have been sporting them for some time. “Colored contacts are a small detail that can enhance your entire look,” says Hala Ajam, the Lebanese makeup artist who has painted the faces of Shereen Abdelwahab and Haifa Wehbe among many others. “They shouldn’t be worn on a daily basis, but rather for special occasions such as red carpets or events to create that wow factor.” When it comes to choosing the right color, Ajam suggests that those with olive skin opt for green or hazel lenses with yellow flecks for a more natural and flattering look.
Whether you love or hate them, colored contacts prove that sometimes it doesn’t require much to colossally switch it up— even if it’s just for a day.
