How to Wear Cartoon-Bright Makeup Palettes

Transforming into a literal school-bus-yellow Marge Simpson might be a look better saved for Halloween, but that doesn't mean the vibrant hues MAC selected for its Simpsons collection are anything but wearable. At a preview of the collection at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego, MAC Cosmetics senior artist John Stapleton gave us the lowdown on how to use the vivid greens, blues, purples, pinks, and even yellows of the line — which is in stores today — for an everyday look.

John's tips aren't specific to the Simpsons collection — you can use them to make the next must-have collaboration work with your makeup bag.

Be Selective

We know how easy it is to get excited about a new collection, but unless you're collecting the products for fun, "don't buy every color of the crayon box," John says. "Take a selection of what works for you." In my case, the purple tones of Marge's Extra Ingredients Eye Shadow Quad actually complement my hazel eyes, and as John showed me, these colors I'd normally run from created a gorgeous daytime smoky eye.

Pair With Neutrals

Wear brights as an accessory to the rest of your look. "Work with the existing colors that you use all the time," says John. As he puts it, you wouldn't necessarily wear just bright blue from head to toe. Layering that pop into more-neutral colors will make it look more exciting.

When working with the more-dramatic pieces of a palette, John will "introduce colors that are warmer from an existing line, things like browns, and push those into other colors. That way everything falls into place and it becomes a softer, wearable look."

And the results of using Marge's Extra Ingredients Eye Shadow Quad and the Sideshow You blush with John's techniques . . . Source: MAC Cosmetics

This smoky eye is a blend of Vivacious Vacuum Cleaner Bag and Harpooned Heart.

The final look!