Quick answer: The "it" eyeshadow color is the plum-and-mauve family in Nikol's returning Naughty Nancy palette — a soft, romantic look she says flatters mature eyes and can be your signature for decades, not just one season. In this tutorial she primes the lids, places light, middle, and deep plum shades, adds a plum waterproof liner and mascara, then keeps the lip in the same plum family with a liner and gloss.
Key takeaways
- Plum and mauve are Nikol's pick for a soft, flattering eye on mature skin — wearable as a light wash or a deeper evening look.
- Cool and neutral skin tones can absolutely wear purple; Nikol debunks the "warm skin only" rule.
- Eyeliner is a yes over 50 — curl first, flick up at the outer corner, and line about three-quarters underneath to lift the eye.
- The fan-favorite Naughty Nancy palette returns in a newly reformulated three-well format.
- Match the lip to the plum eye and let the eyes lead the look.
Hey ladies — in this tutorial Nikol builds a full plum eye look around one of your most-requested palettes, Naughty Nancy, which is coming back in a freshly reformulated version. It's a soft, romantic take on purple that she says works beautifully on mature eyes, and it comes together step by step from primer all the way to a matching lip.
What is the "it" eyeshadow color, and who can wear it?
The star is the plum-and-mauve family inside the Naughty Nancy palette — a fan favorite Nikol originally created for her Aunt Nancy that's returning this season in a newly reformulated, three-well format (a light, a middle, and a deep plum shade). Nikol calls it the "it" color of 2023, but reminds you it can be your signature "for decades." She also pushes back on the common rule that only warm skin tones can wear purple: as someone with cool-neutral skin who wears plum herself, she says to wear what you love, whether that's a sheer wash or something more built up.
How does Nikol create the plum eye, step by step?
Nikol always does the eyes first, so any fallout is easy to clean before the base goes on. Here's her sequence:
- Prime the lids with Eye Primer — swirl a little onto a fingertip, tap it into the center of the lid, then blend from the inner corner and the base of the lashes up toward the brow. Keep it on the lids only, not underneath the eye.
- Place the middle shade of the palette with an eyeshadow brush — start in the center of the lid, drag down to the inner corner, then out to the outer corner.
- Add depth with the darkest shade on a small tapered (pencil) brush along the lash line, then work it into the crease with a windshield-wiper motion; go slightly above the crease if you have hooded eyes.
- Blend everything with a soft blending brush for a seamless, diffused finish. Nikol's brushes come from the Essential Makeup Brush Set and are designed to feel gentle on the eyes.
- Sweep the lightest shade onto the brow bone as a highlight.
- Curl your lashes before lining, so nothing disturbs the liner later.
- Line with the Plum Waterproof Eyeliner — thicken the lash line, flick up at the outer end, and line about three-quarters of the lower lash line. Soften with a short smudge brush if you like.
- Finish the eyes with Volume Up Mascara: wiggle at the base of the lashes, then comb through slowly to catch every lash.
How do you finish the base, cheeks, and lips?
With the eyes done, Nikol cleans up any fallout with an oil-based eye-makeup remover on a cotton pad, then brightens and evens the skin. She lifts darkness with Just Peachy under the eyes and into the inner corner, calms redness with No Redness, then applies a BB cream (or your foundation, CC cream, or tinted moisturizer) buffed in with the Foundation Buffing Brush, adding concealer only where needed. She sets with Nikita Banana Brightening Powder using a flat brush. For cheeks she uses a plum blush from her In Full Bloom palette, then keeps the lip in the plum story: the Cameo Waterproof Lip Liner in a new shade called Aperitif, topped with Champs Lip Gloss. For a soft lipstick effect, fill the whole lip with the liner and layer Rose Lip Balm on top. She finishes by brushing her brows up with the Skinny Brow Pencil.
Can you really wear eyeliner over 50?
Absolutely — this is one of Nikol's strongest opinions in the video. She says advice telling women over 50 to skip eyeliner drives her a little crazy, because liner gives mature eyes structure and definition. The trick is a gentle, lifting application: curl the lashes first, thicken the lash line, flick up at the outer corner, and line only about three-quarters underneath so the eye looks lifted instead of dragged down. Everyone's eyes are different, so adjust the intensity to whatever feels right for you.
The bottom line
Plum is a soft, universally flattering way to add romance and depth to mature eyes — and Nikol's step-by-step placement makes it approachable for every day or evening. Ready to try the look? Explore the eyeshadows, shop the full eyes edit, or browse all makeup to build your own plum moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "it" eyeshadow color, and is it only for 2023?
It's the plum-and-mauve family at the heart of Nikol's Naughty Nancy palette. She calls it the "it" color of 2023, but says it can be your signature for decades — a soft, romantic shade that flatters mature eyes whether you wear it as a light wash or build it up for a deeper evening look.
Can you wear plum eyeshadow with cool or neutral skin?
Yes. Nikol pushes back on advice that only warm skin tones can wear purple. As someone with cool-neutral skin who wears plum herself, she says the "rules" are often confusing and wrong — if you love the color, wear it. Choose a sheer wash or more pigment based on your own preference and comfort.
Should women over 50 skip eyeliner?
Not according to Nikol. She is adamant that eyeliner gives mature eyes beautiful structure. Her approach is gentle: curl the lashes first, thicken the lash line, flick up slightly at the outer corner, and line only about three-quarters underneath so the eye looks lifted rather than dragged down.
How do you remove waterproof eyeliner without tugging?
Because the liner is waterproof and creamy, Nikol removes it with an oil-based eye-makeup remover on a cotton pad, which lifts the color gently without scrubbing. This is especially helpful if you have oilier lids. Always be gentle around the delicate eye area and avoid harsh rubbing.
What's different about the reformulated Naughty Nancy palette?
Naughty Nancy is one of Nikol's most-requested palettes, returning in a newly reformulated version. In the video she works from lab samples in a three-well format — a light, a middle, and a deep plum shade — designed for easy placement and smooth blending on mature lids.
How do you match your lip to a plum eye?
Nikol keeps the lip in the same plum family. She lines with the waterproof Cameo liner in a new shade called Aperitif, then tops it with Champs, a champagne gloss that lightens any color. For a soft lipstick effect, she fills the whole lip with liner and layers Rose Lip Balm on top.
