Having violet-colored eyes has always been an [iris/melanin-related jackpot] indication of great beauty (consider Elizabeth Taylor's pair, topped by her doubled set of lashes, a genetic mutation, to boot), but what of violet-hued eye lashes?

I'm not one to stray from the thin black liner/thick black fringe combination, at the risk of looking like I got lost on the way to a rave. Or at least, that’s what I thought, until I started picking up on what the industry’s putting down, i.e. Guerlain’s Cils D’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara and Chanel’s purple Inmitable Intense, both in aubergine- enough— meaning, mellow brownish-purple—shades that pick up any flecks of green or gold in my iris like nobody’s business. No scary-kiddie tints, and the wands are those spiked-plastic ones that I love (for premiere lash-grabbing). As for the color, it melts into and around the natural dark shade of your eyelash for just a subtle hint of intrigue, to keep those eyeballs coming back your way... at least until you're able to grow another layer of lashes, like good ol' Liz.

—Alessandra Codinha

Photos by Elizabeth Brockway.