“And when no hope was left in sight on that starry, starry night, you took your life as lovers often do …” 

As someone who follows dozens of incredible makeup artists on Instagram, I’m consistently surprised and delighted by their creativity. While most of the uploaded eye-makeup looks are eminently wearable, others veer toward art. I’ve seen lids adorned with cats, cupcakes, animal prints, holiday scenes and even landscapes.

 I’m neither particularly adventurous nor particularly artistic, so I happily stick to less, shall we say, eye-popping motifs. The other day, though, I found myself moved by the bleak, melancholy beauty of Don McLean’s ballad, “Starry, Starry Night,” and the Vincent Van Gogh painting that inspired it. The result was a decidedly simple but romantic silver and blue lid look, courtesy of Chanel’s Illusion D’Ombre in “Apparition,” a deep, inky navy, and Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Metallic Luster Liner in “Liquid Silver.”

The lesson? Sometimes it’s worth letting your heart guide your hand when deciding on a makeup look. I’m going to try to find more inspiration in my favorite artwork and music — although, of course, my eyelids will not be adorned with literal interpretations!

Listen to Starry, Starry Night.