Let me begin by saying how much I adore experimenting with jewel-toned eye makeup. I’ll slick on a violet mascara any day of the week, and I love how green liner makes my eyes pop. Cobalt or aquamarine shadow? Bring it on! Adding an unexpected wink of color is such a low-lift way to make a statement with your look, especially as we head into the holiday season. The only hue I tend to steer clear of is red. But not for lack of trying! Every time I swipe on a crimson shadow, I look bleary eyed—like I’m dealing with a rough bout of allergies. Not cute.

Recently, however, I had the opportunity to meet with French makeup artist Violette Serrat, who schooled me on how to rock the “tricky” eye shadow shade like an effortless Parisian. See below for all her must-have tips.

“First of all, it has to be the [right] color,” Serrat tells me. See, there are myriad shades of red—cherry, scarlet, burgundy, etc.—and each contains undertones that can make or break your look. “If you have a red that’s more tomato red or orangey red, it’s quite hard to wear,” Serrat explains. “You need a bit of black in it to create some depth.” A fiery-red lip looks gorgeous, but the eyes can be finicky; especially on my fair skin tone, a too-bright red can read more like irritation.

It’s why the two new red shades in her coveted Yeux Paint collection have rich, deep undertones. They’re still bright—but “This is, to me, the most wearable red I could possibly think of,” she adds. The duo is inspired by Parisian nightlife, like the velvet chairs at restaurants and nightclubs or the neon lights outside (think Moulin Rouge and Le Palace).

Serrat takes Paris La Nuit—a twinkling, gold-infused red—and dabs just a dot on my lash line (a little goes a long way, she tells me). She blends the color with her fingertips until she nails that “lived-in” look quintessential French-girl beauty. “It almost looks like you slept in it,” she instructs. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. You wear the makeup; the makeup doesn’t wear you.” She then suggests I swipe on a few coats of inky black mascara; while I typically wear brown formulas, she says black pigment will bring out the deeper undertones of the liquid shadow and make the color appear even more intentional.

Finally, Serrat recommends keeping the rest of my complexion fresh—just a pink blush, a minimal lip, and enough concealer to effectively brighten dark circles. (After all, red eye makeup with sallow under-eye shadows can catapult you back into “I’ve been crying” territory.) “Keep it easy by just having the smoky eye,” Serrat adds. I shouldn’t be surprised that a French makeup artist could make this “complicated” color feel so effortless, but here we are. Red eye makeup has officially become my new neutral.

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