You don’t have to be a beauty guru to have beautiful looking eyes, perfectly sculpted with just the right shades of eye shadow. Perfecting your shadow routine on your lids is easy with a few quality supplies and a little practice. Try these methods to apply eye shadow and get on your way to being the beauty envy of your friends.
Starting Out. Choose your eye shadow.
With entire stores designated just to eye shadow options, choosing the right texture, hue, and brand can seem incredibly intimidating. Don’t allow the vast variety to scare you though – embrace it! Shadows come in every color imaginable, and can be found in loose powder, compact powder, and cream forms.
- The most highly pigmented eye shadow is typically loose powder, but these are also the most difficult to control because of their, well, loose form. Cream shadows are easy to apply, but crease more quickly than powder eye-shadows. The best texture to start with as a novice eye shadow-applier is a compact powder.
- It is recommended that you have at least three shades of eye-shadow in the same color palette. Several different looks require a light, medium, and dark eye-shadow.
- If you don’t want to look overdone with your eye shadow, choose three shades that are in neutral tones, such as browns or grays. Otherwise, choose any colors that might appeal to you and your style.
Select the right brushes to apply eye shadow.
Although you can indeed apply your eye shadow using your fingertips, they will likely be too big and are coated in natural oils which make application difficult. Invest in a few good makeup brushes for the easiest and most attractive eyeshadow application.
- Use a stiff flat brush to apply eye shadow to your entire lid. This brush is best for picking up lots of pigment and distributing it over your entire eyelid.
- A soft or stiff dome brush is used for applying eye shadow to your crease and blending it outwards. These are a must-have for getting a smooth, even gradation of color.
- Get a soft pencil brush to apply eye shadow close to your lash line. These are small and thin enough to work on both your upper and lower lash line, as well as in difficult to reach areas like the inner corner of your eyes.
Know how to apply eye shadow.
One of the most important aspects of applying your eye shadow is using the correct brush strokes and speed. Rushing through your makeup will create a messy, unattractive eye shadow application.
- When you first apply the pigment to your eyelid, pat the eye shadow on rather than brushing it across your lid. This will help it to stick to your lid better and give a solid appearance.
- Instead of sweeping your eye shadow back and forth across your eye in a fast motion, use short, slow brush strokes going in the same direction to blend colors gently.
- Apply your normal face makeup. Doing your eye makeup should be the last step in your makeup application process, so put on your regular makeup first. Apply your concealer, foundation, blush or bronzer, and brow liner before making your way to apply eye shadow.
- Apply eye shadow primer to help your eye shadow last all day. If you don’t, the natural oils your skin creates will seep through the shadow and cause it to gather along your crease several hours into wearing it.
- Never apply your mascara before putting on your eye shadow, and unless you are doing a specialized smokey eye your eyeliner should come after you eye shadow as well.
Applying Fanned Eye shadow
Apply your lightest color. Normally called a highlighter shade, this is typically a creamy nude eye shadow. Use your stiff flat brush to put this on the inner corners of your eyes, sweeping it up and down to gather just slightly on the upper and lower lash line. Apply a light sweep of it as well just below your eyebrows.
- Add your middle hue. Take your color that is one step darker than your lightest – you medium shade over the entirety of your lid, from your lash line to your crease. Don’t go too much further above your crease or outwards from the corner of your eye.
- Contour your lid with your darkest shade. Use your dome brush with your darkest eye shadow color to contour your eyelid. Start at the outside corner of your eye, and sweep the brush in a half-moon motion up and around to the center of your crease. Keep the shadow the darkest along your lash line, and fade it out as you move up. Feel free to draw the shadow up towards the end of your eyebrow a bit for an angled fan.
- Blend your eye shadows. Clean your dome brush with antibacterial brush cleaner or soap and water, and dry it on a clean towel. Use your clean brush to blend along the edges of your shadow so that they fade nicely into your skin tone.
Creating a Smoky Eye with
Your Eye shadow Add your highlighter. Use your lightest color with your firm flat brush to brush on the inside corner of your eyes and eyebrows. This will highlight the areas of your face responsible for making your eyes look larger and brighter.
- Apply your medium color. Use your stiff flat brush to apply your middle color along your entire eyelid. Start from the base of your lash line and your work way to slightly above the crease. Try to avoid brushing it up to meet your highlighter though. Create the smoky effect. Use your domed brush first to apply your darkest color along your upper lash line. Sweep the color across your entire lid, but only on the bottom A. Then, use your pencil brush to apply a darker, more precise line of color along your lash line.
- Carry it to your bottom lash line. Use your pencil brush to add a bit of your darkest eye shadow color along your bottom lash line. Start at the outside corner and work your way to the inside corner, make it lighter towards your inner tear duct.
- Blend your shadow. Use your dome brush after it has been cleaned well to blend your shadows together. You want to create a smooth graduation of color, so take a few minutes fade your darkest shadow up into the middle hue. Avoid contacting the line of dark shadow near your lash line too much, as you don’t want to make that part look too faded from blending.
