Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Apply Eye Shadow
There are two basic ways to apply eye shadow in shape shading, "rounded" and "winged". Now you want to determine what is the best shading shape in your case. You can try applying one shading shape (rounded) to one eye and the other shading shape (winged) to the other eye (this would save you time). Then go look in the mirror and see which one looks best on you.
Experiment and try all the different shading. You may be surprised to find that several of them may look great on you (the rounded technique seems to look good on the majority of women).
If you don't have much room between the eyelid crease of your eye and your eyebrow then apply eye shadow using the winged shape (unless there is some sagging).
Winged Shading
Looks best where the skin towards the corner of the eye is not sagging such as on younger women because their skin is still firm.Round Shading
Use when your brow bone markedly curves around the eye and don't use the winged style because it will make any sag more obvious.Classic Eye Shadows Application...
Rounded Eye Shadow Application
- Highlighter eye shadow across the eyelid, from the lash line to slightly beyond the crease, and all the way to the eyebrow.
- Medium shade eye shadow to the eyelid and smudge under the bottom eyelashes.
- Accent eye shadow in the wedge at the outer corner of the eye and blend well.
- Line upper and lower lashes with eyeliner pencil.
Advanced Rounded Eye Shadow Application
- Highlighter eye shadow across the eyelid, from the lash line to slightly beyond the crease, and all the way to the eyebrow.
- Mid tone eye shadow on inner corner of lid.
- Accent eye shadow on crease and in wedge; blend all well.
- Line upper and lower lashes with with eyeliner pencil.
Winged Eye Shadow Application
- Highlighter eye shadow from lash line to brow.
- Medium shade eye shadow color on lid.
- Accent eye shadow in wedge at outer corner; blend well.
- Line upper and lower lashes with eyeliner pencil.
Now that you know the shape of the skin surrounding your eye you are ready to try to apply eye shadow in several highlight and shadow combinations to help you find the one that complements you the best. Remember that the crease of the eye is always shaded. Here are some of the choices for shading and highlighting that you can try:
* Apply eye shadow to highlight the eyelid, round the shading: Best suited for hooded eyes and older deep set eyes.
* Highlight the eyelid, wing the shading: Best suited for younger deep set eyes.
* Apply eye shadow to shade the eyelid and round the shading: Best suited for prominent lids and younger deep set eyes.
* Shade the eyelid and wing the shading: Best suited for younger deep set eyes.
Eye Make Up Technique:
Beautiful eye needs two colors, one light and one dark for contrast. The darkest color usually takes the focus and attention of the eye treatment, therefore placement is everything.
Most of us are privy to the fact that if you have slightly wide set eyes (Oprah) then you should focus the darkest color towards the middle and inner corner of your eyes. If you are close set (Babs) then go in the other direction, softly putting emphasis on the outer corners. If I’m boring you I do apologies. So here are some universal, no brainer recipes that look good on most of us.
Eye Make-up Technique 1A - Close set gals, and most of their pals - general population:
(The simplicity with this treatment works correctively with close-set bombshells or balanced bells. With a fresh lid and shading on the outer corner, the darker shading will add incredible dimension to the lids with a bit of lift and extension at the same time.)
Apply an off white, cream, or a pale milky pink to ¾ of your upper eyelid starting at the inner corner. Take the second darker color, and with a small brush shade the outer lid with your chin slightly lifted in the mirror (let them make their own breakfast). Shade from the outer corner inwardly. And for God sakes, line the top eyelid with some eyeliner liner to finish it!
EYELINER SEGWAY:
Do's
Do line just the top lash line.
or
Do line both top and bottom lash line.
Dont's
Don’t line just the bottom lash line - it drags the eye down, looks bottom heavy, and has the look of the top ten worst music videos of 1982.
Eye Make-up Technique 2A - Wide set wonders or slightly turned down / droopy eyes:
(This little classic design keeps the viewer focused at the center of your peepers, where the most flattering focal point of your eyes reside)
Apply a light to medium light, fresh color on you entire top lid. With a slightly fluffy, medium size crease brush, initiate the second, darker color in the middle of the eye socket. Rock the brush back and forth, creating a half moon in the crease area, slightly approaching the inner corner. Although the darkest color is traveling towards the inner corner, it must be delicate and tapered as it arrives. The finished eye contour must look centered detracting from the “ outward problem”.
Shopping for Colors
With regards to what colors to choose, the highlight colors mentioned early are neutral enough due to the fact that they are highlighters. My only caution is if you have pink lids because of veining or skin sensitivity, stay away from pink highlight shadows.
When choosing a dark contrasting color, there are many approaches. Here is one. Choose an accent color that is opposite of your own eye colour. The two colors side by side (your natural eye color and the eye shadow) intensify each other instead of competing. The opposite color doesn’t necessarily mean you work with it in its purest form. If you have blue eyes, I’m not suggesting you plaster your eyelids with pumpkin orange. You could choose a dynamic gray that has a breath of orange in it. Recognize the difference between classic shades (straight colors) and contemporary shades that contains nuances of a second supporting color whispering through.
Blue eyes: Try a “ browny orange “ the amount of orange may be extremely subtle but effective in popping those babies.
Hazel green eyes: Perhaps a pimento brown – this contains a subtle red undertone that is cooled & tamed by the dominating brown.
Hazel green eyes with yellow flex will dance when accompanied by grays & taupes that have a soft violet support.
Brown eyes: What shade of brown are you winking with? Do you see yellow brown? A speckle of green?
Once you determine the other supporting colour that makes up the brown in your iris, grab the colour wheel and go shopping. At the very least take this concept to the boutique or makeup studio with your next visit. Remember, there is always a little magic when opposition works harmoniously.
resource :
* Promakeupart
The above eye makeup techniques were originally published in B Magazine, November 2007
* Wild About Make Up
Natural Eye Makeup
To enhance your natural beauty, keep your makeup light and simple. Consider using colors that compliment:
a. your hair color
- Brown or black hair - mochas and chocolate browns
- Blonde hair - taupes, creams, and pale pinks
- Auburn or red hair - taupes, peaches, coppers, reddish browns, dark browns, greens, or cool tones like lavenders and pinks.
- Gray hair - blues, purples, and grays
- Brown eyes - a wide range of colors work with brown eyes. Try peach, pink, coral, champagne, gold, green, blue, plum, purple or brown.
- Blue eyes - try taupe, gray, orangey brown, mauve, purple, deep blue, or metallic (gold, silver, copper, bronze). Avoid aqua and other greenish blues.
- Green eyes - Try gold, bronze, earth tones, flesh tones, shades of brown (including deep brown and reddish brown), pink, or purple.
- Hazel eyes - Try soft pink, lavender, plum, purple, and earth tones. Avoid using a lot of blue.
Smoky Eye Makeup
We all like the way the Hollywood star’s eyes look like so sexy and seductive. Their secret is the smoky eye effect. No matter what your eye shape is, this sexy eye make-up will look fabulous on your face.
There are many variations on smoky eye makeup and no real "right" way to do it, but here are some tips to get you started:
* Prep the eye area with foundation or primer before starting, and dust generously with translucent powder. The coat of primer will help your eye makeup go on smoother and last longer, the powder will set the primer and also make it easier to remove any eye shadow that falls onto your under-eye skin during application.
* You will need 3 eye shadows in the same color family (light, medium, and dark). If you want a subtler smoky daytime look, keep all three shades in the lighter end of the spectrum (while making sure that each one is still darker than the last). For a more dramatic, nighttime look, shift toward darker colors.
You will also need a coordinating eye liner pencil that is dark, sharp, soft, and creamy.
* Good color families for smoky eye makeup include grays, blues, purples, and browns.
* Start by lining your upper eyelid tightly along the lash line and your lower lid just below the lash line. Then smudge the lines with a smudge brush (a small firm eyeshadow brush made from stiff hairs or foam) or your finger, if you don't have one.
* Apply the darkest eyeshadow on the entire upper eyelid from the lashes (blending it into the liner) to the crease. Use the medium shadow from the crease up partway onto the brow bone, and the lightest shadow from there to the brow. Use a eye shadow blending brush to smudge and blend the three colors into each other, leaving no distinct lines between the zone.
* If you are having small eyes apply only to the outer two thirds of the eye, if you have large eyes trace the whole rim. Apply colored eye shadows along the socket and outer corner of the lid in order to create definition and contour.
* Apply the darkest shadow at the lash line on the lower lid, and the medium shade just under that. Smudge and blend as you did on the upper lid.
* Apply the look with two or three coats of black or brown mascara to the upper lashes and just one coat to your lower lashes. Letting the lashes dry between coats.
* Finish by curling the lashes. You can keep the make-up looking sexy and sultry, by applying your make-up before applying the base. Doing this you can repair any mistakes afterwards without fear of wiping away your foundation. Brush a loose shimmer pigment in rust-brown over the lids and in the inner corners.
* Use a soft cotton swab to clean up any stray specks of eyeshadow or mascara under and around the eye.
Recommended Products :
Useful Tips:
* Satin and matte eyeshadows will give you a more subdued effect.
* Shimmer and metallics are ideal to intensify a day look for the evening.
* Use three brushes to apply the colors.
* Blend the colors very carefully using a soft, tapered brush.
* Avoid places filled with smoke or too humid rooms, in order to keep your make-up longer lasting.
Dramatic and Fantasy Eye Makeup
If you want bold, eye-catching colors, not just any eye makeup will do. You won't be able to get this look with typical sheer shadows, so look for brands with highly pigmented colors, such as M·A·C, L'Oreal HiP, or Milani.
If your fantasy look calls for a little more than standard eye shadow, face paint might be for you. (Not those little kits and crayons you see around Halloween, but real, professional face paint.) Whether you want to be a tiger, a fairy, or just abstractly colorful, check out brands like Kryolan, Snazaroo, and Paradise for face paint palettes in a variety of colors, including metallic and UV reactive paints.
#1 - Firstly, one of the most simple ways of achieving a dramatic eye makeup look is by simply picking colors that will make your eye color POP! By selecting the right eyeshadow colors, it will help enhance your eye color. Note: This eye makeup technique is a great way for beginners to learn how to achieve a dramatic eye look without too much fuss.
TECHNIQUE:
- Select a lighter eyeshadow color that contrasts with your particular eye color. Apply this shade to upper eyelid area and extend into the crease up to the brow bone area. Sweep this same shade under the lower lashes from outer to inner corners of eyes. Alternatively, apply a similar shade, only slightly darker, to lower lash line.
- Apply pencil eyeliner in dark brown or black to upper lash line as close to lashes as possible. Line from inner to outer corners.
- For extra definition, line inner rim of lower lid with same color of eyeliner.
- Curl lashes and apply 2 coats of black mascara.
TECHNIQUE:
- Prepare skin as in example #1
- Apply base coat eyeshadow in a very light and/or neutral shade. If you feel like being a little daring, use a more intense or colorful shade. Sweep this same color on lower lash line.
- Apply liquid/gel eyeliner (or pencil liner if you're a beginner) to upper eyelid using an angled liner makeup brush. Extend to obtain a cat eye. Smudge if this is the desired effect. Use a complimenting pencil liner or dark eyeshadow on outer third of lower lash line for added intensity.
- Apply 2 coats of black mascara. For extra flare, add a few individual false lashes to upper outer corner of eye.
* Eye Doctor Guide
* Beauty Advice
* Ezine Article by Cari Bradley
