How to Apply Eye Shadow

Folded eyes see brighter colors than the open ever do. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

When it comes to makeup and beautifying your face, the important thing to remember is using the right amount of products and right colors that suit your skin tone and, of course, your face structure. Eye makeup is an essential element of make-up, which is highly under-rated.

Perfectly done eyes can actually accentuate your entire face and transform you from drab to diva. Eye makeup includes the three essentials: mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow.

Firstly, you should know that there are three basic types or varieties of eye shadow. The pressed powder or matte powder type is the basic one, which can be applied either with a normal brush or a sponge brush. The cream eye shadow is shiny and creamy, which can be easily applied and blended using your fingers alone.

Since it gets easily smudged, it should be topped with powdered hue or shimmer. The loose powder eye shadow is usually the best pick for eye glitters and shimmers and has to be merely dusted as the final touch. There also exists an option of eye pencils which are convenient to use but can be a bit harsh on the skin.

Pick one based on your skin type, longevity, and the effect. As for the colors, you can pick two or more than two colors and accentuate the beauty of your eyes by subtly blending these colors around the eyelid and highlighting the brow bone area.

Here are few different colors and style of applying eyeshadow in the below images.

This is the first and the most important step. Creating a clean base on the eyelid and the under-eye area is extremely important. Before you apply eye shadow, you need to apply the foundation and then concealer on your eyelids and under-eye regions. 

First, you need to apply the foundation on your eyelids using a shade that matches your skin tone. You need to hide the dark circles under your eyes using a concealer. After this you need to dust some translucent powder over the eyelid as well as the under-eye area. The base is ready, now you can bring on your colors.

Remember while applying the eye shadow you need to focus on four major areas. The region just above the upper eyelashes, the region between the lashes and the brow bone, the region just below the eyebrow, and the region below the lower eyelash. 

You can use a color on your eyelid that you want to match with your eye color or your outfit. The region above and below the lashes can be marked with eyeliner or eye pencil, but the subtle use of a dark-colored eye shadow like gray, black, maroon, or dark green can help you get a dramatic effect.

Make sure you apply the eye shadow with a light hand, or else you might end up ruining the whole thing. Now, gently blend in the color of your choice on the eyelid starting from the corner of your eye. Try and subtly blend this color with the previous one, but do not blend too much.

You can use darker shades like brown and gray for the smoky eyes effect or else go for the subtle shades that match your skin tone, or accentuate your eye color. Having done that, it is time to use a highlighter near the eyebrow area.

Very light colors like cream or white are perfect for this. The highlighter creates a distinction between the eyebrow and the eyelid and thus makes the eyebrows look prominent and more beautiful.

The most important rule is to use foundation and concealer before applying makeup. Whenever you use more than two shades of eye shadow, make sure that you blend the colors really well so that the different layers of colors are not visible. 

Eye makeup should blend in flawlessly. Always use separate brushes for separate colors since it helps to get the desired look and creates the perfect blend without any particular color overpowering the others. Always tap the brush to remove excess quantities and avoid a thick layer of eye shadow. Always try to use colors from the same family.

For example, if you are using a light pink eye shadow on the lid, then you can use maroon near the lashes and highlight with a cream or white color and dust on some pink shimmer for the final effect.