How to Put on Eyeshadow
You know what they say "If it ain’t broke, don't fix it". Well, the same rule applies for how to put on eyeshadow when adding contour to the crease of your eyes. Makeup artists have been doing it for years, and with good reason...it works! It's a simple step that when mastered is easy to do and without a doubt makes a big difference when it comes to enhancing your eyes.
One of the rudiments for applying eye makeup especially for a smokey eye is to know where to apply color when contouring and since all eye shapes are not the same these simple tips will help to improve your skills and give you the professional results you desire.
To start, close your eye and press gently in the middle of your lid to feel for the crease. On most eye shapes it is the indent that hugs the top half of your eyeball. For eye shapes such as Asian, you will need to create the crease by using a precision smudge brush and with one eye closed outline the top of your eyeball applying the color in an arc shape that contours the top of your eye. This step should come first before blending.
Once you’ve added your color to the crease and are ready to contour do it with your eyes open. Closing your eyes to apply your contour shadow can tend to make the color disappear into the crease when you open your eyes.
Using the “windshield wiper” effect, dip your blender or smudge brush into your contour shade and place it in the crease of eye without lifting it from the eyelid while you move your brush back and forth along the arch depositing your color. Follow the natural contour of your eye shape moving your brush from the center of crease to the outer crease. To achieve the best results the color should be strongest at the outer eye and softer towards the center of crease or middle of eyelid. If you have eyes that are hooded the darkest part of your lid should be the outer crease of eye in order to avoid it looking too heavy. For a more dramatic look you can extend the crease color beyond the outer corner of the eyelid and slightly above crease onto the brow bone. A few brushes to check out include the Pro Crease Blender Brush and Precision Smudge & Eye Blender Brush. For a softer look, check out the Deluxe Pro Eye Contour Fluff Brush.
If you’re new to wearing eyeshadow you can start with a more neutral tone like a taupe, brown or slate shadow in a matte formula for contouring in the crease before moving to a darker shade like an onyx, dark brown, navy or gunmetal. Shimmers look really beautiful too so don’t be afraid to mix a matte, with an iridescent or shimmer shadow when creating your eye makeup look. They also work great for blending colors that you want to soften a bit.
Pro Tip: to enhance your eyes even more choose a lighter shade for the eyelid. The contrast will make them pop.
For a softer, less defined crease choose a fuller size blender brush to sweep a matte formula along the arch of the eye from the outer corners and in towards the middle of eye. The trick behind the barely there contour and yet super gorgeous eye makeup look seen here is in the length and fullness of the brush hairs. A short-hair smudge brush will deposit more color, while a fluffy longer haired blender brush will accent the crease but with a softer, more natural finish. Add a touch of a bisque or champagne shimmer to the lid and along the brow bone as seen here using a medium size shadow brush and blending to soften any hard lines.
