Options for building an eye design are
almost too numerous to list. The basic concept is to
shade the eye to accent its shape, or to change its
shape by using a progression of light to dark colors
across the eye, blending one over the other so that you
can’t see where one stops and another starts. Here you
can follow, step by step, how to use one eyeshadow or
several different eyeshadows to create a well-blended,
classic eye-makeup design. Even for the most formal eye-makeup
design, four different colors should be plenty. Whether
you use one, two, three, or four different eyeshadows,
they become a full design when worn with eyeliner,
temple contour, and mascara.
One-color
design: This design blends
one soft, subtle color all over the eye area, from the
lashes to just under the eyebrow, with no patches of
skin showing through. You should not wear only a splash
of color over the eyelid and ignore the rest of the eye
area.
Application:
When applying a single color, first place it from the
lashes to the crease using a brush such as Paula's
Choice Large Round Shadow Brush or Shadow Softening
Brush. Make sure that you do not extend the color into
the inside corner of the eye (off the lid area) or out
beyond the lid onto the temple. Also be certain there
are no patches of skin showing through on the lid next
to the eyelashes. The entire lid at this point is one
solid color.
Next, place the color from the crease up to the brow,
following the entire length of the eyebrow from the nose
out to the temple area. Avoid leaving a hard edge at the
back (outside) corner of the eye where the eyeshadow
stops. If desired, use a brush such as Paula's Choice
Soft Blending Brush. This will create subtlety and a
soft highlight under the eyebrow. Because the eyeshadow
for the one-color eye-makeup design is so soft and
subtle, blending and application is quite easy. The best
colors for this design include light tan, neutral taupe,
beige, pale mauve brown, pale gray, light golden brown,
camel, and light auburn. Whatever the color, it should
definitely not be obvious.
Two-color
design: This is the most
common, practical eye design. Approach this design by
applying the lighter color to the eyelid and the deeper
color from the crease up to the brow, or you can apply
the deeper color to the lid and the lighter color from
the crease to the brow. Generally speaking, the under-eyebrow
color should be a shade or two darker than the lid
color. You do not want it to be a distinctly different
color, just a different shade. The lid can be taupe,
beige, tan, camel, gray, light auburn, golden brown, or
any light neutral shade, and the under-eyebrow color
should be a deeper shade of the same color. Women with
darker skin tones can wear muted rose, mauve, or peach
as long as it doesn’t make their eyes look irritated or
isn’t too obvious. Bright, noticeably shiny, or whitish
shadows can look dated and make the brow bone look more
prominent and heavy.
Which color and what shades go where? The general
rule is that the larger or more prominent the eyelid
area is compared with the under-brow area, the darker or
deeper the eyelid color can be; the smaller the eyelid
area is compared with the under-brow area, the brighter
or lighter the eyelid color can be. The notion is
that if the eyelid area is already prominent or large,
it isn't necessary to make it appear any bigger by
applying a light color to it. If the eyelid area is
small, it is appropriate to make it more prominent by
wearing a lighter color.
Application:
Whichever way you choose to apply this design, the lid
and under-brow shades should meet but not overlap at the
crease. You can use brushes like Paula's Choice Large
Round Shadow Brush or Small Round Shadow Brush to apply
the light shade to the lid and Paula's Choice Crease
Defining Brush or Angled Shadow Brush to apply the
darker shade from the crease up to the brow. Then, using
a small wedge brush such as Paula's Choice Wedge/Brow
Brush, you can use the light color again as a highlight
just along the lower edge of the eyebrow. This can bring
dramatic, but subtle, attention to the shape of the brow
and the eye without the need for another eyeshadow
color. You can also apply the lighter color from the lid
to the under-brow area and use the darker color in and
slightly above the crease. Then take a brush such as
Paula's Choice Precision Shadow Brush and use the darker
color to softly shade the back corner of the eye, making
sure this shading is an extension of the crease color.
For more dramatic variations on this theme, see the
three- and four-color designs below.
Three-color
design: Start by applying
either of the basic one- or two-color eye-makeup designs
mentioned above. Once you have done that, the third
shade, an even deeper color than the two previous colors,
is added to the back (outside) corner of the lid or in
the crease, or over both the crease and the back corner
of the lid.
In this design, the lid and under-brow colors are softer
and less intense than the color at the back corner of
the lid or in the crease. Regardless of where you place
this third, darker color, it can be a beautiful deep
shade of brown, charcoal, cedar, mahogany, sable, red-brown,
slate, chocolate brown, camel, deep taupe, eggplant, or
even black.
Application:
If you apply the third eyeshadow in the crease, the
trick is to not get the crease color on the lid, but
rather to blend it slightly up into the under-eyebrow
area and out onto the temple. Paula's Choice Crease
Defining Brush or Angled Shadow Brush make this step
easy. When sweeping the crease color across the eye, be
sure to not follow the down-curving movement of the
shape of the eye. The best look is achieved if you blend
the crease color out and up into the full back (outer)
corner of the eye, and up onto the back of the brow
bone.
When you apply the crease color, be sure to watch the
angle of your brush as you blend the color from the
crease out and up toward the under-brow area. If you
place your color with the brush straight up at a 90-degree
angle, you will look like you drew on wings. The softer
the angle and the fuller the sweep, the softer the
appearance, so be certain you blend out and slightly up
from the lid area toward the under-brow area. If you
have a small eye crease area, Paula's Choice Precision
Shadow Brush will make a controlled application and
expert placement foolproof.
If you apply the third color at the back corner of the
eye, the color hugs a small section of the lid, blending
out and up into the crease and temple area. This step is
explained in more detail for the four-color eye-makeup
design.
Four-color
design: In this design,
you again start with the one- or two-color eye-makeup
design, then add a darker color to the crease and an
even darker color such as black or deepest gray to the
back corner of the eye. Shading the back corner of the
eyelid involves the arts of placement and blending.
Because this area almost always requires a dark color,
blending is essential to make it look soft, with no hard
edges.
Why bother with a crease color and more shading at the
back corner of the eye? The best part of this full eye-makeup
design is that it shades, defines, and creates movement
by adding a shadow in a curved flowing motion that
follows the natural shape of the eye. The difficult part
of this design is blending the crease color across the
entire length of the eye without making it look obvious,
choppy, or smeared. The goal is to tuck the color just
in the crease at the fold nearest the nose and have it
hug the crease until you get to the back corner of the
eye, where you start the movement of the eyeshadow up
and out onto the brow bone. Again, this sweep of color
should not look like a stripe across the eye.
Application:
Be sure to knock the excess eyeshadow off your brush,
and apply the color with very small strokes over the
back corner of the lid only. The problem here is keeping
the color on the back of the lid only. If you don’t know
how to handle the brush, the back wedge can take up more
than half of the eyelid (looking more like a mistake
rather than carefully blended shading) or look like a
stripe across the temple.
As mentioned above, when you apply the crease color, be
sure to watch the angle of your brush as you blend the
color from the crease out and up toward the under-brow
area. If you place your color with the brush straight up
at a 90-degree angle, you will look like you drew on
wings. The softer the angle and the fuller the sweep,
the softer the appearance, so be certain you blend out
and slightly up from the lid area toward the under-brow
area.
Remember, the center or fold of the crease area is
always the darkest, so start your brush there and blend
out in each direction. A brush such as Paula's Choice
Soft Blending Brush makes it easier to soften and blend
darker colors. Concentrate your efforts on the crease
area you want to shade. Start all the way at the front
part of the eye area under the front third of the brow,
then follow the crease through the center, blending
slightly up toward the brow. As you approach the back
corner of the eye, begin your movement up and out toward
the temple, aiming toward the eyebrow.
Eyeshadow Tips
- Matte powder eyeshadows in an array
of neutral tones from light to dark are your best bets
for a classic, sophisticated eye design that accents
the shape and color of your eyes.
- Unless you’re using just one
eyeshadow color, use at least two eyeshadow brushes
for application.
- Prep the eyelid and under-brow area
with a matte-finish concealer, foundation, and/or
powder before applying eyeshadow. This ensures a
smooth, even application and (if you have fair to
medium skin) will also neutralize the red and blue
coloration of the eyelid.
- Tap off any excess eyeshadow from
your brush before applying—this will prevent
overapplication as well as flaking eyeshadow.
- If you really want to make the
color of your eyes pop, choose a contrasting color in
a soft tone and apply this to the lids. Blue eyes come
alive with pale peach or cantaloupe hues, green eyes
seem richer with light bronze or caramel tones, hazel
eyes become more alluring with chestnut and golden
brown shades, and brown eyes are nicely accented by
almost all neutral tones.
Eye-Design
Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not overcolor the eyes;
excessive bright colors are distracting, not
attractive.
- Do not create hard edges; you
should not be able to see where one color stops and
another starts. Practice your application and learn to
blend well.
- Do not wear bright pink or
iridescent pink eyeshadows; they make eyes look
irritated and tired. Muted or pale pink is an option.
- If you are concerned about making
skin look more wrinkled, do not wear shiny eyeshadows
of any kind because they exaggerate the appearance of
lines. If you have smooth, unlined eyelids and prefer
a touch of shine, apply it sparingly for subtle
shimmer rather than distracting glitter.
- Do not apply lipstick or blush over
the eye area; it might sound like a time-saver, but if
you have a lighter skin tone, it can make you look
like you’ve been up all night crying. However, most
bronzing powders can work as eyeshadows.
- Do not match your eyeshadow to your
clothing or your eye color. If you have blue eyes,
blue eyeshadow makes the blue of your eyes look
duller. And complementing your clothing is at best
dated; besides, what if you're wearing red or black?
- Avoid eye glosses and other greasy
products at all costs. These may look intriguing in
photographs, but are more annoying than alluring in
real life because they stick, smear and smudge all
over the place in a very short period of time.
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