How to Apply Eyeshadow Like a Pro: A Detailed Step-by-Step Guide

It is enough to learn the basic rules of how to use eyeshadow correctly and choose high-quality professional cosmetics to create beautiful make-up yourself. We will tell you how to apply eyeshadow correctly, what mistakes are common, and how to avoid them.

Preparing Your Eyes For Applying Eyeshadow

First, it is very important to start with clean, moisturized eyelids to ensure an even application.

A primer is essential for eye makeup, it will even out the texture of the skin of the eyelids, and the color will lie evenly.

 

For any eye makeup, it is customary to apply the main neutral color to the movable eyelid, and then a darker shade to highlight the crease to create a natural shadow effect and make the eyes more expressive.

 

No process can be successful without proper tools, and eyeshadow application is not an exception. These tools allow you to visually enlarge your eyes, change their shape, create the desired tone with shadows, or hide visual flaws. Mascara brushes are spiral brushes made of synthetic bristles.

 

Eyeshadow brushes are great tools for creating the background of eye makeup, starting from the inner corner of the eyelid and ending at its base. Brushes for shading dry shadows and pencils are products with a flat and slightly beveled working surface at the base.

 

The main rule when using these brushes is not to dip them in shadows, as this can break the palette. It is best to choose brushes made of animal hair, as this will help to prolong their functionality.

 

Brushes for creating eye contour and highlighting eyebrows are thin tools, one side of which is sharp, and the other is beveled. Such products are made of artificial materials of dense texture. Contour brushes allow you to carefully emphasize the shape of the eyebrows, correct the color, and also hide imperfections.

 

An applicator is a tool with a dome-shaped working surface made of foam rubber, felt, or latex. The applicator stands out from other makeup tools because it has a number of advantages over brushes:

 

• the working surface of the product is replaceable, which significantly increases its service life;
• the applicator can be used both dry and wet;
• this tool is used not only for applying eyeshadow but also for shading.

 

In addition, you can apply cream shadows even with your fingers, as they even soften under their warmth. However, it is still more convenient to do this with synthetic, flat, and blended materials.

Step-By-Step On How To Apply Eyeshadow Like A Pro

Here are some useful tips that will definitely come in handy when applying eye makeup:

 

1. Using a base is a must if you want to achieve a rich color with neon shadows or products in yellow, blue, green, and pink shades. The base reliably fixes the pigment on the eyelid and serves as a substrate on which the color appears perfectly.
2. Use 1-3 similar shades from the palette if you want beautiful and quick everyday makeup. Apply the most saturated shade to the eyelid, you can make bright accents in the corners of the eyes. We recommend testing the shadows in advance for pigmentation and shrinkage: the color in the palette and on the skin may be different.
3. The general rule for shading is from dark to light. Take the shade on the brush, shake off the excess, apply it to the outer corner of the eyelid, and stretch the color with the brush. This way, you will get good shading from a rich tone to a lighter one.
4. Transitions between different colors are made by shading the border. Sometimes two shades create a dirty, gray, or brown area, so use a color palette or check the colors for compatibility beforehand when choosing colors.
5. The under-eye area also requires attention! Apply corrector or concealer there, work on the lower eyelid with one of the shades of eyeshadow, blend the pencil or just paint the lower lashes. If you apply active makeup to the eyes, but ignore the lower part of the face, the image will look strange.

 

Apply eyeshadow in stages to each eye to achieve symmetry in the makeup. By gradually applying the eye makeup and observing the result, you will provide only the best outcome.

Blending Methods For a Professional Result

It is necessary to blend the borders. Apply the shadows specifically with a brush, and then blend only the borders of the application. Do not move the brush back and forth over the base coat.

 

Apply pearlescent light to the blending area - it will not give color, but matte shadows on it will blend instantly. You do not need to cover the eyelid completely with mother-of-pearl, focus only on the very borders of the blending.

 

Be sure to apply a primer under the shadows, and lightly powder the primer itself on top. The correct movements of the brush are the key to success. They should not be rubbing or reciprocating, it is advisable to move the brush with light movements exclusively in one direction, towards the outer corner of the eye. 

 

If you are used to holding the brush like a pen, then perhaps it is convenient for you, but blending is only more difficult that way as the pressure on the brush increases, and the lines are sharper. Therefore, take the brush as close to its tip as possible. This way, the pressure will be minimal, and the shadows will blend easily and quickly.

 

If you need to blend black or any other dark eyeshadow, don’t try to do it with just one shade, as it will likely not blend smoothly into the skin. Use one transition shade-taupe and brown work well, and blend it out, so the color doesn’t show through, and the transition is smoother.

Adding Definition and Drama

The smoky eye effect is a makeup look that emphasizes the eyes and is done using dark (usually, but not always) eyeshadow and pencil, which are shaded with lighter eyeshadow to create a smoky effect. This can be either a smooth and soft blending of shades or an effect of untidily smeared shadows, as if the makeup has not been removed since yesterday.

Applying Eyeshadow As An Eyeliner

Take a brush with an angle (for eyeliner). In fact, you can apply eyeshadow with any brush you are comfortable with. But an angled brush will make applying eyeshadow much easier and more effective. Follow these steps for the perfect makeup:

 

1. The brush you use should be clean.
2. Apply a foundation, cream or lotion to your eyelids.
3. Gently wet the brush with water.
4. Then gently apply the eyeshadow to the brush (on each side).
5. Apply the eyeshadow to your eyelid.
6. Apply translucent powder on top to prevent the eyeshadow from smudging throughout the day.

Adding glitter or shimmer for extra glamour and bold shimmer color to the center of your eyelid. First, apply a matte shade that matches your skin tone, then add shimmer to the inner corner of your eye and blend. For more drama, use a slightly darker matte shade and blend it into the outer corners of your eyes.

Common Mistakes When Applying Eyeshadow And How To Avoid Them

We have selected the most common mistakes when applying eyeshadow that every second girl makes. To apply eyeshadow evenly, you need to have a whole arsenal of beauty tools, namely high-quality brushes.

 

With special brushes, you will understand that shading is not a stressful process but a simple and quick process in eye makeup. The main thing is to choose brushes based on the type of eyeshadow.

 

To make the eyeshadow last all day and not crumble, you need to use a special primer. This beauty product will even out the skin and will work as a magnet for pigments, preventing both rolling and crumbling.

Finishing Touches

You can make your eyes look bigger by drawing arrows, using shadows, a pencil or eyeliner. The last two options are the most convenient and will suit even beginners. You can stretch the shape of your eyes with long and thin arrows. To make a clear and even arrow, use liquid eyeliner. It comes in the form of a felt-tip pen or a brush in a jar. 

 

A lot of attention is paid to eyebrows now. For long-lasting makeup, wax or a special gel will do as a fixing agent. As an aid in finishing your makeup, this is a makeup fixing spray - a godsend for maintaining an ideal appearance throughout the day and relieving the fair sex of the constant need to touch up their makeup.

Conclusion

To create the perfect image, you need to know how to apply makeup correctly to shine in any situation. Makeup artists suggest using a lot of new products to create flawless makeup.

 

Concealer, highlighter, bronzer, eyebrow paste, and many more jars and tubes are in a cosmetic bag. Eyeshadow is very important in makeup, in this article we will consider the main important aspects of applying and using shadows.