Keep this fact in mind: The most beautiful makeup applications, the ones you see and admire the most on models and actresses, are neutral, not colorful. Look at any fashion magazine. You’re not going to see pastel or vivid eyeshadows on many faces, unless it’s a purposely eccentric or bizarre montage. Too many competing pastel or vividly colored shadows make the eye design distracting. Pastel and primary colors (green, blue, red) are hard to blend together, so they stand out. Besides, the general purpose of eyeshadows is to shape and shade the eye, not color it. The only way to shape the eye is by shading it with neutral shades such as taupe, brown, gray, ash, beige, tan, mahogany, redwood, caramel, sable, charcoal, and black. Eyeshadows are called shadows for a reason—they build shape, movement, and interest via shading, not with color.
The list of appropriately neutral colors and tones available is actually quite extensive. Yet color on the eyelid is best kept as subtle as possible, or you will end up creating an eye makeup design that is more noticeable than your eye. As a general rule, for a classically applied makeup, the lips and cheeks provide color on the face. More color standing out around the eyes can be overkill.
Be cautious about thinking you need to choose a design based on the need to correct a perceived facial problem, such as your eyes being too close together, too far apart, too round, or not round enough. There are no standard facial dimensions that define how attractive you or your eyes are. You can end up with a contrived look that allows the makeup to be more noticeable than your eyes.
The best way to choose which design to wear is to decide what image you want to project. The more shading you use, the more dramatic and formal the eye makeup design; the less shading, the more subtle and casual the design. Other considerations when choosing one eye-makeup design over another involve your skill at applying makeup, your personal preference, and the amount of time you want (or have) to spend. For example, if you are new or unaccustomed to wearing makeup, keep your entire makeup look simple until you become adept at the different application techniques. The same thing goes if you have only a few minutes in the morning to put your makeup on—it is best to keep your routine simple. Trying to apply full makeup very quickly can result in mistakes or a sloppy application.