What kind of eyeliner should you use? Eye pencils are a quick, convenient option, but they do have problems; many tend to smear or fade, and unless you are using a twist-up pencil they are tricky to keep sharpened. For years my favorite option for applying a line was to use a tiny eyeliner brush […]

Eyeliner is a basic part of an eye-makeup design because it shapes and defines the eyes and makes the eyelashes look thicker. If you are wearing only mascara and not eyeshadow, or if you want an extremely soft look, eyeliner is not necessary. If you do decide to wear eyeliner when you are wearing mascara […]

1. Do not overcolor the eyes; too many bright colors can be distracting, not attractive. 2. Do not create hard edges; you should not be able to see where one color stops and another starts. Practice your application and blend well! 3. Do not wear bright pink or iridescent pink eyeshadows; they make eyes look […]

1. 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. 2. Unless you’re using just one eyeshadow color, use at least two eyeshadow brushes for application. 3. Prime the eyelid and under-brow […]

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 […]

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 […]

Eyeshadow should be applied exclusively with brushes, and it’s best to use brushes that are designed specifically for eyeshadow. Never use sponge-tip applicators—they drag across the eye and tend to blend colors in streaks. Once you get used to good brushes, you will never go back to the sponge-tip applicators again. When applying eyeshadow, use […]

Aside from powder eyeshadows, which are by far the most common type, other types available include liquids, pencils, cream-to-powder, and creams. Though these can be fun and easy to use, they are often hard to blend and control. Makeup artists rarely, if ever, use the liquids or pencils, though some opt for creams as a […]

I’ve been watching and evaluating other makeup artists and their eyeshadow techniques for years. Though there are myriad alternatives, eyeshadow design is usually built on an application sequence that allows you to create a flow of colors in either one, two, three, or four steps. The four steps involve applying a succession of colors that […]