Eyeshadow Tips and Tricks

By: Teresa Hall

hese eyeshadow tips will take you from good looking to gorgeous. The eyes are the first thing most people notice about your face, so knowing how to apply your eyeshadow correctly is the key to showing them off.

Eyeshadow comes in a huge variety of colors and is available in creams, powders and pencils. Although your options may seem overwhelming at first, you can use your eyeshadow to accentuate the positive and camouflage the negative.

Cream or Powder?
Eyeshadow is available in either creams or powders. Creams are nice because you can usually apply them in one stroke, but powder eyeshadows last longer and tend to provide a sheer cover. If you like a cream eyeshadow, you can apply a matching powder on top of the cream to increase its staying power. For many women, the ultimate eyeshadows are the cream-to-powder shadows that go on as a cream and dry to a powder, giving you the best of both worlds. Ultimately, the choice between cream and powder is a matter of preference. Try both and see which one works better for your skin type.

You may want to try using an eyeshadow primer before applying shadow. A primer provides a smooth base that will allow easier application of the shadow and keep the shadow on longer. You can use a translucent powder as a primer to avoid having to purchase a separate product.

Choosing Colors for Your Skin Tone and Eye Color
When it comes to color choices for eyeshadow, the number-one rule is to test different colors and wear what you like best. However, there are some general guidelines as to which colors work best for certain skin tones and eye colors.

Fair skin: You can wear most eyeshadow colors, but keep them in the lighter shades, especially for daytime wear. If your hair is dark, you can go with slightly darker eyeshadow colors. Medium plums, purples, lavenders, greens or blues all work, but line your eyes with the same color as your shadow.

Olive-toned skin: Colors in the brown family work well for a subtle look. Choose the ones that are slightly darker than your skin tone, or try a gold that really glimmers and shines. Other colors to try include greens, aquas, purples and blues. Use an off-white, shiny shadow on your brow bone to make your eyes really stand out.

Golden-toned skin: Apply pale gray, slate blue, purple or pink on the lids and one shade darker in the crease for accent. Highlight the brow bone with off-white shadow.

Light brown skin: Brown shadow with a shimmer works beautifully, but don't shy away form vibrant shades like greens, blues or purples. Keep the shadow sheer, and use one that sparkles.

Dark skin: Try eyeshadow that is one shade lighter than your skin tone. Try using a shadow with gold or silver flecks of shine. If you prefer a little more color, use deep shades of purple or burgundy and line the eye with dark colors.

Most experts don't advocate trying to match your eyeshadow to your eye color. Instead, follow these guidelines: Green eyes look great with purples, bronzes or browns; blue eyes perk up with peaches, yellow and golds; and for brown eyes, anything goes.

Day to Night: Which Colors Make the Transition Best?
When you are applying makeup for daytime, you can use just a base color and mascara. At night, you want a more dramatic look. This is best achieved by using darker colors with lots of sparkle and shine. Because using a wet brush will intensify powder shadow colors, you can use the same shadow from day to night, but use the wet brush for your evening application. Shimmery cosmetics are great for adding interest, but be careful not to overdo it, or you will call attention to those lines and wrinkles that you would rather hide.

How to Apply Eyeshadow
Start with a natural concealer that matches your skin tone, or use a primer. This will give you the smoothest, longest-lasting coverage. For basic eyes, use the lightest shade of shadow from the lash line to the brow line. Use a medium shade on the lid and a third color along the lash line and outer corner of your eyes. You can also use that third color in the crease of your eye to add depth, as long as it is the darkest of the three shades.

Try using an eyeshadow brush, rather than a sponge-tipped applicator. A brush is wonderful for blending and offers a nice sheer coverage. Load the brush with shadow, and then blow off the excess before applying. Wash your brushes every couple of weeks with a light shampoo and dry them flat, rather than standing on end. Also, if you love to use different eyeshadow colors, purchase more than one brush and keep the color families separate so they don't bleed over into each other, leaving you with a muddy-looking mess.

Using Eyeshadows to Fix Those Flaws
Eyeshadow can work wonders to camouflage flaws in the eye and nose area. For close-set eyes, keep the inside corners of the eyes lighter than the outer corners. Use concealer that is one shade lighter than your skin at the inner corner of your eyes and on the sides of your nose. Use a matte shadow in a medium to dark shade, and sweep it outward and upward, starting at the middle of the lid and going toward the outer half.

If your eyes are wide-set, do the opposite. Emphasize those inner corners by using a neutral base and then dusting on a medium to dark color on the inner half of the eyelid, blending outward. You want the most color on the inner half and then let it lighten up as you blend outward. Use eyeliner to line the lid from the inner corner to the middle of the eye. Again, blend outward, lightening up as you go.