It’s no secret how much I love all things related to eye makeup. I mentioned in my Fenty Beauty review that I love to try out new color combinations on my eyelid. While I’ve always loved eyeshadow, a trip down memory lane (read: only a few years ago) showed me that I’ve made some notable changes to eye makeup process. Of course, I hope to still make more changes but here are some key steps I took through the years that really helped me see some improvements in my eyeshadow application.
Prime
As someone who loves bright eyeshadows, it really annoys me when the swath on my finger or wrist doesn’t match what shows up on my lid. About a year ago I looked into eyeshadow bases that evened out my skin tone on the lid and also provided a better color payoff. No need to break the bank on this one which expensive primers or bases–unless of course you really want to. I stick to my NYX shadow base in the shade “skin tone” before every eyeshadow look. More recently, I’ve been setting the base with a translucent setting powder to avoid creasing and ensure easy blending of shadows.
Brushes
Believe it or not I never really used brushes a few years ago. I applied eyeshadow with…my fingers. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times when the best way to apply makeup is with your fingers. Even the famous makeup artist Pat McGrath says so herself. However sometimes brushes do much better job of giving a perfectly blended look. They also allow you to play around with the density of shadows. The same shadow can give you completely different looks on your lid depending on the brush you use to apply it.
There are plenty of affordable eye brush options out there but I stick to Morphe and Elf when I’m looking for useful but inexpensive brushes. My top 3 favorite brushes for any eye look are the Morphe M441 for blending, the Morphe M433 for a slightly denser application than the M441, and the Morphe M135 for packing on bright colors on the lid.
The same shadow can give you completely different looks on your lid depending on the brush you use to apply it.
Experiment
This one is is no brainer but to transform my eye looks I had to experiment with new colors. A few years ago I would basically stick to the same look of Maybelline gold eyeshadow on my lid or inner color and then switch the colors used in my crease. Now, I use more than just Maybelline, and I’ve definitely been experimenting with different colors. One of my absolute favorite eye looks are bright one color looks (red, orange, and yellow) with shadows from Sugarpill Cosmetics. I also finally came to understand the importance of transition colors that really created a smoother blend between the bright colors I love. Instead of a harsh distinction between my brow bone and crease colors, a brown shade close to my skin tone softens the transition. My go to transition shadow is “Quatre” from Colorpop but it seems like they’ve discontinued that shade since I last bought it.
Finally, I definitely play around with textures and finishes. I used to stick to metallic shades for the most part but now I try out mattes and satin finishes as well. The point here is to definitely experiment with different colors, finishes, and application techniques instead of sticking with the same routine! If you’re stumped on how you could possibly switch up application, watch a youtube tutorial. On a day when you’re going out to eat or hang out with a friend and the stakes are low, test out the new look.
Bonus: Eyebrows
Although it’s not apart of my eyeshadow process, my eyebrows are an obvious difference between my eye look then and now. Years ago, my eyebrows looked much thinner and sparse and that’s simply because I was getting them done too often. Instead of getting them threaded every other week, now I get them done once a month and use concealer to clean them up when necessary. Not only did I save money, but I also saved my brows from becoming non existent some day. Don’t be afraid to tell your eyebrow lady that while you want to clean up your brows you also want to keep them thick. The threader should be able to general shape without making them too thin. And if they can’t, consider getting a new brow threader or waxer.
