Eye Shadow: Versatile Makeup

I like anything that can do double-duty, especially when it comes to makeup. Eye shadow can do more than powder the eyelids. Its flexibility yields a number of cool looks. To experiment, buy one of those multi-shadow kits now in drugstores for Christmas (or get one half-off after the holidays) and have fun.

Eye shadow is a simple item that can serve a lot of makeup purposes.

Apply it dry, with a brush or sponge-tip applicator, and you have your basic eye shadow.

If you want it to look more high-impact, apply it with a damp brush over the entire eyelid. The color will be more intense, perfect for holiday parties or night-time events. These days, I'm loving a gold shade I found at Ulta. Painted over the whole lid, it looks decadent.

Eye shadow can also be used as eyeliner. If you have a eye shadow quad with some darker hues in it that you aren't sure how to use, wet a small eyeliner brush, smudge it in the shadow and line the eyes with it. Or, why not play with the colors and wet the brush, and smudge it into two or three shades to make a new color? Eye shadow painted on goes more smoothly and precisely, and you won't have to worry about a pencil that does not draw on smoothly. And if you mess up or want to tweak, just rewet the blush and blend it a bit more, or add a new color and re-blend with the wetted brush.

And shadow applied wet is long-lasting. You'll get real makeup mileage out of it.

For another glossy, high-impact look, scrape off a bit of shadow-powder, and mix it with a bit of vaseline and apply to your eyes. It's a great cream shadow look and looks sexy, glossy, dramatic.

Depending on what colors you have, eye shadow can be used as blush even. A nice pink or coral shade, or a magenta can work as blusher. A gold or silvery shade, depending on your skin tone, makes a great highlighter, brushed along the bridge of your nose or the tops of your cheekbones. Use a smidge of gold if you are warmer skin toned, and a bit of silver if you have a cool complexion.

You can even take some peachy or pink shadow and blend it with a bit of vaseline and apply like a cream blush. Your cheek color will look softer, dewier this way. If you want, you can even try the vaseline-shadow combo for lip color. Or just dab a bit of gold or silver shadow in the plumpest part of your lower lip for added impact.

If your skin tone is extremely pale, be cautious about extremely strong colors. Run the blush brush in the shadow and tap off the excess color and apply.

Take advantage of versatile eye shadow and enjoy countless cool looks.