Eyeshadow Application Tips

Eyeshadows are very often a neglected part of a beauty regime, those of us who use them have a tendency to use the same few colours over and over again, despite having a rainbow of colours at your disposal.

We also very often apply them in the same way, unaware of just what a difference eyeshadow can make to the shape, size and intensity of the eye.

Eyeshadow comes in different colours, textures and forms, the most popular being powder, they are also available in cream, mousse, cake, pencil, glitter and shimmer/gloss.

The two main methods of applying powder eyeshadow are using a "cote" this is where you add one colour next to another in order to accentuate the colours.

Layering is the alternative; you start with a base coat and add small amounts of colour on top.

The way in which you apply your eyeshadow will depend on the effect you are trying to achieve.

Smoky eyes:

Apply a dark shade of eyeshadow such as dark brown or dark blue into the crease of your eyeshadow, blend it upwards slightly.

Apply the same colour to the upper, outer corner of your eyelid and blend into the crease. Next, apply this colour underneath your eye along your bottom lashes and smudge gently. Apply black eyeshadow at the bottom outer corner of your eye and blend gently outwards.

Bigger eyes:

Many people say that you should avoid darker eyeshadow colours completely if you have smaller eyes, this is not the case. You should not completely cover your eyelids in a dark colour, but you still need it to create definition.

Colour the whole eyelid in a light coloured eyeshadow such as white or iridescent ivory and blend it right the way up to the browbone.

Use the darker colour and apply it to the upper outer corner of your eyelid and blend upwards, this will help to make the eyes appear larger.

Defined eyes:

Blend a dark colour into the crease of your eyes for a subtle, yet significantly defined look.

Wide awake:

For a more wide awake, bright eyed look, make sure that you keep the colours closest to your eye light. You can still use a darker colour on the outer corner of your eyelid, but make sure that when you look in the mirror, there are no dark colours on the inner half of the eyelid.

Close set eyes:

If you have eyes that are close set, keep the dark colours away from the inner corner of your eyes.

Hooded/drooping eyelids:

If you have hooded eyelids, then the skin from your browbone is hanging forward onto the eyelid, this can sometimes be a sign of aging, weight gain or even weight loss (where the skin loses its elasticity), although very often it is something that people are born with.

Apply a dark colour into the crease of your eyelid and blend thoroughly into the upper outer corner of your eye up to the brow bone.

Elongate:To elongate your eyes and give a classy, understated look to them, keep the colour much stronger in the corner of the eyes, make sure in the centre of the eye that you colours are still strong, but keep the lines much thinner.