Today we are looking at some everyday eye looks that you can wear using one to four shades of eye shadow. Don’t get overwhelmed, I promise you can achieve this with a toddler hanging on your leg and three to four kids asking a hundred and one questions while getting ready for school in the morning. I’m working off of a blue eye palette, but you smarties can easily apply these techniques to your favorite eye palettes. Check out part 1 of this series if you need help deciding on a palette
First, the tools. For the best results you will want a clean brush for each color and a clean brush for blending. In a pinch use a brush cleaning spray and a clean paper towel to clean brushed between colors.
An all over eye brush is my go-to brush for just about anything on the eye. I typically use it for my two main colors and blending. I like a smudger brush for in my crease and may also use it for blending depending on what is still clean. The smudger brush is also perfect for adding a little highlight on the lid. I find the angled crease brush to be fantastic for more precision in the crease for dramatic looks. It can also serve as an extra all-over brush for applying color.
Couple bonus brushes to add to your collection would be an eyeliner brush. I love using my eye shadow as eye liner when I need a little more definition (but that is for another post). Also a cream color brush. You can use one of these for applying eye primer, under-eye concealer, or cream/liquid eyeshadow. Just be sure to use a clean brush for each product.
I am working from a 4-color palette, but the great thing about it is you can stop at however many colors you want to apply. I use the same technique whether I am doing one color or doing all four.
In this palette, color 1, the lightest matte shade, serves as a base. Color 2 is the main color, a medium shade. Color 3 is the darkest shade and can be used in the crease and/or as a liner. Color 4 is the lightest shimmer shade, and it serves as a highlighter. You can use 1 and 4 mostly interchangeably if you only have three shades, or if you have all matte or all shimmer shades. Experiment to see which look you like best.
Start by applying a primer to the entire lid, from lash to brow. This will create a smooth even surface for your color and help the color to stay true longer.
For applying a single color (or more) we will start with shade 2. Apply this all over the lid, up to the crease. If you have hooded or deep-set eyes (like mine) you can extend it a little beyond the crease.
Next we will apply shade 1, the lightest shade to the brow bone. This is going to help open up your eye. My typical daily eye shadow is just two colors and this is it. quick and easy. just be sure to blend the line between the two shades.
Next is the crease. Take your crease brush and make a little “V” on the outside corners of your eyelid using shade 3, the darkest shade. The heavier the V the more dramatic the look. Stop at or before the center of your eye. If you have a monolid with no crease, smudge this shade along the lashline only.
Finally, highlight with shade 4. Use a clean smudger brush to add a little highlight to the center of your lid. This will pick up the light in your pupil. For those of you with close set eyes highlight the inner corner of your eyes instead to create the illusion of space between your eyes.
With a four-color palette, you may also choose to highlight just a little along the curve of your brow, but not the whole brow bone.
So that’s it. Take this technique and apply it to any palette up to four colors. I keep things subtle by starting with the darkest colors first and ending with the lightest, or I add drama by layering on more of the darker colors as I finish.
I hope you find this guide helpful, but for best results speak with someone trained to help you find the right products and get the most from them. Your local Independent Beauty Consultant has an abundance of products to specialize your skin care and makeup to meet your specific needs. Don’t have an Independent Beauty Consultant? Ask your questions here!
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