Eyeshadow tips

[kewtiepie]

does anyone have good tips for blending and applying eyeshadow perfectly. Like pairing colors, blending basics, creating cut creases for hooded eyes, choosing eye brushes online. Just you know everything that a newbie should know. Thanks in advance.

[jesscheems]

I have watched tons of youtube videos over the years. It took me time to learn what brushes to use and what colours I like to blend in my crease. I personally love ELF Studio line brushes- they are affordable and amazing. I also love Sigma brushes and some Tarte ones. Really depends on what type of look you are going for and how diffused you want your crease shadow to be- i.e. a fluffy brush will help you create a more flawless and blended crease. I like to cut the crease with the help of concealer after doing my crease colours, to map out where I would like to place my shadow. Checkout Stephanie Lange on YT for amazing videos for hooded eye looks etc. As for pairing colours, you will get to know as you start to use more eyeshadow. I personally love warm toned browns and beige shades along with peaches to amp up my looks. Some eyeshadow palettes that are great include: ABH Modern Renaissance, Too Faced Sweet Peach, and I love MUFE Artist Shadows. Hope that helps 😃 @kewtiepie

[angelKiss24]

holy highlight!! lol. I just looked up Stephanie Lange.........now I can't make myself unsee that 😄 @jesscheems

[TopazBeth]

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kewtiepie wrote:

does anyone have good tips for blending and applying eyeshadow perfectly. Like pairing colors, blending basics, creating cut creases for hooded eyes, choosing eye brushes online. Just you know everything that a newbie should know. Thanks in advance.

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Hi @kewtiepie! Welcome!

I just got into makeup a couple years ago myself, and the biggest thing that helped me learn about all this stuff was just consuming as many YouTube and MakeupGeek tutorials as I could, plus paying attention to what people posted here in the Sephora community -- and of course, LOTS of practice. That said, here are a few specific things that worked really well for me.

• Blending and applying. Start simple with just three colors: one that closely matches your lid's natural shade as a base, one darker shade for the outer corner of your lid that can be blended into your crease, and a lighter shade for all over. Either matte or shimmer is fine, whatever you prefer! (I have personally found that shimmers are a little more beginner-friendly and don't show mistakes as well, but my word is not gospel.) Once you feel confident with the looks you're creating with these three, then slowly start experimenting with more and more colors. Again, I recommend looking up tutorials for inspiration and instruction -- there are so many good ones out there! KathleenLights is really popular, and I enjoy Stephanie Lange as well for more dramatic looks, and Lisa Eldridge for more natural looks.
• Pairing colors. You might find it helpful to use a palette that comes with the colors already paired for you. I love Tarte's Tartelette in Bloom or Tarteist Pro, both of which have rows of complementary shades (you can mix and match, of course, but just going straight across the row is fairly foolproof), or Lancome's Color Design 5-shade compacts. Ultimately, the colors you can/should pair together are only limited to your imagination (just take a peek at some of the amazing looks @SDdenm or @heartsmyface have posted!), but while you're getting comfortable with everyday shadow, palettes like these are a great place to start.
• Blending basics. The brushes you use matter. You can easily get by with just two or three for most everyday looks -- or even just one as long as you clean it off between colors! Ideally, you should have at least a good fluffy one for blending and overall washes of color, a narrower, slightly more dense one for your crease and outer corner, and a stiff, dense one for packing on glitter, shimmer, or intense color. Sephora's in-house line has a great range of affordable options, and I'd highly recommend going into a store to have someone show you what they have and let you test some -- brushes are personal, so there's not one right or wrong way to choose them! Just gotta find what YOU like. If you want to play around with different brush types without spending much money, E.L.F. Studio, Morphe, and Real Techniques are all solid, budget-friendly options. As far as actual technique, this will vary according to personal preference as well, but what I do is 1) apply a primer -- my favorite is Too Faced's Shadow Insurance; 2) apply my all-over base color in a beige that's close to my skin tone with a fluffy brush; 3) using a different fluffy brush, lightly sweep a light-to-medium shade (aka my transition shade) into my crease and outer corner; 4) using a smaller brush, blend a darker shade into my crease and outer corner using small, circular motions with a light hand, holding my brush near the far end away from the bristles, which helps prevent pressing too hard; 5) sweep a medium shade all over my lid, doing a little extra blending into my crease and outer corner as a finishing touch. Again, different people have different techniques, but this works well for me for most looks!
• Creating cut creases for hooded eyes. I'm no cut crease guru and have only attempted one a couple times. The best thing I have to tell you here is to look up YouTube tutorials and PRACTICE. For both cut creases and everyday looks with hooded lids (which I have), the key is to bring your shadow up above your natural crease so it doesn't disappear under your "hoods" when you open your eyes. Wayne Goss has a quick, easy tutorial for how to figure out proper placement, but it just takes a bit of trial and error! I try to make sure I apply my shadow right under the bone of my eye socket, which is a happy medium above my natural crease but below my brows.
• Choosing eye brushes online. I sort of addressed this already under blending basics. I really do think buying brushes in person is ideal, but at least visit a store to see for yourself what different types feel like so you have a better idea what to expect from online descriptions. I would recommend sticking to individual brushes over sets for better mixing and matching. If you're only buying online, stick to stores with a good return policy or that don't cost much, just in case what you ordered doesn't work well for you. 

I hope that all helps! It's a lot to learn, but don't stress about it -- just have FUN! The community is always here to help answer more questions!

[SDdenm]

@TopazBeth aww thanks for the shout out! But can people even access our photos on here anymore? 😞

@kewtiepie There is nothing more I could say that @TopazBeth didn't already say. She gave you a ton of amazing advice! I also started off with YouTube. I literally would pause videos after each step and copy them on my own face lol. I started off with LipGlossLeslie and ThatGirlShaeXo because they were good about the step by step tutorials. I assume they still do them...I'm not sure because I don't watch a lot of youtube these days. Don't get discouraged if youre following along and it doesn't come out exactly like the girls in the video. I had so many looks that I had to immediately wash off because it was so bad haha. Just keep following along and you will find what works best for you. Good luck and post some pics of your progress! 🙂

[angelKiss24]

@kewtiepie, when I first started learning how to do eye makeup...I was using not so great brushes with eyeshadows everyone else said was of great quality and still had a hard time blending. Once I upgraded my brushes, the blending came much easier. I would definitely recommend getting quality brushes to start. Another no-brainer-I-should've-known tip is to make sure you lay down a base shadow...a color closely matching your lid shade (or the lid shade you want to have) as this helps to blend the actual shadow colors you want on top. As for actual techniques for specific looks, Youtube is a great resource with many step by step tutorials. I hope this helps and have fun learning!!

[kewtiepie]

Thank you so much. I've been watching makeup videos for close to three years now but I've just started wearing makeup thanks for the tips 😁🦄