Yes, Amiga, you can have beautiful eyes too!
Today I am finally going to tell you about Eyeshadow.
After reading this post you know all about eyeshadow looks, and what Eyeshadow Palettes I would recommend to you.
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This post is all about Eyeshadow. Watch the video down below of a pretty good Eyeshadow application by Angie Battista.
Jump ahead to:
Eyeshadow
Most creativity by far is expressed in the Eyeshadow look.
One thing I can’t have enough of is a good Eyeshadow Palette!
I really honestly would like all palettes that exist, I already have way too many that I never use but drag along with me in my kit, just in case.
I literally had to stop and forbid myself to buy more palettes.
I do only look at the good quality ones read HERE why.
The palette I absolutely use most on set is Too Faced Sweet Peach It has a lot of shades with shimmer, also the darker shades.
I love darker shades of shimmer shadows because you are still creating a shadow, but the shimmer catches the light, it is less heavy if that makes any sense, I even use it on mature skin.
It is the one pallet I use on myself, I just love it I can highly recommend it! I also love all the Tartelette by Tarte Cosmetics that I can recommend, I have 3. The early Naked Palettes by Urban Decay are good too.
Techniques
Basically, there are 3 different types of eyeshadow techniques for application:
- Applying eyeshadow Dry
- Applying eyeshadow Wet
- Applying eyeshadow on top of an creme based product (like a pencil)
Dry Eyeshadow Application
The technique I see the most on Instagram and YouTube is the dry application, this used to be my less favorite technique mostly because of the fallout, just loose powder on a brush.
However, I find myself always using this technique because it works faster for me.
The way it works is pretty simple, you dip your brush in your dry eyeshadow and sweep it on the eyes where ever you wish to have it, crease, on the moving eyelid, in the corner, where ever you like.
The brushes you use for this need to stay dry while you working, however, you have to clean them after every person you had in your chair, so you need to clean them with 70% alcohol or brush cleaner, which is basically the same.
Have your cleaner in a sprits bottle, spray your brushes clean using a tissue, this way they stay dry and are clean to use on the next person, obviously with COVID19, this is very important, spray all your powders including your eyeshadow pallet with 70% alcohol.
70% takes longer to disinfect and dry than a higher percentage, therefore it disinfects better than 95% for example. 70% takes more time this is why it kills more germs than 95%.
Use blending brushes like THIS one, or with a tip shaped like THIS will work wonderfully well. This may be the most simple and easy application of eyeshadow.
Wet Eyeshadow Application
I never use this technique, but I don’t know why, because it’s a good way to intensify your eyeshadow’s color, especially in the corners of the eye’s and crease, it all so blends well, I should be using it more, you can also work fast.
The way I would do it is as followed, don’t use a blending brush, it’s too wide, use something like THIS.
Dip it in a little water, don’t have it soaking wet, just damp, then dip your brush in the eyeshadow.
Always spread the powder well into the brush using the top of your hand, so you have control over the dose of eyeshadow you have on your brush (I do this with dry eyeshadow too btw).
If you would not do this, you will have too much eyeshadow on your brush creating a big spot of eyeshadow on the eye, you need to have control over your product.
Apply it on the corner of the eyes, just a smudge under the eye and in the crease, of course, if this suits the look your after. I wouldn’t really use this technique on lighter-colored eyeshadows, but it is very well possible.
Using this technique could give you sharp edges, so blend it well with the little wet brush first then use a dry blending brush with the same dry eyeshadow color to get it wonderfully blended.
The main reason to use this technique is to intensify your eyeshadow color, the shadow will be a little darker when it’s wet.
Applying Eyeshadow on top of an Creme based product
This is the most advanced technique to apply eyeshadow, it is my all-time favorite. In my opinion, it gives the best result. You need more time for this one, you are actually applying product on the same spot twice.
The creme-based product I am referring to could be a regular kohl eye pencil in whatever color you wish or a creme eyeshadow.
I prefer kohl, the most difficult way is to draw your shape on the eye with the kohl and blend from there, this is the old skool way.
Easier is to put the kohl on top of your hands first, take it off with a precision brush, and then draw your shape on the eyes.
The reason why I love this technique is that this way you can blend the best way there is. The skin has sebum, the creme kohl literally blends with the sebum of the skin, creating the best blend impossible.
However, if you would leave it like this you will have a disaster, especially if you would put it in spotlights.
Caused by the sebum, the sebum will cause it to move around, and because the eye is a moving part of the face the product will find its way into little creases and wrinkles, here is your disaster right there.
You need to fix your eyeshadow in place with powder at all times, you can’t skip this step!
You could fix it with any powder thinkable, but of course, it works best if you fix black kohl with black eyeshadow. Use a blending brush, THIS one would work great, really press the powder into the kohl, and swipe gently on your blended edges.
Everywhere you have applied the kohl needs eyeshadow powder.
This I why it takes longer, you are applying 2 layers of products on the eyes, but for (macro) Beauty Photography it is a really wonderful technique, you can’t get any more black any other way if black is what you’re going for.
This technique can be used with every color there is. Going for an intense blue look?
Use blue kohl and fix with blue eyeshadow. Again, I wouldn’t really use this technique with lighter-colored eyeshadow. Lighter eyeshadows I always just use dry.
The placing of your Eyeshadow
Where you place your eyeshadow is all up to you, this is where your creativity is boss.
This is what makes you the artist, there are no rules, you have countless options, you can try whatever you want, play with it, have fun with it.
However, it is good for you to know the classic placing of eyeshadow, whether you are a Makeup Artist or for your own look. I have made you a sketch on paper:
As well known the placing of a dark eyeshadow is in the corner of the eye, going into the crease like shown on the sketch.
Lighter eyeshadow is classically placed on the moving eyelid to highlight this area, this is how you create the optical illusion of a shadow, where dark colors fall back (like a shadow) and lighter colors stand out, hence the name Eyeshadow.
Here is a video by Angie di Battista, this is actually a Bridal makeup, 11 minutes into the video she starts applying Eyeshadow in a pretty good way.
In this post, you have learned everything about Eyeshadow you could use for yourself or if you’re starting out as a Makeup Artist, this is what every artist needs to know. Cheers Mamitas.
Mark says
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.