This page is a work in progress...
For more information about colour choices, check out my "A Word About Skin Tone" posting. It includes a bit of colour theory. Although I tend to believe there are no rules as to what colour eyeshadow a person can wear. If you have blue eyes, of course you can wear blue eyeshadow! Some people are so ridiculous.
You'll want to use a primer or base before your eyeshadow application. I would recommend either Urban Decay's Primer Potion, or Two Faced Shadow Insurance, which can both be found at Sephora. Another popular choice is MAC's Paint Pots, which I consider more of a "base" than primer, and I find that it creases for me. At the moment I've been testing and comparing Primer Potion vs Shadow Insurance. I'll do a write up when I have more conclusive results. They're both great, but I seem to be ever so slightly partial to the UDPP. A good primer will help prevent fading, smudging, creasing, and will allow you to blend your shadow more easily and some will give you a noticeable boost in vibrancy or intensity of certain colours. This will in turn help your look to last longer. Some people will double up and use a primer like UDPP, then apply a base like MAC Paint Pot over top to enhance or change the colour of their shadows.I introduced a friend to UDPP and she left a hilarious drunken rave on my Facebook about how she has never before loved her makeup so much after going out, sleeping in it, and waking up. It still looked the same. I recommend washing your face before bed, though!
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| You don't need a different colour or shade for all of these areas. |
I threw together this diagram to show you the different areas of the eye that I often refer to. It's kind of creepy, and I coloured n in Paint, but it will do until I have time to create something more eyecatching!
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| MAC 239 |
Depending on the look you're going for, the product used, and the area of the eye- You'll want to use different brushes. After some practice you'll get an idea of which ones work best for you. Short, dense, stiffer brushes apply a more concentrated colour, which soft fluffy ones lay down a lighter colour. A sweeping motion will tend to apply lighter than a patting motion, and so on. For heavy colour concentration like I often use, you'll be using a brush like MAC's 239 (I often use Face Secret's "Shadow Blender" brush, which I purchased at Sally Beauty Supply for a fraction of the cost. It works very well for patting down bold colour)
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| Face Secrets brushes are great for being ridiculously cheap. Particularly this, the "Shadow Blender" for both applying colour and blending. The only issue I could foresee is that it's a wee bit large for smaller eyes. |
Creasework
There are a few options for applying product to the crease of your eye. I always use shadows because creams crease. Any brush small enough to get in there should do. It's simply a matter of preference. I use three brushes religiously in my crease.
MAC's 219 Pencil Brush $29.50 CAD
They say: "For precision shading on lid, in eye crease or along lash line. The soft, smooth fibers of this brush are gathered into a pencil-shaped tip. It is ideal for blending eyeliner into eye shadow to create a smoky looking eye."
I say: This is staple. I use this every single day that I wear eye makeup. I tap this onto the colour, tap off the excess, and with a light hand I apply colour my crease out "outer V" from the outside working inward. There are other uses for this brush, but I'll get to that after. Now, I don't often blend the colour with this one.. That's where my next brush comes in...
MAC's 217 Blending Brush $27.00 CAD
They say: "For shading or blending of colour or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibers that are arranged in an oval shape."
I say: This is the brush that revolutionized my makeup application. I thought my blending was decent before. This floored me the first time. I used it I can't imagine life without it. I don't often apply the colour with this brush. I use it to blend out the colour I've laid down with other brushes. I use this in a windshield wiping motion, and also small circular motions. Again, other uses- but I'm telling you about creasework here... So our next brush is...
MAC's 266 Small Angle Brush $23.50 CAD
They say: "For creating sharp, precise lines. This brush has fibres which are carefully arranged to form a perfect angle."
I say: Again, a very versatile brush! This is the brush I probably use the most, and for so many different things. I've just begun to use it in my crease more often, but this is absolutely for a cut crease look. You won't need it for a softer more blended look. Not in your crease, anyway. You'll want to press this to your colour, tap the excess, and carefully "line" the crease." It'll create a very harsh line that I would then lightly trace over with my 217- taking care not to over-blend. Here's a picture to demonstrate the "cut crease," by the way. It's not a stellar example but I have barely experimented with the look.
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| Almost useless, as you can barely see the crease. Note to self: Do a cut crease tomorrow and take pictures! |
