If you've ever gotten your makeup done professionally, you know eyeshadow can take your look to the next level. However, if you don't often wear a lot of makeup, eyeshadow — and all of the palettes and brushes that come along with it — can feel pretty intimidating. Luckily, it doesn't have to involve hours of watching YouTube videos.
To help you get started, we spoke with makeup artists Adam Breuchaud and Keanda Snagg to find out everything there is to know about how to apply eyeshadow correctly. Discover all of their pro tips and tricks so that you can create looks ranging from "no makeup" makeup to all-out glam.
Keep scrolling for our complete guide to applying eyeshadow like a MUA.
Step 1: Gather Your Tools
First, you'll want to make sure you have a good set of professional makeup brushes. Next, choose an eyeshadow you're dying to work with, as well as a good primer. Then, to finish off, grab your favorite mascara and eyeliner, and don't forget to get creative.
Breuchaud stressed the importance of discovering what works best for you rather than following trends.
"The fun part of makeup is there really are no rules," he said.
Snagg recommended the Laruce Beauty Tapered Blending Brush and Short Shadow Brush.
"[They are] super soft and affordable," Snagg explained.
Don't be afraid to use your hands if that's easier for you. "Some cream eyeshadows apply and spread easily with your finger," Breuchaud shared.
VIDEO: The Unexpected Eye Makeup Color That's About to Be Everywhere
Step 2: Wash Your Face and Makeup Brushes
Before applying makeup, you want to ensure your skin and makeup brushes are clean. For your skin, look for a hydrating facial cleanser. As for your eye makeup brushes, give them a good wash with something as simple as Dove Antibacterial Hand Wash or Dial Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap. Then, make sure to lay them flat so they dry properly.
Step 3: Apply Eyeshadow Primer
BriAnne Wills
Prep your eyes by sweeping some primer across your lids.
"I find it helps the eyeshadow stay and look more pigmented," said Breuchaud.
On the other hand, Snagg opts out of primer and instead sticks with products like cream blushes, eyeshadows, and vibrant eye pencils as her base.
"It helps matte eyeshadows pop, and the shimmer eyeshadows illuminate more while lasting all day," she said.
Breuchaud added, "Primers or cream shadow colors can be an easy way to add depth or gradation to your look."
Step 4: Build Your Base
After your primer has been applied, it's time to build your base. The easiest way to create a beginner's eye is to opt for a makeup palette with complementary colors.
While the color spectrum is your oyster, it's good to keep in mind that there are four general shades you will use to build the perfect beginner eyeshadow look: a neutral color on your base, medium shade in your crease for depth, darker color for the outer corner of your eye, and shimmer shade or lighter color to highlight underneath your brow and for your inner eye to open them up.
For bright colors like red, blue, pink, and green, Breuchaud revealed that they "tend to all apply and blend slightly different."
So, make sure to keep this in mind when you are trying new colors.
"Give yourself extra time to play and the grace to learn," he advised.
If you like to play with deep dark tones, such as deep browns, purples, grays, and blacks, try using a smaller brush to help control where you place the shadow, instructed Breuchaud.
Step 5: Apply a Neutral Shade to Your Lid
BriAnne Wills
Start with the neutral color and place it over your entire lid. Then, you'll want to define your crease (where your lid and brow bone meet) with something complementary for the base. So, for example, say you are using a light brown; you may want to use a slightly darker brown for the crease, then blend it out.
Step 6: Add a Darker Color to Outer Corners
BriAnne Wills
For the outer corners of the eyes, start by taking an angled brush and applying a color darker than what you used on your crease. You'll want to create a V-shape from your lash line to the outer portion of your eye crease — and remember, start with just a little bit of product, then work your way up.
"Applying too much product is a repeated problem with everyone these days," Snagg shared. "Technique, the right brushes, and patience are key."
Step 7: Highlight
BriAnne Wills
Once you're done, you'll want to finish off your look with a highlight. Choose a shimmery shadow within your color palette, apply it underneath your brow bone and inner eye, and watch your eyes pop.
Step 8: Blend
Finally, you'll want to blend everything. Although your eye makeup consists of four different colors, it shouldn't look like it. Spend time blending so the colors meld together and you don't have sharp lines. Blending brings the entire look together.
Step 9: Apply Eyeliner
BriAnne Wills
After applying your shadow, now is the time to use your eyeliner. Snagg is a fan of The Lip Bar "Straight Outta Patience" Eyeliner.
"It's super black, soft, and long-wearing," she revealed.
Breuchaud also shared that it's important to pay attention to the eyeliner formula before applying it.
"Some stay 'wet' and 'moveable' longer, and some almost immediately 'dry' and want to stay in place," he explained. "Depending on your eye shape and liner abilities, the first can be helpful as you have more time to move and apply it. However, if you have a smaller eyelid or hooded eyelid, this type of liner can get all over quickly if you blink or look up before it's dry. In [this] case, the second type of liner might suit you better."
Step 10: Finish with Mascara
BriAnne Wills
Finish off your new eye look with your favorite mascara (or faux lashes if you prefer).
Photographer: BriAnne Willis, assisted by Katy Andrascik. Hair: Madison Sullivan. Makeup: Hiro Yonemoto. Production: Retouching: Kevin Lee. Kelly Chiello, assisted by Amanda Lauro.
The beginning stages of putting on eye makeup can be an absolute disaster. Where do you begin? What brush should you use? What eye colors should you choose? And how in the world do you blend your eyeshadow? If you’re a beginner with eyeshadow, you may feel discouraged by all your unanswered questions and ready to throw in the towel. But, there’s no need to worry! Our team has created an eyeshadow and eye makeup guide for beginners to help you become an expert.
You’ll want to start with a fresh face. If you’re a beginner that is applying eyeshadow, you should always start with eye primer. Eye primer allows for a flawless application, making your eyeshadow stick to your eyelid better.
Simply dab a small amount of primer on the back of your hand. The amount should be as small as a grain of rice and should be enough for both eyes. It’s better for beginners to add more makeup if necessary when compared to applying too much primer. Too much primer can make your eyeshadow clunk and peel.
Then take your ring finger or a small brush, dip it into the primer, and then dab it onto your eyelid. With your finger or brush, gently rub, pat, and spread primer up toward the brow bone and outer corners of the lid until you create a smooth surface.
Don’t have an eye primer at the moment? No worries! You can always use an eyeshadow base, concealer, or even foundation as a substitute. You should typically look for a shade of makeup that matches your complexion or is a little lighter.
The next step in our eyeshadow for beginners tutorial is to choose an eyeshadow palette with neutral tone colors to create a beautiful appearance. Within this palette, you should have a highlighter and eye makeup that is a shade lighter than your skin tone. In addition, you will need to apply a matte mid-tone shade and a dark contour shade that should be relatively around 2-3 shades darker than your skin. The last piece of makeup you will need is a matte black shade.
When it comes to your eye makeup, typically you need three different makeup brushes: a small flat eyeshadow brush, a medium-sized blending brush, and an eye smudger brush to effectively apply your eye makeup.
If you’re a beginner to applying eye makeup, we recommend grabbing your flat brush in order to apply the highlighter to the inner corner of your eyes. When a beginner is looking to create a pigmented eyeshadow appearance, we suggest dampening the tip of the brush by dipping it in water and then gliding the brush on the eyeshadow and inner corner of the eyes.
Before applying eye shadow, make sure to tap your brush to remove excess products. This way, your eyeshadow won’t fall all over your face and cause a mess.
Once you’re done with the first application, use the same color to gently highlight the arch of your eyebrows for a luminous look.
In this next step of our eyeshadow for beginners guide, you will learn how to use the blending brush to apply mid-tone shades. With your blending brush, apply the eyeshadow above the crease, blending inwards from the outer corners.
How do you know if you need more or less eyeshadow? If you’re enrolled in a makeup artist training program at a beauty school, you should be familiar with the proper amount of eyeshadow to apply to clients. Hold your makeup brush to the outer corner of your clients eye to check if you’ve applied the proper amount of eyeshadow. Nothing should fall below the makeup brush.
Next, beginners should apply the contour shade of the eyeshadow with a blending brush from the outer corner and then blend it into the crease on the outer half of the eye. Do not blend contour too high. The mid-tone eyeshadow shade should always be higher than the contour shade.
Now that you’re finished with the eyelid application, proceed to the bottom of the lid! Mix your mid-tone color and the contour shade. Next, apply the eye makeup on the bottom lash line, starting from the outer corner until it meets the highlighter on the inner corner.
For the ultimate finish, beginners should apply the matte black eye makeup on the outer corner of the eyes and close to the bottom lash line. This subtle technique will create a dramatic effect!
To create alluring lashes, place the curler as close to the base of your lashes as possible without pinching your skin. Close the curlers, gently squeeze for 10-15 seconds and then release the curler.
Beginners should apply the mascara eye makeup of their choice by placing the wand against the base of your lashes and wiggling it back and forth gently to lift and curl the lashes. Then, go over your lashes with a second coat of mascara.
Make sure to use an eyelash curler before applying mascara to avoid eyelashes clumping and sticking to the curler.
Okay, so you’re not quite ready for a dramatic cat wing. But you can still make your eyes stand out with a subtle eyeliner look!
For a simple eyeliner application, beginners should place eyeliner makeup brush in the middle and against your upper lash line to ensure that you are as close as possible to your eyelashes. Then, apply eyeliner to your upper lash line, and move out towards the outer edge of the lash line.
Once that is complete, fill out the missing gaps by connecting the line. Use small strokes to connect your lines until you have one polished, even line on your upper lash line.
If a beginner makes a mistake during the eye makeup application process, simply dip a cotton swab in some liquid oil and use the tip of the cotton swab to even out crooked edges or wipe away excess liner.
And Voila! With our eye makeup for beginners’ guide, you have yourself a flawless everyday look. Just a little practice of your everyday look and soon enough you’ll be on your way to experimenting with different eye color shades and more!
If you’re into makeup artist training, and perhaps, want to create beautiful makeup looks for others, consider getting a makeup certification!
At Pivot Point Academy, we’ve comprised an excellent 84-hour makeup program designed to cover the foundations of makeup. We blend current trends and traditional techniques so that you not only apply quality, crisp, and clean makeup but also take the initiative to explore and experiment. Enroll in our 84-hour MUD makeup program to sharpen your skills and prepare for a future career in the field.
In our MUD makeup program, here are some essential makeup application techniques beginners will learn with eye makeup, eye shadow, and other types of makeup.
Facial Analysis: A significant process for healthy skin care, skin analysis helps determine a client’s skin type, skin condition, and the best treatments to use.
Contouring: Beginners will acquire the ability to alter the shape of someone’s nose, eyes, lips, and other facial features through the technique of shading.
Color Theory: Grasp a general understanding of the color spectrum to best compliment a person’s complexion with the appropriate color scheme. Learn to match a client’s skin type with the perfect foundation to conceal blemishes, acne, and any unwanted spots on the face area.
Highlighting: Beginners in our MUD makeup programm will learn how to attract light and definition to the face with eyeshadow and makeup
Eyeshadow: Apply multi-dimensional eyeshadow through the process of blending. Other techniques beginners will learn include transitioning, shading, deepening, and highlighting to define the eyes.
Correcting: Color correcting involves using complementary colors to eliminate the look of skin discoloration, redness, dark spots, bruises, under-eye circles, and more.
For those looking to dive even further in skin care, our Esthetics Program will introduce you to a wide range of skin care methods, vital to producing healthier, more radiant skin. At Pivot Point Academy, we offer an exceptional three-phrased, 750-clock hour esthetician program that is designed to give students the necessary skills required by the state of Illinois to earn an esthetician license. The Esthetics program offered by Pivot Point Academy also includes the MUD Exclusive 84-Hour Beauty Essentials Course and Level I Make-up Certification.
In our skin care classes, here are some essential techniques you will gain that will allow you to remarkably improve an individual’s skin condition.
Body Treatments: Learn the body wraps, massages, and scrubs crucial to moisturizing, rejuvenating, and improving the skin.
Chemical Exfoliation: Access, diagnosis, and apply chemical peels to various skin types. Chemical peels are treatments used to remove damaged skin, scars, uneven skin tones, sun damage, redness, acne scars, wrinkles, and fine lines.
Hair Removal/Waxing: Remove hair effortlessly in common areas such as the stomach, legs, chest, back, bikini areas, and armpits.
Microdermabrasion: Remove dead cells with a superfine crystal or diamond-tipped wand, to soften skin, minimize pores, and prompt less hyperpigmentation.
Acne Treatments: Gain a deep understanding of acne and help clients find skin care products conducive to his or her skin type—whether oily, sensitive, dry, etc.
Makeup Application: Beginners in our 750 clock-hour esthetician program will learn how to apply eyeshadow, eye makeup, and facial makeup flawlessly by learning techniques such as base matching, facial analysis, and color application.
Enroll in our spa school in Bloomingdale, Illinois today. In addition offering innovative makeup and esthetics programs, our beauty school also offers courses in areas such as cosmetology, and barbering. Give our staff a call by phone at (847) 860-7158 to learn more about the beauty programs at our spa school.
Pivot Point Academy – 144 East Lake Street, Suite C – Bloomingdale, IL 60108 – 847-860-7158 – info@academy-pp.com