III a - Eyeshadow
III b - Eyeliner
III c - Mascara
The secret to Eyeshadow is Blend...Blend...Blend!!!
Eyeshadow looks best when it almost looks like it isn't
there. This is not to say that pink or green or blue eyelids are necessarily
"natural", only that the colors blend as they would naturally on eyelids with no
makeup at all. So avoid the "little girl with mommy's makeup on" so you won't
look like Mimi on the Drew Cary Show!
The key to success with eye makeup is based upon three
fundamentals; good makeup,
good tools and blending.
Put on your eyeshadow as your next step. I have had
people say that they put it on last so if they mess up with the eyeliner they don't have
to start all over! The trouble is that the shadow will in part cover your liner if
you apply it after the liner. So instead of a clean natural eye (lash) line you get
a more smudged look.
So buck up ladies and just face the music. If you
have trouble with liner (and EVERYONE has fits with LIQUID liner!) then practice it with
no makeup on at all. You can wash it off as many times as you like or at least until
your eyes get raw!
The eyeshadow design presented below is a basic pattern
that works well for many people. Your face is unique and you may have special needs
(wide or narrow spaced eyes, small eyes, bulging eyes etc). As time goes on I will
add to the site addressing such needs. In the meantime, please feel free to email me
and I will do my best to give you advice. See the virtual
makeup analysis page for the information I will need to help you!
Makeup How To
Step III a - Eyeshadow
You will have up to three shades to work with in
eyeshadow; a lighter base, the accent color and (perhaps) a highlighter.
Start with the lighter base color. Using a fairly wide
eyeshadow brush (approx. 3/8-1/2" wide) pick up the powder on the brush. Tap
the brush lightly on the eyeshadow case or some other clean surface to remove excess
powder. (If you don't do this the excess will sprinkle itself onto places you don't want
it ruining your perfect foundation work!)
Cover your entire eyelid and area up to the brow as shown
in the animation below.
Note that the inner and outer borders of your base color
are defined by the same method as described in "Penciling" Your Brows"
section of the eyebrows page. (Now you can see why it is important to do your eyebrows
first!)
LIGHTLY, blend the inside and outer edges of the
eyeshadow into your foundation using your large foundation brush. This is where good
makeup pays off. The better (highly pigmented) eyeshadow will give color without
looking "caked on".
| Next Apply your
accent color using a smaller eyeshadow brush (about 1/4" wide). Start at the
outside edge (the same "penciling your eyebrows" guide!) of your eye and sweep
inwards just over the crease in your eyelid. Then work from your inner lid outward.
Depending on the shape of your eyelid, you will accent about halfway between your eyelid
and eyebrow more or less following the shape of your eyebrow (which is another
reason why it is important to do your brows BEFORE this step!). The shape of the accent
should look approximately as shown on the right. |
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If you have narrow set eyes (a typical sister trait),
extending the color to the outer edge as shown will tend to "throw your eyes"
outwards from one another. If you have small eyes, a little more accent color above your
iris are will also help to "open them up".
If you want to use highlighter add it now just under your
brow starting from the arch to the outer edge of your brow ONLY!
Once you have applied your base, accent and highlight
then BLEND BLED BLEND. Use your foundation powder brush and/or your finger to shape
and blend the colors together. You don't want to loose the definition shown but you
want to blend sufficiently enough so there is a smooth color transition form one color to
the next with no hard edges.
Using your finger to blend also helps to press the powder
in making it less like to flake and fade. |
Eyeliner
The use and placement of eyeliner is one
of the most important aspects of your eye makeup as it defines your eyes.
The downside is if you define your eyes improperly, the result is less than
pleasing or natural. The key is to first understand what you want to
define!
If you have narrow set eyes, you'll want to WIDEN them
(or vice versa!). If you have small eyes, you want to make them look bigger. I'll show you
how to get the most out of your eyes with liner!
Typically you use liner to pull your eyes inward, outward
or open them up by using what you have and accenting it (or adding to it).
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Makeup How To
Step III b - Eyeliner
Now BEFORE you start on your
eyeliner...curl your lashes! If you curl them afterwards you stand the chance of smudging
your beautiful eye penmanship. You also will get the rubber curling pad covered with
eyeliner which means the next time you use it you may smear unwanted makeup onto your
eyes!.
To curl, insert your lashes into the curling tool
then close it and hold it for a count of five! To get a little extra curl, bring the
curler away from the base of your lashes a little bit and crimp again.
| Opening
up your eyes: If you have relatively small
eyes (many sisters do) then you will want to use your liner to open them up. To do
this you should add liner slightly above your upper and slightly below your lower lash
line, This gives the appearance that your eyes are wider than they actually are.
Be careful not to put to much on. you use more for night
time and less during the day. Use a sharp pencil (at this point, until you have had
a lot of practice, I would avoid liquid liner).
|
| With your free
index finger on the corner of your eye, pull the lid taught so you have a taught
smooth surface to draw on. On the top
lash start at the inner corner of your eye and draw outward increasing the pressure as you
go causing the line to thicken toward the outer part of your eye. The line should start
very thinly and end up thickest on the outside edge of your eye.
You should extend your line beyond your natural lid line
especially if you have fairly close set eyes. |
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|
| On
the bottom lid you should not have to pull your eye taught. Just gently draw in your line
with brisk short strokes from the outside corner inwards. If you have close set eyes,
avoid putting any color in the area between your inside eye corner and the inside edge of
your iris. If you are trying to open your
eyes a little, then increase slightly the space between your natural eye line and your
penciled line. |
| Use
the smooth blunt end of the eyeliner pencil (or some other relatively smooth blunt and
hard instrument) to blend the eyeliner paralleling the direction of your natural lashes. By now you should have wonderfully defined, very feminine eyes!
Piece of cake! (right?) |
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| Mascara
Mascara adds incredible depth and definite femininity to your eyes
since long full eyelashes are a very subtle female trait. Also remember to curl
your lashes BEFORE the eyeliner goes on (see instructions in the eyeliner section above).
Pick a color that matches your own eyelashes or darker.
It is fun to play with the other colors available (blues, greens and even hot pink!) but
these colors will not give you the natural look that helps you be more
"passable"! Almost always, the right color either Brown-Black or simply
Black (in various flavors!).
You can get regular, "thick lash", "long
lash" and other formulas. You can also try some of the newer "self curling"
mascara's, but frankly, I don't see that they work all that well and definitely not worth
any extra dollars often charged for these novelty items. You will have to try a few
until you settle on something you like...but then that's part of the FUN! (I love to
experiment with different cosmetics of all types!)
There are many types of mascara to choose from. I
definitely suggest using a "waterproof" mascara since they don't rub off easily.
Don't worry ladies, it CAN be removed with any good eye makeup remover or cold
cream! (I have been using good ol' PONDS cold cream to remove all my makeup for
years (including eye makeup). It does a wonderful job without irritating my eyes.)
Lastly, make sure you replace your mascara frequently.
Not only will you get better results without the gobs that ultimately form in your mascara
but you will lessen the chance for eye infections. Mascara containers are wonderful
breeding grounds for all kinds of little animals!
Makeup How To
Step III c - Mascara
Mascara's a snap with a steady hand and almost impossible
with out one! To be honest, I use TWO hands with my mascara...one to hold the brush, the
other to steady that hand! There is nothing worse than poking your eyeball
with a stiff mascara brush!
| To apply mascara
dip the brush into the container. If the brush becomes all "glopped up" with
mascara, use a tissue to wipe the brush completely clean then re-dip it into the bottle. Close the eye you are going to apply the mascara to about halfway.
This will keep you from pushing wet mascara lashes against your eyelid (ruining your
eyeshadow work!) Coat the TOP side of your entire eyelash first then follow up with the
bottom of the lash without dipping again. |
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|
As you apply the mascara ROTATE the brush against the
lashes. this will deliver the maximum even coating of material to your lashes, Dip
again for the other eye and repeat the process.
Here again...LESS IS MORE! Don't try to get it all
on in one sitting! In fact the reason I do my mascara at this point is to allow
drying time while I finish my blush and lips.
When you put the second coat on apply it more on the
outer part of your lashes (from the pupil outward) leaving the inner eyelashes with the
one coat.
Use a light hand (less mascara) for a daytime look and a
little heavier hand for that more dramatic night time look (avoid the night time look
during the day!).
You can convert that daytime look easily to a night time
look with another coat of mascara in the evening but you can't easily go vice-versa!
Finally, after you have given the last coat time to dry
(about 5-10 minutes) make sure you comb your lashes with the lash comb (usually found on
the other side of your eyebrow brush!). Separate the lashes and get any globs of mascara
out that may have formed.
This is a step you can perfect with just a little
practice! |
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