How to Put on Eye Makeup For Beginners

For many women, applying eye makeup is a mystery. I often hear the same questions from women of all ages: How do I know which colors to use? Where do I apply the colors? How do I make my eyes look bigger?

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Two shades of eye color- a darker and a lighter color
• Eye shadow brushes
• Neutral color eye liner
• Mascara

1. A simple method of placing eye shadow color that works for most people entails using only two colors – a darker and a lighter color.
   
   The lighter color is used as a highlighter. Applying this shade over the entire lid, staring at the lash line all the way up to the eye brow, gives your eye an open look that makes you look more awake and alert. It also draws attention to your eyes.
   
   The darker color is used to sculpt and shape the eye. This color is applied to the lower lid of the eye. It should not be so dark that it looks garish. For women with a hooded lid, the darker color should be lightly blended upward toward the brow bone to help compensate for the hooded lid.
2. It’s easy to take the scariness out of choosing eye colors. If you are not used to wearing eye makeup, try starting with neutrals. Examples of some neutral colors include shades of browns, blacks/grays and white and off white shades. One example of a nice neutral color combination would be an off white and a taupe. A very light brown and a gray could also work.
3. If you’d like a splash of color, add a navy blue eye liner. If you are still feeling unsure, try a neutral liner in a slightly darker shade than the darkest shadow color. Apply eye liner in a small, feathering motion. Don’t try to create a perfectly straight line. That can be simply frustrating and is unnecessary. If you are new to applying mascara, try just lightly stroking the tips of the lashes. This will help lengthen your lashes without making them clumpy.

Tips & Warnings

• Many people may find it helpful to purchase eye color sets that include two or more pre-matched eye colors. This will really take the guess work out of shadow color selection.
• Putting eye make up is one of those things that becomes easier with practice and will certainly help you feel good about your appearance.
• If you are looking to bring out your eye color more, you will want to avoid using like shades of eye shadows. For example, if you have green eyes, avoid green eye colors. You will bring out your eye color best by choosing a contrasting color. So with green eyes you might enjoy using a base color of off white with a charcoal.