How to Pick Blue Eyeshadow

If you tried blue eyeshadow in the past and felt like you failed, don't worry. There is a secret to wearing it like an expert. Forget all the rules that say only certain hair and eye colors can make it work. Now you can finally pick the blues that make you happy. Here you will discover how you can pull off universally flattering blue eyeshadow.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Eyeshadow base
• Flat eyeshadow brush
• Eyeshadow blending brush
• Small fluffy eyeshadow brush
• Highly-pigmented navy blue eyeshadow
• Shimmery blue-gray eyeshadow
• Lightly-pigmented smoky blue eyeshadow
• Navy blue eye pencil
• Flesh-toned shimmery eyeshadow or highlighter
• Makeup sponge
• Everyday foundation

1. Start with clean eyelids that are ready for makeup application. Sweep flesh-toned shadow or base over the entire lid.

2. 
   Navy blue is a classic and elegant shade

   Using a flat eyeshadow brush for precision, press some navy blue eyeshadow from lash line to slightly above the crease. Keep eyeshadow from going past the outer corner of the eye; to go beyond this point will drag your eyes downward. With your eyeshadow blending brush, lightly go over shadow to smooth away excess. Gently brush upper edges of shadow in an upward and outward direction to give eyes a lifted appearance.

3. Find a shimmery blue-gray eyeshadow that is a notch or two lighter than the navy blue one. Dip your eyeshadow brush in the shimmery blue-gray shadow and press into center of lid. Feather the edges of the blue-gray shadow so that it blends into the navy blue and any hard edges eventually disappear. This moderate variation in tone, plus the shimmer, creates the illusion of depth and makes you seem more like a consummate artist.

4. Take your small fluffy eyeshadow brush and dip it into the smoky blue shadow with minimal pigment. Tap away any excess, as you only need enough to produce a watercolor-like effect where the color is visible, yet your skin shows through. Beginning from the outer edges of the navy shadow, brush the smoky blue eyeshadow upward until just underneath the browbone. Your goal here is to seamlessly blend the navy blue into the smoky blue, so that each appears to fade into the other.

5. Smooth subtly shimmery flesh-toned eyeshadow or highlighter onto your browbones. This sets them off beautifully and naturally without having to add any more blue to your eye area. You want to look classy, not as though you have on the entire palette of blue eye makeup ever created. Touch a spot of the shimmery flesh-toned shadow or highlighter to the inner corner of your eyes as well to give them a more doe-like effect.

6. Smudge navy blue eye pencil into your lower lash line. This helps you avoid a top-heavy and off-kilter look, where your upper lid is considerably made up, but your bottom lid is completely bare. Even a small, and not incredibly obvious, amount will do for a little bit of definition.

7. 
   The finished product

   Clean up any messes. Using a makeup sponge in your undereye area, dab on the foundation you regularly wear that perfectly matches your skin tone. This erases any shadow that fell where it does not belong, and gives your eyes a fresher look in the process. Blend upwards towards the outer corner of your eye to take away unnecessary shadow there as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that very dark blue, as in navy, has black heavily mixed into it. Black, as a neutral, looks great on different individuals under any lighting condition, unlike pure blue, which is most compatible with incandescent light. The black is what makes navy universally flattering. The secret to picking blue eyeshadows that you know will look good is that they have a lot of one neutral shade mixed into them. Neutrals are black, gray and white.
• Gray is yet another neutral that needs no specific lighting condition or skin tone and eye color to make it work. The same is true for the "smoke" in "smoky blue" in Step 4. Combined with blue, you get the neutralizing effect of the gray and the presence of the blue.
• After Step 7, apply eyeliner and mascara to complete your eye makeup look. A safe bet to keep you balanced is black for both liner and mascara. More blue might very likely be overkill at this point, especially if you are a makeup novice.