How to Prevent Eye Shadow from Smearing

As the night wears on, poorly holding eye shadow can make you look ghoulish rather than glamorous.

Eye shadow is a great way to draw attention to your eyes or make a dramatic fashion statement. However, over the course of a day or night, your eyeshadow can often get rubbed off or even smeared all over your face. Even if you are careful not to rub your eyes, coming into close proximity with other people, getting hot and sweaty while dancing (or otherwise exerting yourself) and experiencing gradual wear over time can all contribute to a blurred effect around your eyes. In this article, we will discuss how to prevent eye shadow from smearing.

Things You'll Need

• Translucent creme eye shadow
• Powdered colored eye shadow
• Liquid eyeliner
• Fine, clear mineral dust (clear)
• Bushy makeup brush

Instructions

How to Prevent Eye Shadow From Smearing

1. Apply your foundation as usual. This will keep you from smearing your eye makeup while trying to work around the eye area. Avoid the upper eyelid when applying foundation.

2. 

   Smooth on the translucent eye cream. You should cover your entire upper lid, all the way to your eyebrow. The creme helps hold the powdered shadows in place. Let the creme set for at least a minute before moving on.

3. 

   Apply your eye shadow. Start with the lightest colors as the base, then add accents with darker colors toward the outside edge of the eye. Keep colored shadows on the upper eyelid area, rather than applying them as high as your eyebrow arch.

4. Dust your entire eye area with the fine, clear mineral powder. This will help fix the eye shadow in place. Do not press the brush into your eyelids while dusting, or you will blend the eye shadows together more than they should be.

5. Apply mascara and liquid eyeliner at your discretion. These makeups should always be applied last. Keep your eyes half-closed until the eyeliner is dry, or you may have to start all over again.