How to Apply Eye Shadow Under the Eye

If you've had trouble applying eyeshadow under your eyes due to product fallout, you may have since refrained from applying color on your bottom eyelids, limiting your eye makeup looks in the process. Smoldering smoky eyes for one aren't complete without some sooty eyeshadow under the eyes. Applying eyeshadow under the eyes does not have to be messy; arm yourself with these techniques used by professional artists to not only help widen your repertoire of eye looks, but to also create balance in your makeup.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Oil-free moisturizer
• Foundation
• Translucent powder
• Small stiff angled brush or small eyeshadow brush
• Cotton swab or eye smudge brush
• Creamy eyeliner pencil (optional)

1. Prep the skin under your eyes for makeup by smearing and blending an oil-free moisturizer on the area to soften the skin. After the product absorbs, apply foundation under your eyes to create a clean base for the eyeshadow. Dust translucent powder over the foundation to set it for the day.

2. Dip a small, stiff, angled brush or a small eyeshadow brush in the same eyeshadow you used on your top eyelids. Tap off excess product. Touch the bristles of the brush to the base of your lashes at the outer corner of your eye. Smudge the product towards the inner corner of your eye. Stop midway if you have small eyes so that you don't make them appear even tinier by overwhelming them with eyeshadow.

3. Buff away any hard lines in your application with a cotton swab, especially if your eyeshadow is in the mid tone to dark range. To create a smoky effect, smear the product with an eye smudge brush.

4. Intensify the color under your eyes, if you wish, by running a creamy eyeliner pencil along your lower lash lines on top of the eyeshadow. The eyeliner pencil can be a darker version of your eyeshadow or a neutral shade like black or gray. Soften the product with the eye smudge brush. Skip this step if you are not going for a dramatic look, as bottom-heavy eyes drag your features down.

Tips & Warnings

• If it is habitual for you to get eyeshadow fallout, save Step 1 for last after brushing the fallout away with a fluffy brush. This will clean up any messes and darkness under your eyes.

Resources

• Video with a different technique for applying color under the eyes