You’re wearing the outfit that flatters you, your hair is perfect and looks gorgeous, you have your favorite earrings on, and, on top of it all, you have a flawless make-up. Your new eye shadow highlights the color of your eyes. And you love it! You leave from home perfectly content: yes, it’s one of those days when everything seems to go according to plan. Yet, as soon as you get to the office, you look in the mirror and you notice that your make-up doesn’t look so striking anymore. Specifically, your eye shadow – yes, the new one, the one that seemed awesome! Oh, not again! You try to retouch, you succeed in spreading it better, yet the disappointment lingers. Who is to blame: your new product? Or could it be that you didn’t apply it properly?!
Well, no breaking news: this happened to me on countless times. In some cases, yes, it’s the quality of the products. Yet the brands that respect themselves can’t afford to launch untested products that won’t deliver what they promise. Knowing this, I asked for some advice from a professional make-up artist. He smiled at me and told me he talked to so many women that experienced this problem. Okay, and then what’s to do? In response, he kindly gave me a list of the most often mistakes he faces when dealing when applying the eye shadow. And, although I didn’t want to admit it, I realized that I, myself, was doing some of them. I’ll drop them below, in case you have the same problem.
- You’re not using an eye primer
And that’s because it seems like a little extra step in your make-up routine. And who has the time for this in the morning, when are you’re always on the run? Yet, the primer is important. It acts like a magnet: the eye shadow stretches out evenly over the primer and lasts much longer.
- You apply the concelear before the eye shadow
I know the natural order seems to be this – to even the complexion and hide any imperfection, and then use eye shadow, mascara and lipstick. But if you apply a powder eye shadow, it’s possible that small particles will fall under the eye’s area, where you’ve already applied concelear. And if the eye shadow is a dark one, you’ll risk having a dark color area under your eyes. And nope, you don’t want that.
- You opt for the sponge applicator instead of…
… the eye shadow special brush. The tiny sponge applicator, which you’ll find in almost all compact make-up kits, is, in particular, useful for retouches. At home, in front of the mirror, it’s recommended to use a special brush. Or apply the eye shadow with your fingers and then even it with the brush.
- Don’t use too many shades
You’ve probably, just like myself, followed, the endless make-up tutorials from which you learn how to make smoky eyes with more eye shadows. However, if you don’t have much experience, there’s a big chance your outcome won’t match the tutorial. And there’s nothing more annoying than having to start over again, especially when you’re running late. So, pick an eye shadow with one or two tones darker than your skin and apply it on your upper eyelid. The simplest to use are the pearlescent eye shadows.
- Don’t forget to blend
Whether you have used one shade or more, blend the eye shadow as best as possible – again, you’ll need a special brush.
- Don’t pick an eye shadow that matches your eyes
Most women choose neutral, nude nuances. As they, really, fit almost everybody. However, when you want to use a color, don’t forget that it has to be different than the color of your eyes. It’s the only way you’ll be able to highlight them.
- Don’t use dark nuances nearby the internal corner of the eyes…
…’cause you’ll look tired. The lighter, pearly eye shadows, will light up your gaze. Watch out, however, and stay away from the extreme contrasts: like a pearly eye shadow nearby the inner corner of the eyes, and a very dark one for the rest of the make-up. Keep in mind: the closest the tones, the better they look one next to each other.
