How to Apply Eye Makeup in 8 Steps

When evening calls for a glamorous look, you want to focus on making your eyes amazing. Here's how to apply eye makeup in only 8 steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 10 minutes

Here's How:

1. Prep your eyes with concealer Concealer can be used to cover up under-eye circles or just the bluish discoloration just under your inner eye. To cover dark undereye circles, apply three dots of concealer under each eye. Start at the inner corner where skin tends to be darkest, then under the pupil and the third on the outer edge. Pat, never rub with your ring finger (this finger tends to have the softest pad) until it disappears.
2. Apply eye base to your lid Eye base is the secret to keeping your shadow in place for hours. Without properly priming your lid first, your eyeshadow will likely end up a greasy line in your crease.
3. Follow with eyeliner Dark eyeshadows work great as eyeliners. Wet a slanted brush, then dip in a dark eyeshadow. Line eyes as close to the upper lashes as possible from the inner corner to the outer corner. Follow with liner on bottom eyes, but only line from the middle of the eye out. Smudge the bottom line with a Q-tip or your finger. You don't want a prominent line. For a smokey eye, use a brush to pat in a dark eyeshadow along the upper lid and below the lid. You don't want a stark line, instead you want to blend it so it's "smudge-y."
4. Apply eyeshadow. It's great to use a three-toned shadow and build from lids to brow (see How to apply eyeshadow). Allowing them to blend into each other like a rainbow is gorgeous, according to celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal. Start with a light color that almost matches your lid. Sweep the color across the lid and up to your browbone. Follow with a medium color across your lid only. Build on this with a darker color in the crease. Blend the colors well.
5. Brighten your eyes with a highlighter This step involves only the inside part of the eye. Putting a bit of your lightest eyeshadow in the inner corner of your eye will brighten it significantly (this is the makeup artist's secret and I use this trick all the time). I usually dab a finger into my lightest eyeshadow and then I press it into the inner corner of my eye where the upper lid meets the bottom lid. This totally makes eyes "pop."
6. Highlight your brow Take the same light eyeshadow and dab it on your browbone, concentrating on your mid-brow outward. Blend with your finger. I like to use Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat just below my brow and just above it, but a super light shadow will do you.
7. Curl lashes An eyelash curler will make even long lashes look more gorgeous. For added effect, you can heat the curler under a blowdryer for a couple seconds. Test curler before applying to lashes because you could burn yourself.
8. Apply mascara Place the wand of your mascara brush at the bottom of lashes and wiggle back and forth. Follow with another few sweeps of the wand. Apply to bottom lashes as well. 

Nose Contouring

Color can be separated into two categories

  Skin Tone-Stays the same unless you become tanner or paler. Skin tone is enhanced by: Foundation, Base, Concealer, Powder, Shading or Contouring.

  Accessories-Change with your wardrobe and include: Eyeshadow, Mascara, Blush and Lip Color.

Analyzing the Color of Your Skin Tone
Skin Tone	Characteristics	Your Normal Makeup Shade	Try
Light	If you have an ivory or porcelain complexion, then your skin tone is Light.	Ivory Light Ivory Ivory Bisque Light Beige Nude Nude
Light-Medium	If you have a rose beige, light olive, or ash brown complexion, then your skin tone is Light-Medium.	Almond Shell Natural Beige Cream Creamy Natural Sand Beige Porcelain Cream Beige
Medium-Dark	If you have a yellow-beige, medium olive or rose-brown skin, then your skin tone is Medium-Dark.	Warmest Beige Medium Beige Buff Pure Beige Amber Golden Natural Tan Honey Soft Honey
Deep	If you have a dark olive, bronze, rich beige or black complexion, then your skin tone is Deep.	Toffee Nutmeg Beautiful Bronze Spice Mahogany Earth

The Right Foundation Formula for Your Skin

Skin Type

Characteristics

Needs

Best Foundation

Foundation

Normal/Combination

Rare breakouts; most oil in T-zone

A skin balancing formula that moisturizes and absorbs any oil

Liquid, cream-to-powder and mineral makeup

~Ideal Shade Liquid Foundation w/SPF10 ~Perfect Wear Extralasting Liquid Foundation w/SPF15 ~Ideal Shade Cream-to-powder w/SPF 1- ~Ideal Shade Smooth Mineral Makeup w/natural SPF protection

Dry

Often mature skin. Needs extra moisture, feels tight after cleansing, rare breakouts

A moisturizing formula and oil-based which adds emollients

Liquid with satin finish and mineral makeup with light diffusing particles.

~Ideal Shade Liquid Foundation w/SPG 10 ~Ideal Shade Smooth Mineral Makeup w/natural SPF protection

Oily

Prone to breakouts, blackheads, large pores

Foundation with oil absorbers or go oil-free

Powder mineral foundation to naturally absorb oils or long wearing liquid foundation with matte

~Ideal Shade Smooth Mineral Makeup w/natural SPF protection ~Perfect Wear Extralasting Liquid Foundation w/SP 15

 Foundation

Which do I apply first, concealer or foundation?

Apply foundation and then concealer. By applying the foundation first, you see exactly where you still need more coverage. And as you apply the concealer, you will see if more or less is required.

How do I select the proper foundation shade for my skin?

The best place to test match your skin tone is on the chin and lower jaw area. To test a color, apply a small amount of foundation and feather out the blend. If the shade isn't quite right select the next shade up or down in tone. Expect that the foundation chosen in midsummer may be too dark in midwinter. The objective of foundation is to smooth and blend skin tone and color differences to a natural healthy look of natural skin. If it looks like a mask, (or feels that way) than too much has been applied. If you see no difference, you have applied too little. Remember foundation should help you look simply beautiful.

 Concealer

Sometimes I need a lot more coverage than my regular foundation can give me. What do you suggest I use?

When a great deal of coverage is needed in a specific area, don’t apply heavy foundation to compensate. Use a concealer which should be applied easier, faster and with better results.

How do I find the right concealer?

Forget all the rules on concealer: green covers red, yellow covers red and brown, orange covers blue. This doesn't seem simple. Many companies have developed concealers that match the skin tone. They are formulated with a great deal of pigment so a thin application will actually conceal or hide the various undertones. This makes the choice and application much easier and the results flawless. Simply pick the shade that best matches the skin tone at the lower eyelid.

Application Tip: Apply concealer with a small brush. This way you can apply the product in the same exact size and shape necessary. If you use your finger, the size of the area you cover is dependent on the size of your finger.

Where can I apply concealer for the best coverage?

Under the eyes where discoloration is prominent. Between the inner eye and the nose often shows discoloration that can pinch the nose area, making one look tired, and can give the appearance of changing the eyelid shape. At the outer eye, where the upper and lower lid join, there is often a dark line of discoloration that draws down that can be concealed. You can also apply concealer to cover broken blood vessels and skin irregularities.

 Powder

What is translucent powder used for?

Translucent powders are designed to “set” make-up. The powder absorbs the oil or moisture in the make-up to create a dry surface on the skin.

Translucent powders should not add color to your make-up. (Powders that incorporate foundations are used for coverage as a foundation and are not recommended for setting make-up)

Application Tip: A powder puff or large brush may be used to apply the powder as well as brush away any excess.

I tend to crease under the eyes when I apply powder, what am I doing wrong?

You should smooth the area underneath the eyes before powdering to insure your application is flawless before setting. If you have applied concealer thinly under the eyes, you will avoid creases. Powder does not create a crease or accentuate lines -- thick make-up on the thin tissue under the eye does.

 Shading/Contouring

Various companies have perfected shading or contouring powders. These brush on easily with a blush brush and are almost fool proof. If the shading is applied too heavy, you can minimize it with a little translucent powder.

I always hear about “shading” and “contouring” but what exactly are they

used for?

Most make-up artists use shading or contouring to minimize fullness under the jaw area, emphasize the cheek bones, or give the appearance of narrowing the width of the nose.

 Lips

How do I choose the perfect lip color?

Observe yourself but remember color is an accessory. What color is your

wardrobe and what color are you currently wearing? Select three colors in the same range-light, medium and dark. Try on each color and pick the one you feel most comfortable wearing.

I could really use some lipstick tips, any suggestions?

That depends on what you're going for. For a natural lip look-cover the entire lip area with a pencil close to your lips natural shade.

For intensified color-apply pencil over the entire lip area followed by a coordinating lipstick.

For fuller lips-outline lips slightly outside the lip line and fill in with lipstick. In most cases you will want a pencil slightly darker than the lipstick. (Remember the lips have more color then the surrounding skin. Therefore the darker pencil is necessary to compensate).

To correct uneven lips-Simply even the lips with the lip pencil and fill with lipstick.

To minimize lipstick bleeding-Outline the lips with a broad line using a lip pencil. Powder the pencil line. Fill in the lips with lipstick, but carry the lipstick just up to the lip pencil. This helps set a barrier for the more emollient lipstick.

 Blush

How do I know which shade of blush to wear?

Once the lipstick and lip pencil have been selected, simply choose a blush in the same color family.

Facial Contouring

There are five basic facial shapes: oval, square/rectangular, round, heart and diamond. Most women prefer to create an illusion of an oval face shape and other just want to enhance their facial shape. The following are techniques for creating an oval illusion for the basic shapes.

Diamond-Shaped Face

Characteristics Narrow forehead. Narrow Chin Wider cheeks than jawline

Objective To balance Forehead and jawline must appear wider

Techniques Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup Apply lighter shade of foundation at angle on both sides of forehead. Apply lighter shade of foundation at angle from middle to bottom of jawline. Apply blush on the ball of the cheek in a crescent shape. Blend outward out toward hairline.

Heart-Shaped Face

Characteristics Widest across forehead Tapers down to cheeks, then down to narrow, sometimes pointed chin. Jawline is not prominent

Objective To balance face. Forehead must appear more narrow and lower half of face more wide

Techniques Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup Apply darker shade of foundation on either side of forehead Apply lighter shade of foundation at either side of jawline Apply blush starting under the ball of the cheek Blend away toward the center of the ear

Round Face

Characteristics Width about same as length Short forehead Wide cheeks Roundness through jaw

Objective Create more definition Forehead and jawline must appear more narrow

Techniques Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup Apply darker shade of foundation in an arc on either side of forehead Apply darker shade of foundation on either side of jaw up to tip of ear. This will eliminate fullness in these areas Apply blush on the ball of the cheek beginning at point just outside of center of eye. Extend to temples near hairline.

Square/Rectangular-Shaped Face

Characteristics Width of cheeks and forehead are similar Width of jawline and forehead are similar Prominent jawline Angular overall appearance Rectangular face is longer than it is wide

Objective To soften angles Forehead and jawline must appear more narrow

Techniques Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup To make forehead appear more oval, apply darker shade of foundation on either side of forehead and blend To make jaw appear more oval, apply darker shade of foundation on either side of jawline and blend Apply concentration of blush directly on the ball of the cheek. Blend toward the top of the ear for a square face and middle of the ear for a rectangular face

  
 

Oval-Shaped Face

Characteristics Equal distance from hairline to eyebrows, from eyebrows to tip of nose and from nose to chin Wider forehead than jawline Prominent cheekbones gently taper to oval chin

Techniques Apply blush just under the ball of cheekbone, directly below the outer part of the iris Extend in smooth arc, fading toward top of ear