Enhancing the Eyes with Eye Shadow
Falling into a rut of applying the same eye makeup everyday can happen
very easily. If you branch out with new ideas you will be amazed.
An eye shadow can be used
around the eyes to draw attention and to enhance their natural shape. Eye shadows are available in
pressed and loose forms, as well as cream forms, and in matte, frosted and iridescent
formulas.
With just a few swipes of a brush, you can conjure a soft, clean finish, a pop
color, a romantic haze or a pair of sexy, smoldering rings. You only need some basic skills and a
broad palette of colors and of course then have some fun with your new looks.
There are a
variety of eye shadows to choose from. The powder eye shadow is the overwhelming favorite for its
ease of application. It is also the only eye shadow product that you can place precisely for
shading and shaping the eye.
Although most women choose eye shadow on the basis of color,
you also need to keep three other factors in mind:
- Texture – Your eye shadow should be smooth and silky and blend easily over the skin. You
should avoid anything that feels scratchy, grainy or dry.
- Finish – The finish simply refers to whether the eye shadow is matte or contains a shine.
Matte is a classic and is best for your everyday use. It is good to use a little shimmer in the
summer, evening, or simply for a change. If you have sensitive eyes or wear contact lenses, you may
not want to use shimmer shadows. The shimmer shadow usually contain mica, a finely ground mineral
that can flake into eyes and cause redness and irritation.
- Intensity – The intensity comes from the amount of pigment that is put in the formula. If
the color is a denser color, you know there is more pigment.
There are thousands of eye shadow shades available. You should think of
three different intensities: a dark shade to define the crease (it can also be used for lining); a
medium shade to use all over the lid; and a light shade to highlight the smaller areas of your
eye
The three eye shadow intensities must blend together easily so you should stay in a
basic color family. You will never go wrong if you stay with the neutral hues. Earth tones, like
black, gray, navy, and brown are the basis for most neutral shades. These can be found in a wide
range of tones and intensities.
Here are a few guidelines:
- Remember your natural skin tone has a big impact on how eye shadow looks. If you have light
skin, be careful using deep hues. If you have very dark skin, you need rich, saturated shades in
order for color to show up on the eyelid.
- An eye shadow shade that matches your skin tone is always good to have on hand. Then if you
want a fast, finished-looking eye, one quick sweep of the brush with color will be all you
need.
- It does not make your eye color stand out if you match your eye shadow to your iris. It is
important to create a contrast for your eye color to look more pronounced.
- The kits with 1,001 eye shadow colors that you get free as a gift is a way to find some new
colors that may end up working for you.
- If you want to use a small amount of shimmer, keep it subtle. Mature women should be careful
with the shimmer look as the shinier textures highlight imperfections.
- Using colorful shades such as green, blues, and purples can look great if you keep it simple.
Just use one shade and blend it. If you need to deepen or highlight you can use related neutral
tones.
When applying your eye shadow the best tool to use is an angled natural
brush. It helps you even the eye shadow out in the socket area. Your fourth finger is also a good
tool to use to soften the eye shadow line and for blending.
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