0 comments / Posted on Nov 28, 2018 by Olivia Hepburn

Best Eye Make-Up Tips

Whether you’ve been a dedicated makeup enthusiast or you are someone who’s just starting out with makeup, when it comes to the eyes, makeup can be a little tricky. There’s no harm in having a few tricks up your sleeve so you can work that magic and achieve eye makeup that is so on-point. We’ve put together a list of 25 simple eye makeup tips for all the beginners out there who have been overwhelmed by all that they come across in the world of makeup.

Worry not, we’ve got your back! Just keep these simple tips on top of your mind when you’re doing your eyes, and you will go straight from being a novice to a Pro.

Here are some basic steps which if you follow will turn your eye make-up into a flawless outcome.

Step 1: Always start with an eye primer

Eye primer helps create a smooth surface for the eye makeup. Once the primer has dried, you can apply an eyeshadow base that helps make the eyeshadow stick to the skin better. If you don’t have an eyeshadow base, a concealer or foundation will do.

Step 2: Start with 4 basic shades

For beginners, you want to start with 4 basic shades to pull off an everyday natural look. You need a highlighter that is a shade lighter than your skin tone, a matte mid-tone shade, a contour shade that is 2-3 shades darker than the skin and a matte black shade. If you have a facial highlighter, you can use that too.

Step 3: Grab the essential eye makeup brushes

You will need a small flat eyeshadow brush for application, a small and medium-sized blending brush and a smudger (optional).

Step 4:

Glide your flat brush on the lightest shade and apply this on the inner corner of the eyes. This is where most of the product should be and then you can easily blend outwards after.

Make sure to tap your brush before applying to remove excess product.

Step 5:

Here’s a neat trick you can try: Dip the tip of the brush in water, just enough to dampen it. Then glide it on the eyeshadow and apply again in the inner-most corner of the eyes (tear duct area). You’ll be amazed at how pigmented it is.

When you’re done with that, use the same colour and highlight the arch of your eyebrows.

Step 6:

Now on to the mid-tone shade. Use a blending brush to apply the eyeshadow above the crease, blending from the outer corner inwards.

How will you know you didn’t overdo it with the shadow? Hold your brush at the edge of your nose going up to the edge of the eyes. Anything below the line should be clear.

Step 7:

Contour the eyes.

Using the contour shade, apply from the outer corner while blending into the crease on the outer half of the eye. Please make sure that you don’t blend too high because the mid-tone shade should always be higher than the contour shade.

Step 8:

Your eyelid makeup is done so you can now proceed to the bottom part of the eye. Mix the mid-tone colour and the contour shade and apply on the bottom lash line starting from the outer corner until it meets the highlighter.

Step 9:

To complete the look, apply the matte black eyeshadow on the outer corner of the eyes and close to the bottom lash line. This will make the eyes a little more dramatic.

Step 10:

But of course, it won’t look as pretty if your lashes aren’t curled and don’t forget to add some mascara to make those lashes pop.

Now let’s get you familiar with some very basic tips;

Eyeliner Tips

Mascara Tips

Eyeshadow Tips

Eyebrow Tips

Eyeliner:

Eyeliner may or may not be a staple for you, but it is one of the most basic steps of doing your eye makeup. It gives you the freedom to work on the shape of your eyes, emphasise them and fill in any sparse looking lashes. It depends on the texture of the eyeliner and your preference as to how you’d like to apply this – clearly defined or smudged – it looks great either ways.

Ensure your eyelids are clean and then apply a primer on them, so the eye makeup does not smudge and stays on for longer. To make your eyelashes look denser, apply the eyeliner as close to the lash-line as possible so it appears to be a part of your natural lash line. This is called tight-lining. Make a dotted line from the outer to the inwards corner and connect the dots (you can use a stiff slant brush to blend the dots out into an effortless soft line). Make sure the tip of your liner is thin but blunt to achieve precision and so you get the perfect shape. You can also freeze your eyeliner before sharpening to keep it from crumbling. To accomplish the perfect winged eyeliner, use a liquid liner – start on the lash line at the pupil and work your way towards the corners. If your hand is not steady enough for liquid liner then first line your eyes with a pencil liner, then trace over it with your liquid liner. To accomplish a smoky eye, opt for a pencil liner as these tend to be softer and creamier. Also, you can smudge it out using a smudging brush for that effortlessly cool smoky eye. As you age, opt for subtler colours like brown for a more elegant look and apply mascara to complement the simple look.

Mascara:

Don’t you agree that mascara completely transforms your eyes, giving you that extra oomph? The magical mascara wand makes you look bright-eyed and youthful. It’s a total game changer and the only kind of drama that I like.

Always start applying your mascara from the roots of your lashes and wiggle your way to the tips. Doing this instantly volumizes your lashes and does not weigh them down. After applying one coat of mascara, wait for about ten seconds to go in with a second coat (if desired). This way, your lashes don’t get clumpy! Wipe off excess mascara from the wand on a tissue before applying, so it’s easy to manoeuvre and won’t clump (you will also avoid the horrid spidery-lashes look). Before you go in with mascara, always make sure to curl your lashes using a high-quality eyelash curler. When you go in with curling, pinch your eyelash curler at last base and hold it tightly rotating upwards. The way you hold your mascara matters! Hold your wand horizontally for thicker lashes and vertically (especially for the lower lashes) for a more natural look. If you want to make your mascara last longer, then stop pumping the wand while pulling it out (this way you are only sending in the air to dry the product out), just swirl it to prevent it from drying out.

Eye Shadow:

Eyeshadow does the job of adding depth and giving dimension to your eyes. If it’s applied correctly, it makes your eyes look bigger and helps accentuate your eye colour.

Invest in high-quality products and brushes. They will go a long way besides ensuring proper application and blending. If you want your eyeshadow to stay put all day and not crease besides wanting the eyeshadow colour to really pop out – use a good primer before you go in with the eye shadow.

On the other hand, if you want to make a less pigmented eyeshadow look vibrant and poppy, cover your eyelid with a white eyeliner first. This helps to cancel out the colour of your skin and it creates an even base for your eyeshadow.

For the bottom area of your eye (that is just near the lash line) – use a dark shade of eyeshadow, for the area above that, use a medium shade and for the top, use a light shade and blend them well.

Eyebrows:

Eyebrows are often underrated, and I can’t begin to stress how important they are to provide a structure to your face. Well-groomed brows are indeed a game changer, they frame the eyes and they drastically ‘up’ your beauty quotient. If you are someone who has over-plucked them, then worry not, because just a little bit of added definition will make a big impact!