In this article, we will give you ten eye shadow hacks that will help you create perfectly blended, seamless and gorgeous eye shadow looks that will slay.
- 1. Always prime your eyelids first
- 2. Should you set the primer with powder?
- 3. Use cream eye shadow as a base
- 4. Use gel eyeliners as a base
- 5. Wet your brush to bring out the bling
- 6. Maximise your lighter eye shadows as point highlights
- 7. Use your highlighters, blush, and bronzers as eye shadows
- 8. Use foundation/translucent powder to help blend eyeshadows
- 9. Experiment with colours
1. Always prime your eyelids first
By using an eyeshadow primer before applying eye shadow, you will ensure two things.
Firstly, a concealer or cream-coloured primer like MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot – Cream Eye Shadow (SGD40) in Soft Ochre (for warm-tone people) or in Painterly (for cool-tone people) will ensure that any discolouration on the eyelids are evened out so that it will not interfere with the colours of the eye shadow. To get maximum colour impact, you need maximum contrast!
M.A.C. Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre
Secondly, the primer will act as a base for the eye shadow to adhere and stick to, preventing fallout and fading. This will help your eye shadow last even longer throughout the day with less creasing in the folds of your lids.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
A regular colourless eye shadow primer like Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (SGD35) will work too, except that it will not provide any colour correction.
2. Should you set the primer with powder?
There are two schools of thought about whether or not to set the primer you have laid down with translucent powder or a transition shade first.
One school argues that setting the primer with powder will ensure that your subsequent eye shadows do not cling to wet patches of primer, and it also allow other powders will glide and blend smoothly on top.
The other camp believes that applying eye shadow on to an unset primer will help to really amp up the pigmentation of the colours, helping you achieve a high-intensity vibrant look easier. At the end of the day, this step is entirely up to you and what you’re comfortable with.
DV Tip: If you’re not sure which camp you belong to, try setting the primer with powder when using neutral shades like browns, beiges, and the like. When doing a bright and colourful look with pastel shades or neon-bright colours like yellow, orange, and red, apply these colours straight on to unset primer.
3. Use cream eye shadow as a base
Nudestix Magnetic Eye Color
Eye shadows do not only come in powder form. Cream eye shadows such as Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colour (SGD37) and Revlon ColourStay Creme Eye Shadow (SGD18.90) come in a wide variety of colours.
Use the cream eye shadow in place of primer and layer different colours to achieve more dimension and complexity to your look. It will help your look more effortless and polished even though you didn’t do much work to achieve it!
There are two ways you can use them. The first method would be to coat your eyelids with the cream eye shadow using your fingers or a brush, before blending the edges to give you a quick and simple look.
The second method would be to coat the eyelids with the cream eye shadow in a bright and shimmery shade like gold or silver. Then, use darker eye shadows to blend the edges for a gorgeous smoky eye.
4. Use gel eyeliners as a base
This method of using gel eyeliners as your eye shadow base would be utilise the same principles as using cream eye shadow.
Apply the eyeliner on your eyelids but remember to constantly pause to blend it in as the eyeliner formula might be quicker-drying than cream eye shadows.
Some gel eyeliner you can consider are Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner (SGD38) and Clio Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liner (SGD19.90).
5. Wet your brush to bring out the bling
After dipping your brush into the shimmery eye shadow shade of your choice, lightly moisten your brush with a spray such as MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ (SGD34) and Make Up For Ever Mist + Fix Setting Spray (SGD22 to 50) or even water (but make sure it is not dripping wet) before applying onto your eyelids.
M.A.C. Cosmetics Prep + Prime Fix+
The moisture will help the shimmery particles in your eye shadow cling to your skin better, giving you a higher intensity shine.
Too Faced Glitter Glue
If all else fails, consider a glitter glue such as NYX Glitter Primer (SGD11) and Too Faced Glitter Glue (SGD32). The adhesive will help shimmer pigments grip better and prevent fallout through the day.
6. Maximise your lighter eye shadows as point highlights
Source: Bforbunbun
Use cream or skin-coloured matte or shimmer eye shadows to highlight the inner corner of the eye and the brow bone.
Highlighting the inner corner will make your eyes look brighter, but take note that this is not advisable for people with eyes that are already very close together as it will emphasise the close proximity.
A brow bone highlight will create the illusion of more lifted brow that is flattering for everyone.
7. Use your highlighters, blush, and bronzers as eye shadows
Beauty brands are always releasing gorgeous new eye shadows and eye shadow palette that spell grievous injuries to our bank accounts.
To save a bit of hard-earned cash, you can also use your existing highlighters, blushes, and bronzers in your collection to create an everyday eyeshadow look. It’s not just a cost-saving move! By using the same products on your eyelids and on your face, you can also create a more seamless and cohesive makeup look.
Source: SheKnows
Some of these coloured face products may be less pigmented than an ordinary eye shadow because, after all, nobody wants a blush that’s too pigmented. The problem is easily solved by layering and adding more product on to your eyelids, which also gives you better control over the intensity of your look.
8. Use foundation/translucent powder to help blend eyeshadows
Source: Wayne Goss/YouTube
If you ever have difficulty blending your eyeshadows, use this method: dip the blending brush into a little foundation or translucent powder before you start blending away all those harsh edges.
This will help tone down the colours a little and provide more slip to help blend the eyeshadows. British YouTuber Wayne Goss explains this method here.
9. Experiment with colours
Source: Gurl
This picture serves as a guide to use different colours to help your eye colour stand out even more.
Zoeva Sweet Glamour Eyeshadow Palette
Do not be afraid to experiment beyond the safe neutral colours and insert pops of colour from palettes like Sleek MakeUp i-Divine Ultra Matte V1 (SGD22) or Zoeva Sweet Glamour Eyeshadow Palette (SGD42).
