Eye Makeup 101: Your Guide To Achieving The Perfect Eyeshadow Look

Lockdown restrictions are being eased across the globe, bringing with it an abundance of social gatherings, parties and evenings to attend and get glammed up for. An alluring eye can elevate any outfit and tie together a makeup look, but like most things, perfecting eye makeup comes with practice. In your quest to master the art of blending, shimmers and winged liner, it doesn't hurt to have a mini guide to refer to while you experiment with different eye makeup looks.

Whether you're a newbie trying to master eye makeup or brushing up on your blending skills, this handy, no-nonsense guide will help you master the basics of all things eye makeup.

First Things First: Get The Right Tools
2. Prime Those Lids
3. It's All About That Base
4. Don't Forget To Define Your Crease
5. Blending Your Eyeshadow Is Key
6. Go Bold And Line Your Lashlines
7. The Finishing Touches
FAQ's

First Things First: Get The Right Tools

Similar to an artist who needs the best brushes to create a masterpiece, good-quality brushes can elevate your eyeshadow. We would recommend investing in a flat shader brush, an angled brush and a tapered blending brush that can be used to create simple neutral looks as well as a super dramatic gradient effect. If you're feeling experimental, you could even purchase a smudge brush for an ultra smoky eye.

2. Prime Those Lids

While priming your eyelids may seem like an extra step in your routine, it is a crucial step for a seamless eyeshadow application. Using either an eyeshadow primer or concealer before eyeshadow creates a perfect base and ensures the colour stays pigmented throughout the day. It also ensures that lighter shades pop on your eyes without having to apply multiple layers of the same colour.

3. It's All About That Base

Begin your eyeshadow look by sweeping a neutral shade across your eyelid with a wide eyeshadow brush. According to the look you're going for, you can either choose a shade that matches your skin tone or go bold with a brighter colour. For a smoky eye, we would recommend opting for a darker shade of eyeshadow that will complement the rest of your makeup.

4. Don't Forget To Define Your Crease

Ask any makeup artist how to create a good eyeshadow look, and they'll tell you to blend, blend and blend some more. But to ensure your blending looks clean and masterfully done, applying a transition shade on your crease is essential. Concentrating a darker eyeshadow colour where your eyelid and browbone meet can create the illusion of wider eyes and help define your crease, adding dimension to the whole makeup look. For those with hooded eyes, placing the darker colour above your natural crease can also allow for the rest of your eyeshadow to pop even without a lot of eyelid space.

5. Blending Your Eyeshadow Is Key

After you've used a windshield wiper motion to sweep the desired eyeshadow colours on your lids, it's now time to blend some more using a blender brush. It is essential to blend in any harsh lines in a soft circular motion to create a seamless eyeshadow application. After this process, you can pat on glimmers, play with eyeliner and even experiment with fake flashes.

6. Go Bold And Line Your Lashlines

The dramatic look that eyeliner lends to any makeup look is hard to pass on. South-Asian features, in particular, are enhanced by tightly lined eyelids. Rim your lashlines with eyeliner or a dark eyeshadow using an eyeliner brush to achieve this alluring look. For added flair, you can even opt to apply liner on your waterline.

7. The Finishing Touches

Brighten up any look by using a matte highlight shade or the lightest colour in your eyeshadow palette on the inner corner of your eyes. You could even use a shimmery shade for a more glamorous evening look. Applying a light highlight shade under your browbone is an extra step that you can take to enhance the overall makeup look, lift your face and add dimension to your eye makeup. Don't forget to finish your look by curling your lashes and adding a few coats of waterproof mascara.


You can customise eye makeup looks depending on the occasion, the colour of your eyes and the undertones of your skin; here is a rundown of some of our favourite eye makeup looks and how to achieve them.

The Classic Smokey Eye: Begin by sweeping a medium eyeshadow shade such as a warm brown all over the eyelid using a flat eyeshadow brush; next, add dimension to your look by using a darker shade across your crease. It's important to blend the colour into your outer eye until there are no harsh lines and the eyeshadow looks seamless. Then add a lighter, neutral shade under your browbone to even out and brighten the look; you can even highlight the inner corner of your eyes using the same neutral colours. Finish off the look by applying eyeliner along your lash line, and for added drama, smudge out the eyeliner with an eyeliner brush.


Go All Natural: A soft eyeshadow look should consist of bronze shades and pale pinks, the look pairs best with a glowing base and either a bright lip colour in reds and corals or a natural nude lip.

High Glam: This is some of the most fun eyeshadow looks to create and demands you to channel your inner artist. Experiment with colour, cut-creases, gems, and glitters to your heart's content, all while keeping your base simple with minimal contouring, soft blushes and a neutral lip so that the attention is on your eyes.


The Best Eye Makeup for Brown Eyes: Almost every colour works beautifully with brown eyes, lending various options to play around with. But opting for contrasting colours such as deep greens, teal, and turquoise can make brown eyes stand out. Another great option is to go for a smoky bronze or copper shadow to highlight your natural eye colour.

FAQ's

Q. How can I make my eyes soft?

A. The look of soft eyes comes from a healthy lifestyle that involves healthy sleeping habits, staying hydrated and spending ample time away from blue light. You could even use eye masks, tea bags or cucumber slices to reduce puffiness and create softer set eyes. You should also apply a gentle eye cream daily to moisturise your eyes and help with ageing. For makeup, we would recommend using lengthening mascara, sticking to softer hues or neutral eyeshadow shades and avoiding lining your waterline.

Q. What is the proper way to apply eye cream?

A. The skin around our eyes is extremely sensitive, so eye creams should be applied in smaller quantities and with care using our ring fingers. It is important to dab the product softly into our under eyes but avoid getting it too close to your actual eye as that can cause irritation and swelling.

Q. Do I apply eye cream before or after moisturiser?

A. Since eye creams are lighter than regular face creams and moisturisers; they should be applied before moisturisers so as to let them absorb into the skin.

Q. Which comes first, eye cream or serum?

A. On the other hand, serums are crafted using the lightest formulas and are even thinner than eye cream, so it is recommended to apply serums first and then eye creams.