3 Insanely Easy Eye Makeup Looks For Everyone Who's Intimidated By Eyeshadow
Because makeup should be as easy as putting on your favorite accessory.
Eye makeup is intimidating to so many people, but it doesn't have to be.
Finding the perfect foundation shade is tricky and getting your eyebrow game right takes serious practice, but above all else, eye makeup is the beauty skill that outright terrifies people.
Lucky for me, eye shadow is one of the first makeup talents I mastered and remains my favorite part of my beauty routine. However, I totally get why people are scared—all it takes is one little slip and you've got a smokey eye that looks more like a punch to the face.
It's time to officially demystify the eye makeup struggle. With a few pro tips and some of my go-to techniques, I created incredibly easy looks, inspired by some of my favorite jewelry. You'll be using eye shadow as the accessory it was always meant to be in no time, I promise.
Look #1: Badass Ballet
Inspired by one of my favorite statement necklaces, this look is a super simple play on ballet slipper pink. It's subtle and will brighten your eyes, making you look so much more awake than you actually are at your early morning meeting.
Here's how to do it yourself:
Prime your eyes with any shadow primer you love (I'm a sucker for UD's Primer Potion). Using a soft pink shade on a fluffy shadow brush, sweep color all over the lid. Then use a soft taupe shade in a windshield wiper motion along the crease with a dense blending brush, concentrating on the outer corner. Use a sparkly pink shade in the inner corner to brighten the eye with an angled shadow brush.Tightline your upper waterline with a matte brown shade and smudge some of the same shade on the lid right up against the lash line. Curl lashes and apply a coat of mascara.
Quick Tip: If you're a makeup novice, you're probably wondering WTF tightlining even is. It's just a subtle way of defining your eyes, without the mess or difficulty of liquid liner. You'll need a stiff liner brush and a dark brown matte shadow. With a little bit of shadow on the brush, you can line your upper waterline, closest to the lash line. This will fill in any gaps between your lashes and help give them a fuller look.
Check out the look in action:
Products: Urban Decay Primer Potion, $24 on Amazon, Maybelline The Rock Nudes Palette, $9 on Amazon, Benefit They're Real! Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara, $30 on Amazon, NYX Powder Blush in Peach, $4.75 on Amazon, Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Lust for Blush, $5.59 on Amazon
Look #2: Fool's Gold
Whether it comes in the form of jewelry or eye makeup, gold is universally flattering. These bronzed and sparkly shades will add a luxurious touch to the rest of your look.
Here's how you can recreate it:
Apply eye primer. Then use a light gold shade all over the lid. Use a copper shade on the outer third of the lid. Blend a matte brown shade into the crease, concentrating on the outer corner of the lid. Then curl your lashes and add a coat of mascara.
Quick Tip: When dealing with shimmery eyeshadows, fallout is inevitable. To avoid your eyes and the rest of your face look like a glittering disco ball, do your eye makeup first and then put on your foundation and the rest of your makeup. Also, use a makeup remover wipe to remove any fallout on your cheeks. Wrap the wipe around your index finger for more control near the eyes.
Here's the look in action:
Products: Urban Decay Primer Potion, $24 on Amazon , Morphe 35T Palette, $23.54 on Amazon, Benefit They're Real! Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara, $30 on Amazon, NYX Powder Blush in Peach, $4.75 on Amazon, ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Beeper, $9.90 on Amazon
Look #3: Dark Matter
A smokey eye is one of the most menacing of makeup looks for people who don't know their way around a Sephora. This classic eye look is made surprisingly simple with a few quick tips. You'll be able to add this edgy eye look into your rotation in no time.
Here's how to nail the technique:
Prime the eyes using your favorite primer—this is especially important when you're using dark shades. This will give the pigments something to stick to so they don't end up giving you raccoon eyes by the end of the day. Sweep a deep navy shade all over the lid. Add a sparkly black on the outer corner. Brighten the eyes with a shimmery gray shade in the inner corner. For a pop of color, line the lower waterline with a sparkly blue shade. Curl the lashes and add mascara.
Quick Tip: The key to getting a classic smokey eye that looks sultry and not severe is blending. Use a dense blending brush with nothing on it and blend out any harsh lines, concentrating on the crease and outer corner. This will help to soften and diffuse the color.
This is the look in action:
Products: Urban Decay Primer Potion, $24 on Amazon, Maybelline The Rock Nudes Palette, $9 on Amazon, Benefit They're Real! Lengthening and Volumizing Mascara, $30 on Amazon, Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Streak, $33.99 on Amazon, Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Daringly Nude, $5.59 on Amazon