Press don’t brush, That Is The Trick
We have talked about the brows but what about the whole eyeshadow question?
I have always had an irrational fear with eyeshadow. Visions of too much colour or too dark a shade and the thought of residual powder dripping down under the eyes or gathering in the corners makes me weak at the knees. A slight exaggeration but I am sure you know what I mean.
These feelings may hark back to my younger days when I took a temporary position as a make up consultant for a large company. It was one of those jobs that I wasn’t very good at it. The chatting to customers was fine but the makeovers were not my forte. You know the overly made up and uniformed girls who have the microphone in one hand and deftly apply the eyeshadow with the other, that was me, except for the ‘deftly’. My foray at the make-up counter didn’t last long, fortunately for the customers.
Eyeshadow is a tricky one, too much and you look like a kewpie doll, none and we are missing out on all the advantages that subtle contouring can provide. I want to wear eyeshadow but with one condition, I want to look like I’m not wearing it.
Eyeshadow: Press Don’t Brush
1. Prepare the eyelid
This is the most important step as it ensures a smooth finish with no blotches.
Blend concealer or eye primer over the eyelids, making sure that it’s even and absorbed
Pat a very small amount of translucent powder over the eyelids.
I avoid bright and very dark colours. I find creams are more difficult to manipulate and tend to crease on the eyelid or fold into creases I don’t want.
2. Use two shades
A light shade similar to skin tone and a darker taupe/grey shade are my colours of choice.
Press the lighter colour all over the eyelid using an eye shading brush.
Pressing instead of brushing is the key as it avoids product falling under and around the eyes
3. Gently press the darker taupe eyeshadow into the crease of the eyelid starting in the middle and applying to the outer half of the eyelid only
Continue pressing the eye shadow downwards towards the eyelashes. Imagine with the eyes opened a ‘croissant’ shape is formed with the darker eyeshadow.
Once the colour is applied, use a blending brush so that the two colours fade seamlessly into each other.
4. For additional definition to the eye add eyeliner and mascara.
Eyeshadow: What to Use
my latest crush colours are from trish mcevoy; they wear well, are easy to apply with the right brushes and don’t crease.
trish mcevoy cream glaze eyeshadow || trish mcevoy tawny glaze eyeshadow || shading brush || blending brush
finish with a couple of new ones from my make-up bag
tom ford eye pencil in onyx || dior pump n volume mascara
images rene russo, los angeles sunday times
