Tired of wearing just one eyeshadow color at a time? Envying that friend of yours who can smooth on eye color like a professional? Well, blending multiple shades together for a movie-star-like look isn’t really that difficult, not if you know what to do. Follow these expert-recommended tips to achieve a perfectly blended look with every eye makeup application.
What Is “Blending?”
When you blend two or more things together, you combine them in such a way that you can’t see where one ends and the next begins. With eye shadows, you want to create such an effect. One part of your lid may be one color, and another part is a different color, but there are no distinguishable lines between them. Blending like this can create a beautiful, misty-like effect to your eye makeup. It can make bolder colors look more understated and help define your eyes or make them appear bigger.
Create a Good Foundation
Whenever you apply your eye makeup, no matter how many colors you’re planning to put on, you want to give yourself a good, dry base to work on. Powder shadows sit best on a smooth, dry eyelid, so you’ll want to apply a light coating of powder base before you get started. Just smooth a little bit of translucent face powder over your lids and eye area and you’re ready to go.
You might also want to spread a cream eye shadow (in a nude color) over your lids to make your makeup last longer. Apply a thin layer first, then dust the powder over it, if you choose this method instead.
Adding the Color
Always start with the lighter color on the bottom and spread it across the entire eye lid. You can always add darker colors on top, but the reverse is not true so keep this order at all times! Add darker colors along the crease of your eyelid (i.e. just under your brow bone) in a half-moon kind of shape. Don’t bring the darker colors all the way over the eye lid in an arc, since this makes eyes appear smaller and closes them off. Dust the darker shadow into place and your ready to start blending!
Basic Blending Tips
As experts at Makeup For Life say, this is one skill that definitely takes practice! Your first few attempts may not be perfect, so try working with colors that are fairly close together on the spectrum. This way, if you leave a line between them, it’s not as noticeable!
Other tips for blending eye shadow perfectly include:
- Use brushes to blend, since these will not absorb or remove colors from your eye lid (like fingers or sponges can).
- Blend up or down, whatever is easier for you. The direction of your blending doesn’t matter, as long as you concentrate your efforts in the right place: between the two colors!
- Use a separate brush for each color you apply, or else be sure to clean your brush with a tissue between each color.
- Take your time! Go slowly and pay attention as you go. A hurried job never looks right.
- Build your colors gradually. Start with a small amount of color, then build it as you feel necessary. It’s always easier to add more color than it is to subtract it!
- Try a special blender brush to do the job, since the bristles are designed for the task. You’ll get a better blend with the right tools. And natural fibers are always a better (and more effective) choice than synthetic fibers.
Remember that practice makes perfect, so give yourself the time you need to learn this important makeup application skill!
References:
- Letz Makeup. Blending Out Eye Shadow: Tips & Tricks.
- Makeup for Life. Eyeshadow Tips: How to Blend Eyeshadow.
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- How to get a perfect eyeliner application
- Choosing the perfect eye makeup colors for your eyes
- Choosing the right eyelash curler
