How to Apply Eye Eyeshadow Step-by-Step

For a basic eye makeup look, you’ll need one light shimmer shadow for your eyelid; two different matte shadows for your crease and the transition area between the crease and brow bone – one a medium shade and the other a soft peach or pink close to your skin tone; plus one matte dark shadow for the outer corners of your eyes.

1. Start with the light shimmery colour on your eyelid to open up and brighten your whole eye area.

2. Next apply the light pink or peach shadow in the transition area above the crease to warm up your eyes and help pull the whole eye look together.

3. Then put the medium matte shadow in your crease just below the transition area. This will add a little depth to the eye.

4. Right at the outer edge of your eye, apply a sideways V-shape using the darkest shadow you have – a black or a dark brown. This creates a little light and shade and adds dimension to your eye.

5. The next is your browbone where you would highlight with a lighter shimmery shade than you have on your lid. This is optional and you don’t have to do it.

6. Then you have your inner corner of your eye which you want to keep light and where you would also use a light shimmery shade or a highlighter.

7. Next is your lower lash line where you want to create a similar effect as you have with your transition and crease shades. Use the lighter transition shade in the middle of your eye, moving into the medium crease shade at the outer corner.

8. Finally, you have the waterline which is the inner lower lash line that can either be darkened or lightened with a gel pencil if you want to.

With other eye shapes, you use the exact same eyeshadows but just position them differently - to either downplay an aspect with darker shades, or highlight a positive feature of your eye with a lighter shade - to get as close as possible to a perfect eye shape. For example, if you have downturned eyes, you don’t want to do your eye makeup to make them look even more downturned; instead, you want to use it to lift up the edges of your eyes.

The only thing that is the same for all eye shapes is the transition shade that is always applied just above the crease. You’ll quickly find out just how much of a difference it can make to your eyes when you know how to best apply your eyeshadow and liner for your specific eye shape.

Remember that nothing complements every eye shape like killer brows. No matter what optical illusion you’re going to apply to your eyes, it will all fall flat if they aren’t framed nicely. So before you begin make sure your eyebrows are perfectly groomed.

Read More. Choosing the Right Eyebrow Shape Can Truly Transform How You Look Completely

Makeup for Almond-Shaped Eyes

You have: Almond-shaped eyes if have a visible crease on your eyelid and your iris touches both the top and bottom waterline so you can't see any white.
Celebrities with almond eyes: Lupita Nyong'o, Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé
You want: Bigger, wider eyes.

Almond eyes are the most versatile shape so you pretty much wear anything - but your eyes can sometimes get lost in the horizontal nature of the almond shape.
 

• Make your eyes look bigger by first using your fingertip to dab a little illuminating concealer onto the outer and inner corners of your eye. This covers up any blue or red bits there and instantly makes eyes appear brighter.

 

• Next use the lightest shade in your palette and sweep it over your whole eyelid. Use the next darkest shade in the crease of your lid, increasing the intensity towards the outer part of your crease, and blend well.

 

• Then use either the darkest eyeshadow shade or an eyeliner to line your top lid, taking the line a bit beyond the corner of your eye to elongate it. To open up your eyes even further, blend a smudge of liner from the centre of your lower lid to the outer corner instead of drawing a harsh line.
  
  Use an eyelash curler to make your lashes appear longer and lifted, and finish with a couple of coats of mascara.

Our product pick: Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Palette in Maverick.

Read More. An Easy Guide to The Brushes You Need to Use for Perfectly Flawless Makeup

Makeup for Wide-Set Eyes

You have: Wide-set eyes where the inner corners of the eyes are far away from the bridge of the nose.
Celebrities with wide-set eyes: Gemma Ward, Brandy, Kendall Jenner
You want: Eyes that are closer together.

Usually applying dark tones at the inner corner of your eyes is a big no-no but this will actually make your eyes to appear closer together.
 

• First apply your lightest shadow all over the lid to bring it forward and give the illusion of more space. Then blend a medium dark shade in your eyelid crease all the way from the inner corner of the eye to the outer edge. Finally apply your darkest shadow in a sideways V-shape at the outer edge of your eyes.

 

• The next step is to also use your eye liner to close in some of the space in the inner corner. Rim both your top and bottom lash line as close to the inner tear duct as possible.

 

• Avoid light, shimmery shades in your inner corner as well as winged eyeliner as this will lengthen your eye outwards.

 

• You can also create the illusion of your eyes being closer together by filling in your eyebrows slightly beyond their natural ending point at the bridge of your nose.

 

• Lastly add some definition to your nose by sweeping a contouring powder or bronzer down the sides of it, blending well. This adds dimension and interest to the broad space between your eyes.

Our product pick: Palladio Silk FX Eyeshadow in Debutante.

Makeup for Close-Set Eyes

You have: Close set eyes where the inner corners of the eyes are close to the bridge of the nose.
Celebrities with close-set eyes: Tracee Ellis Ross, Sarah Jessica Parker, Miley Cyrus.
You want: Your eyes to appear further apart.

The general rule for you is to take volume away from your inner corners and add volume to the outer corners.
 

• Do this by blending your eye shadows in a light to dark gradient starting with the light at your inner corner and the darkest shade towards the edge of your eye. A smudge of dark shadow or liner under the lashes on the outer corner completes the illusion.

 

• Then dot a shimmery champagne or nude highlighting shadow around your tear ducts to create the illusion of more space between your eyes.

 

• Winged eyeliner is a great look for you. Start applying liquid liner from the centre of your eyelid (avoiding the inner corner) and drag it beyond your outer corner to tug your eye shape outwards.

 

• To continue to pull the focus away from your nose, dab on extra mascara or add individual lashes to the outer corners of your eye.

Our product pick: Catrice 5 In A box Mini Eyeshadow Palette.

Read More. Eyelash Treatments You Need to Get Amazing Lashes When Mascara Is Not Enough

Makeup for Deep Set Eyes

You have: Deep set eyes that are large and set right back into the socket, creating the illusion of a more prominent brow bone.
Celebrities with deep-set eyes: Sandra Bullock, Kim Kardashian, Julianne Moore.
You want: Eyes that stand out more.

As your brow bone sits further out, this causes your eyes to seem far back in your face and so they fall into a bit of a 'shadow'.
 

• Counteract the shadow by highlighting under your arches with an illuminating crayon or shimmery shadow.

 

• Next divide your eyelid into thirds, using a light shade on the inner third, a dark shade on the outer third and a medium shade in the middle to blend it all together. Using metallic shadows for the light and medium shades will help open up and brighten the eye.

 

• Your eyeliner should be a thin line starting in the middle of the upper eye lid only and stopping just after the lashes end.

 

• Finally apply mascara, again only to your top lashes. You want to open up and lift your eyes.

Our product pick: Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

Makeup for Downturned Eyes

You have: Downturned or droopy eyes with a downward tilt or slant at the outer corners of your eyes, which can make your upper lid look much larger than your bottom lid. If you can't quite tell, imagine drawing a straight line across your eye.
Celebrities with downturned eyes: Anne Hathaway, Katy Perry, Charlize Theron.
You want: Happier looking eyes.

A sexy cat-eye shape is your best bet for turning up the corners of your eyes.
 

• Use a light-coloured shadow on your whole lid and sweep a highlighter just under your eyebrows to lift your eye.

 

• Then use a dark shadow on the outer corner of your eye, but be careful of not going too far out and make sure you are applying the shadow in an upwards motion. This will help create the illusion of an upward turning eye, which you can also emphasise by adding individual lashes to the outer edges of your lash-line.

 

• You can achieve this look most successfully with your eyeliner. Apply a liquid liner from the inner corner of your eye all along your lid. Drag the liner about 1cm (or more if you’re feeling dramatic!) upwards and outwards from your eye along an imaginary line from the outer corner to the edge of your eyebrow. If you need a little help drawing your line, then try the sticky tape trick.

Our product pick: Maybelline Hyper Easy Liquid Eyeliner - Knockout Black.

Read More. Expert Tips You Need to Know to Apply Eyeliner Perfectly

Makeup for Upturned Eyes

You have: An upturned eye that is usually a classic almond shape with a natural lift at the outer corner. The lower lid has more emphasis and looks longer than the top lid.
Celebrities with upturned eyes: Megan Fox, Kendall Jenner, Rihanna.
You want: To balance out your eyes.

To make your eyes look more symmetrical, your dark eye shadow and pencil should be focussed on the outer lower corners of your eyes.
 

• To start, your basic eyeshadow application is similar to the almond eye shape. Use the lightest shade in your palette and sweep it over your whole eyelid. Use the medium shade in the crease of your lid, increasing the intensity towards the outer part of your crease only, and blend well. Add a touch of dark shadow in a sideways V-Shaped triangle on the outer corner of your eye.

 

• Next, to even out the upper and lower lids, create a smoky eye effect by swiping the medium shade along the entire length of your lower lash line, followed by the darkest shade from the middle of the eye towards the outer lower corner to bring down the lifted effect.

 

• To avoid accentuating the outer eye lift, it’s also best to avoid sharp lines – rather smudge your liner at the top and bottom outer corners of your eyes.

Our product pick: Almay Intense i-color Shadow Palette.

Makeup for Hooded Eyes

You have: Hooded eyes where both the lid and crease are not visible.
Celebrities with hooded eyes: Gabrielle Union, Blake Lively, Jennifer Lawrence.
You want: To fake visible eyelids.

Girls with hooded lids will know the struggle of having permanently smudged make up, and spending ages perfecting a beautifully blended lid only for it to disappear as soon as you open your eye.
 

• With hooded eyes you want to enhance any visible lid space by keeping the lids very light. Applying a highlighter shade on your browbone will also open up the eyes.

 

• To create the illusion of having a visible upper eyelid, blend a darker shade along your crease but extend it upwards towards the brow bone so that when you open your eyes the shadow is visible. Extending your shadow in an upwards curve a bit beyond the outer edge of the eye also helps lift and open up your eyes.

 

• For a liner, a thick bold wing will add more definition, but you have to watch out for product disappearing onto your lid so use a waterproof smudge resistant eyeliner and push the liner right into your lash line.

 

• You can also tightline the top waterline to intensify and enlarge your eye shape and thicken the lash base, which also can disappear under the lid fold.

Our product pick: Rimmel Magnif’Eyes Crimson Multi Eyeshadow Palette.

Read More. Secrets on How to Create Awesome Lashes (Without Going Fake)

Makeup for Protruding Eyes

You have: Protruding eyes, aka prominent eyes, that tend to sit more out of the eye socket area giving you lots of lid space to play with. They also sometimes have a lower lid.
Celebrities with protruding eyes: Nicole Richie, Amanda Seyfried, Octavia Spencer.
You want: Eyes that appear further back.

On a good day you love your large eyes but some days you just want to minimise the bulging look. A protruding eye needs lots of dark shadow to visually push it back. A sultry smoky eye normally makes eyes appear smaller, but on this eye shape it looks amazing.
 

• Start by lining your eyes - including your lash line and waterline. On the top lid extend the black liner onto the lid to make it thicker.

 

• Next ditch the shimmery shadows which only make your eyes look like they’re bulging more. Instead opt for matte tones and layer on a dark shadow all over your lid, sweeping it under your lower lash line.

 

• Finish off with a small dot of highlighter on your inner corner.

 

• Stay away from lengthening mascara and very long lashes that make the eye more open and leave you looking permanently surprised. Instead apply a little volumizing mascara only to the outer lashes in the direction of your hairline to pull your eyes outwards.

Our product pick: Essence The Brown Edition Eyeshadow Palette - Gorgeous Browns.

Read More. These Smokey Eye Looks are SO Beautiful (And Easy to Do)

Makeup for Round Eyes

You have: Round eyes that are sometimes quite large and look more circular. The inner and outer corners are rounded and not pulled inward or outward, so they can often appear small. The whites of the eyes are usually visible all around the iris.
Celebrities with round eyes: Katy Perry, Christina Ricci, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.
You want: Your eyes to look bigger and wider.

Round eyes are beautiful but can run the risk of appearing sunken and small.
 

• Add dimension to your eyes by sweeping a light colour onto your entire lid and up to your brow line. Then apply a medium shade onto the outer corners of both the upper and lower lash lines. Use the darkest shade to line your upper lash line extending out and upwards at the outer corners to elongate the width of the eye.

 

• Copy this same technique with your eyeliner - using a lighter shade, apply a thin line along your top and bottom lash lines with a very small upward cats eye flip at the outer edges.

 

• Finish with a smudge of highlighter under the outer corner of your eyebrow, and lashings of lengthening mascara to open up your eyes.

Our product pick: LA Girl 20 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Sunkissed Glow.

Read More. Clever Insider Tips on How to Make Your Eyes a Lot Bigger

If you’d like a few more useful tips on how to apply your eye makeup to enhance your natural eye shape, there are very few makeup artists who do it better than Wayne Goss. In this must-see video he explains how to do make up different eye-shapes in detail…

View Video: How To Apply Eyeshadow To Your Eye Shape - Beginner + Advanced