Eyeshadow for Blue Eyes

The eyes have it! Playing up your beautiful baby blues can add life and color to your entire face. Choosing the right colors and application techniques can enhance your natural beauty and make your eyes sparkle.

CHOOSING EYESHADOW COLORS

(Unless otherwise noted, all products are available at drugstores and mass retailers.)

First, you’ll want to choose shadow colors that accentuate your eye color. Some companies make this simple for you by offering shadow palettes specifically made for one eye color. For example, Almay makes a product called Intense i-color; for blue eyes, the colors are pale pink, gray and and dark gray. Almay also offers a palette of different shades of brown designed for blue eyes. (These palettes cost around $8.00.) NYC New York Color offers a similar product, IndividualEyes Custom Compact, for around $5.00. Their palettes include an eyeshadow primer (which helps the color to last longer) and gray and purple shadows. In general, grays, browns, light pinks and purples are good colors for blue eyes.

You may wish to visit a cosmetics counter (i.e. Clinique, Estee Lauder, Clarins) at a department store and have a professional makeup consultant show you the best colors for your skin tone and hair color. She can also show you techniques for application to bring out your best features. These consultations and makeovers are usually free, but you may need an appointment. Even if you don’t choose to buy many of their products, you can use their advice when purchasing less expensive color cosmetics. (And some – but certainly not all – of their skin care products are superior to drugstore brands.)

HOW TO APPLY

Start with a clean, moisturized face. You may want to use a dab of foundation (NOT concealer – it’s too thick) on your eyelids as a base for your eyeshadow; alternately, use an eyeshadow primer like the one found in NYC New York Color’s shadow palette. (Use the enclosed brush to swipe on primer all over the lid up to the brow line, just as you would shadow.) Either one will help color to go on smoothly and last longer.

First, find the color in your palette that is intended for use all over the lid. (Most of these palettes come with instructions on the package.) Using the enclosed applicator or an eyeshadow brush from your makeup kit, gently swipe the entire lid, from inner corner to outer corner and from lash line to the brow.

Next, find the one or two darker colors in the palette. Using one (often labeled ‘2’ on the package), use the enclosed applicator to make a slight sideways V (<) shape from the lower outer corner of the eye toward the middle. (The bottom half of the V will be along the lash line, the top half will be in the crease of your lid.) In other words, the V opens up toward your nose. Do the same on both eyes.

Third, if there is a ‘3’ color, sweep it gently along the lash line. (If there is no ‘3’, move on to the highlighter.)

Then find the highlighter color – usually a pale, possibly shimmery, shade. It may be white, light gray, light pink, light purple or even light blue. Using an eyeshadow brush (rather than enclosed applicator), sweep a little bit of this color along the brow line toward the outer top corner of each eye.

Finally, use the shadow brush in a gentle circle to lightly blend all your work together. This softens the lines and leaves a flawless finish behind. The colors will blend seamlessly and look more natural and polished.

EYELINER, MASCARA AND BROWS

Your eye makeup wouldn’t be complete without grooming your brows and adding mascara.

Using a brow pencil that matches the color of your brows, gently and lightly fill in light spots and dab the pencil along the brows. Using an eyebrow brush or small, clean toothbrush (a child’s brush works well), brush the brows into place and sweep off any excess pencil so the look remains soft instead of harsh. (If you’re really particular and have the time, before adding pencil, brush your brows up toward your forehead; fill in gaps, then brush back down with the brush. This extra step gives you an even more polished look.)

There are many types and colors of eyeliner; experiment to find what works best for you. Liquid liner is usually a bold statement perfect for a night out but a bit over-the-top for the office. It’s a good way to dress up your daytime look to make it party-ready. For everyday wear, try Cover Girl’s eyeliners (around $5) – they make one that does not need to be sharpened and goes on more smoothly than others. Mary Kay also makes that type of liner in a variety of shades (around $8 and available from a Mary Kay consultant). Blue eyes usually look best with a gray, black, or brown liner. DO NOT pull your eye taut before applying liner – this just promotes wrinkles and fine lines! Close one eye and gently go along the lash line, making tiny dots all the way across. Then go back across and connect the dots. Go from almost-but-not-quite the corner by your nose to the outside corner. (Go all the way across and you’ll make your eyes appear smaller and closer together.)

Wet ‘n Wild makes a liquid liner ($3) that works much like a marker. It’s drier and easier to use than most liquid liners, and isn’t too harsh for daytime. Try it in black to make your eyes really stand out.

Using liner across the bottom lash line is optional – it can make eyes appear smaller, but can also dress them up if applied correctly. Dot a small amount of liner at the lash line and only go about halfway across the eye from the outer corner. Rimming the entire eye in liner looks unnatural and makes the eyes appear smaller and raccoon-ish.

Next, use an eyelash curler to curl lashes – this makes a huge difference in the appearance of your eyes. It makes you look more awake and bright-eyed and makes your lashes look fuller and longer. Do not skip this step! (Note: if you’re using liquid eye liner, curl lashes before using or allow to dry before curling. Curling with wet liner results in messy lashes that won’t curl properly.)

After curling lashes, apply mascara. A dark brown or black looks best on blue eyes. Everyone has an opinion about the best mascaras, but a popular one is Great Lash by Maybelline (about $5.) Also try Max Factor’s 2000 Calorie Mascara (around $7) to really plump lashes and make them appear fuller and thicker. Start at the base of the lashes and wiggle the brush side-to-side then sweep up to the end of lashes. Apply two coats for maximum benefit.

And that’s it! You’ve accented your eyes with the best colors and techniques to make them truly sparkle. If your eyes are your best feature, play them up! The correct application and colors will take your eyes from pretty to WOW!