How to apply eye makeup? How to put on eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and more

Makeup enhances your eyes and makes any look pop. You can easily learn how to do a few simple eye makeup techniques, as well as the latest smokey eye makeup look. The best way to learn how to do eye makeup is to play around with powders, pencils, and mascaras. You’ll find the different looks that go with your style and personality.

1. Prepare your skin before applying makeup

Always apply makeup to skin that has been cleansed, toned, and moisturized. Then apply your concealer around the eye area. This allows you to apply your eye makeup to even-colored skin around the eyes. Dot a good quality under-eye makeup concealer over the areas of the eyes that have a blue or purple tinge. Begin at the inner corner where the skin is typically darker. Apply a small amount of product at a time – it’s easier to add as you go along than try to clean off excess product. Be careful to avoid pulling at the delicate skin around the eyes.

2. How to apply eye makeup

Your choice of foundation and mascara may be limited. However, when it comes to your eyeshadow palette the only limit is your imagination. This makes eyeshadow the most exciting part of your makeup kit. More than ever, the latest eye makeup ideas are about self-expression. Before you attempt the more dramatic eye makeup looks like cat eye makeup, getting to grips with the basics of how to do eyeshadow is a good idea. Let’s get started.

When choosing eyeshadow for day or night, take the occasion as well as the ambient light into account. During the day, you’re going to be at work, grabbing supplies at your mini-mart, or getting the kids to soccer practice. The last thing you want is to look as if you never made it home the night before! Broad daylight is also less forgiving of any eye makeup blunders so go for a natural eye makeup look. The best way to do eyeshadow for daywear is to use one basic light eyeshadow that compliments your skin tone. Opt for a gentle peach pink if you’re very fair, or a light beige or taupe for medium to darker skin tones.

For special occasions or nighttime wear, choose a three- or four-toned makeup palette. The Clarins 4-Color Eyeshadow Palette is all about ultra-pigmented, primer-infused shadows. Each palette comes with four intensely pigmented eyeshadows, and has everything needed to prime, shade, line, and define—delivering intense color payoffs with finishes of velvet, satin, foil, and metallic. A 2-in-1 formula enriched with the priming properties of natural Bamboo Powder keeps your look fresh, crease-proof, and stay-put.

When experimenting with makeup for blue eyes, keep to lighter tones of peach pink, warm browns, and blues that are several shades deeper than your natural eye color. Makeup for brown eyes as well as makeup for hazel eyes can include taupe, gold or copper, and the deepest shades of green and purple. Makeup for green eyes can include most of the shades used for both blue and brown eyes. Avoid using green eye makeup on green eyes unless much darker than your natural eye color.

Are you wondering how to put on eyeshadow? Begin at the lids and work toward your brow in a rainbow formation. Start with the second lightest color in your eye makeup palette that almost matches your lids. Cover the entire lid all the way to your brow bone. Next, apply the medium color to your lid only. Now sweep the darkest shadow into the crease of the eye and carefully bring it out of the crease and around the outer corner of the eye. You can either continue the color under the eye for a softer effect or use eyeliner for a more dramatic eye makeup look. Finally, use the lightest color in your makeup palette to highlight the inner corners of the eye and the highest point of your brow arch.

Now that you’ve applied your eyeshadow, your work is not done! Now, you will learn how to blend eyeshadow like an expert. Reach for your makeup brushes, use a clean, dry eyeshadow brush to blur the lines between your four colors. Even if your aim is to achieve dramatic eye makeup never fail to blend and blend, then blend some more. If you find after blending, you’d prefer more color on the eyes, build up the intensity by applying additional shadow, and then blending again until you have your desired look.

If you’re applying simple eye makeup for day wear, skip eyeliner or opt for the eye pencil. Next, you’ll learn how to apply eyeliner pencil. Steady your hand by leaning your elbow on a solid surface. Sticking as close to your lash line as possible, trace a line around the eyes with a sharpened pencil. Start at the outer corners for a more natural eye makeup effect and blend with the tip of a shadow applicator or a cotton swab.

If you prefer a liquid liner, knowing how to apply liquid eyeliner will follow the same method as applying a pencil. You will need to practice before getting that line just right. You won’t want to blend, once you’ve pulled off the perfect flourish of liquid eyeliner. Clarins Graphik Ink Liner Liquid Eyeliner Pen has an easy-to-use felt tip that follows the curves of your eyes, making it possible to create any type of line with precision, from thin to thick. Your liquid eyeliner is long-wear, transfer-proof, and an intense, luminous black.

Your next step is eyebrow makeup. If you have thick, well-defined brows, simply shape and use a brow gel to keep them in place throughout the day. For thinner brows, fill in with a brow pencil, using small feathery strokes and blend with a brow brush.

3. How to apply mascara

Whether you’re aiming for a natural eye makeup look or dramatic effect, always finish your eye makeup application with mascara. What is the best mascara to use? Clarins Supra Volume Mascara is a double volume effect mascara that creates an intense, full, fanned-out lash look in one quick coat for day wear. The gentle formula of this best mascara is enriched with Cassie Flower and Panthenol to visibly thicken and smooth your lashes.

If it’s drama you’re after – Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D takes lashes to bold new dimensions: visibly lengthening, curling, defining and volumizing for a captivating, wide-eyed look. The unique formula combines intense carbon-black mineral pigments with filmogenic Rose Wax for long-wearing color and hold. Clarins’ exclusive Lash Boosting Complex of Sphingony and Panthenol helps to protect lashes and promote visibly thicker, longer-looking lashes.

Finally, let’s look at how to apply mascara. Never pump the wand in and out of the mascara container. Doing this introduces air that can dry out the mascara. Begin at the base of your upper lashes and move the wand in a zigzag motion from side to side, working towards the lash tips. If you plan to apply several coats to your lower lashes or you just don’t have a steady hand, place a tissue under the lower lashes before applying your mascara to catch any smudges.

The last step in learning how to apply eyeshadow and practicing how to apply eyeliner is investing in a good quality eye makeup remover. Wondering how to remove mascara? Soak a cotton ball with the gentle, alcohol-free eye makeup remover product, press gently over the eye for 10 seconds, smooth cotton downward, move up gently lifting lashes, fold the pad and swipe across. Always use enough eye makeup remover to easily remove all traces of makeup, never press down hard on the eyes or drag the skin in the delicate eye area.

For more information about how to remove makeup, watch Clarins’ eye makeup tutorial and you’ll master the art in no time at all!