Clueless About Eyeshadow?

Some of the most frequent questions I'm asked regard eyeshadow application.  You've probably mastered applying one shade, maybe you can even apply another color to your crease, but then what?  Is your eyeshadow completely gone, or worse, smeared by the end of the afternoon?  Here are the best products for those who want their eyeshadow to stay put and look professionally applied.  Which, I suspect, is pretty much everyone!

The first step is to prime your eyelids.  Primers provide a thicker base for your eyeshadow to "stick" to, so it will last longer.  Urban Decay makes a variety of amazing eye primers to suit everyone's tastes, but my favorite is Sin.  It's lightly shimmery but won't show through underneath your eyeshadow.  I like to wear it alone sometimes when I'm in a hurry.  If you blend it well, it can even multitask as a highlighter. 

Next, I recommend one of these fabulous eyeshadow kits from Too Faced.  There are four different kits, each containing nine eyeshadows for three different looks: daytime, classic, and night.  The best thing about these kits is that they come with an instruction card for each look, detailing step-by-step how each color should be applied plus clever tips.  Also included is a dual ended applicator, one end with traditional sponge tips and the other end an eyeliner brush that also works in your crease.  Purchasing each eyeshadow separately would total up to $73, but each of these kits is a super deal at only $35!

Like Urban Decay's primers, there's a kit to suit everyone.  The Natural Eye shadow kit is a lovely collection of a variety of shimmery neutrals; the Romantic Eye kit contains gorgeously soft feminine colors; the Naked Eye kit is filled with nude shades that flatter everyone; and the Smoky Eye kit is the most dramatic with darker colors.

Keep a bottle of makeup remover and a few Q-Tips close by just in case you make a mistake and need to touch up again, especially if you aren't so confident about applying eyeshadow.  It can take a bit of practice.

Lastly, spritz your face with Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray.  It provides extra hold for the eyeshadow you painstakingly applied using something they call "Temperature Control Technology".  It prevents all your makeup from melting when it's hot and humid and cracking when it's cold and dry.  The spray is lightweight and nonsticky and supposedly even lasts through a crying spell.  I can't personally vouch for the tears, but this is nonetheless a fantastic product.  I keep it by the door so I can spray my face on my out and my makeup lasts all day, eyeshadow included!