Building Your Eye Design – More Than Just Eyeliner

There is more to applying make-up on your eyes than just slapping on some eyeliner and beauty products. Your eye is complex and beautiful – the mystery of your soul is hidden underneath your eyelids. They certainly deserve a bit of thought and attention when it comes time to dress them up. Here are some eye make-up tips straight from the pros.

The Basic Concept; Eyeshadow and Eyeliner

The basic concept in applying eyeliner is to accent the shape of the eye, or to change its shape by using a progression of light to dark colors. A general rule is that colors should not be “rainbowed” – rather they should be gently blended together. Basic applications should involve one or two colors, however at certain elegantly exotic times it may be appropriate to use more.

Setting the Design

One Color Design: This design is used for casual daily wear, such as a day at the office with no formal meetings. Blend on soft, deep color over the entire eye area… from the lashes to just under the eyebrow. Do not leave any patches of skin showing, and do not frame your entire eye with eyeliner. Blend the edges of the color into the rest of your skin. The best colors for this design are light tan, taupe, beige, mauve brown, pale gray, and auburn. Use matching eyeliner to divide the lashes from the color.

Two Color Design: This is by far the most common design – and the most inappropriately applied design! The lighter color should be applied from the crease of the eyelid to the brow, and the darker shade under the eyelid. You DO NOT want the colors to be distinctly different, and you do not want the under lid color area to be greater than the upper lid area. Use matching eyeliner to divide the lashes from the color. Shiny, white, and excessively bright colors should not be worn in a professional environment. Use liquid eyeliner for the smoothest application.

Three Color Design: To successfully carry out this design, first apply the basic two-color design. You will then apply a third, deeper color to the back outside corner of the lid, and over the crease of the eyelid towards the edge of the eye. Use matching eyeliner to divide the lashes from the color.

Five Eye Makeup Mistakes To Avoid

Do not use too much color – bright, excessive colors are distracting and make it difficult to view your face. This is particularly true of eyeliner.
Avoid hard edges; blend smoothly with a brush. If you can tell where one color stops and the other color begins, it is not blended well enough. Do not frame your entire eye with eyeliner.
Be careful with pink and red around the eye – they make you look tired and irritated. They make a particularly bad contrast with dark eyeliner.
Avoid glossy and greasy eyeliner products at all costs. They smear, smudge, and are very annoying to deal with – the only place they work are photo shoots where they remain on for about five minutes.

Eye shadow and eyeliner should not match your clothing or eye color. This will dull the color of your eyes.