Masterclass: A Guide To Using Eyeshadow

Firstly, Begin With Hydration

“Before you apply any make-up, you need an eye cream to hydrate the skin in this area,” explains make-up master Bobbi Brown. “When skin is dehydrated, the darker the skin around your eyes tends to be. Hydration is also key for mature skin types who are often prone to dryness and, in turn, flaking of make-up like eyeshadow. Try applying a cream rich in emollients. Typically, these aren’t too dense or greasy and provide a great base for make-up to adhere to. Once that has absorbed, see where your skin is at its darkest, then take the lightest concealer you own and apply it all over – always go right up to the lash line both at the top and bottom. You need this base for proper eyeshadow application. Essentially, the trick is not to apply your concealer in large swathes but instead focus it on the darkest areas, in light layers. You want an illusion of brightness that balances eye make-up out.” Make-up artist Mira Parmar agrees: “Hydration is key prior to make-up because you want the area to look supple. If you don’t have a concealer, or prefer not to use one, make sure you apply a primer, like Urban Decay’s. It gives such a smooth base for any make-up that follows.” 

Treat Hooded Eyes Differently

“As we age, hooded eyes become somewhat inevitable,” continues Mira. “Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can enhance them so it’s not an issue. My biggest tip is to user liner to ‘tight line’ – simply put, this is where you wiggle a cream crayon right into the top lash line and wing it out very slightly at the corners. Cream or gel textures are best as they blend easily. This gives the impression of bigger eyes and a more open, elongated effect.” Bobbi adds: “For hooded eyes, think of it in tones: light, medium and dark. The lightest tone goes all over the lid first and gives a nice clean look. Then layer up with a medium shade but apply this underneath your lower lashes as this helps open the eye up. Finally, finish with the darkest tone. Use this to line the upper eyelids softly, winging it out at the corner. Depending how deep set your eye is, I also advise applying the darkest shade very gently underneath your lashes. This is subtle, but helps you achieve a smoky effect that’s visible enough.”

Arm Yourself With Good Tools

“This is a key tip for good eye make-up,” continues Mira. “In my opinion, you should always have an angled brush, a fluffy brush and a pencil brush that allows you to smudge, blend and smoke things out. The easiest way to keep things soft is by using a buffing brush to diffuse your eyeliner along the lids, but also at the outer edges to create a wider effect. I recommend investing in a good handheld mirror, too. Use this to look directly into as you create any feline flicks or smokey eye lines – it will help you to perfect the shape.” 

Use The Right Textures

“On mature eyes, I prefer eyeshadows over liquid eyeliner pens,” says Bobbi. “You can still get a dense look with an eyeshadow using a fine, damp eyeliner brush. To me, that’s the easiest way. Liquids tend to crinkle up and set into fine lines, whereas powders don’t do this. You can still get away with gels, but soft pencils and kohls are my top recommendation. Start by using them at the outer corners of your eyes and then smudge out any lines you create with an angled brush. It’s pretty foolproof if you use this technique.”