Eyeshadow Application for Any Eye Shape

The following post has moved to Into the Palette.

Eye Am Still Trying-Asian Monolid chart

The following post has moved to here, Into the Palette blog.

Eye Am Trying

The following has been moved to Into the Palette blog.

Basic Neutral Matte Eyeshadows

For best matte eyeshadow for mature women check out my review here.

I remember long ago when the makeup artist who gave me Ben Nye's Burns & Blisters wheel remarked the two important accomplishments in his makeup career were achieving the perfect natural eye look and makeup application on a mature woman. This came from the same guy who told me my makeup was bland! I looked at him with cruel disdain. Okay, I didn't show it on the outside but on the inside I did. I just acted like the words flowed into one ear and out the other. I had no use for boring matte neutral shadows back then, I was still a Spring chicken!

The Difference Between Asian and Caucasian Eyes

I couldn't come up with a clever title as you can see. I have been putting this post off for a long time. Okay, since I began my blog, I thought maybe save it for a makeup book that I would never write. In other words, all the info would just sit in my head until a mind reader came along and extracted it. Being part Asian and part alien I found it easier to understand makeup techniques for the alien side of me like highlighting and contouring, applying lipstick and blush, powdering the face, etc. But when it came to eyeshadow application, I wanted to understand my Asian eyes. And to make matters more different, my aging Asian eyes!

Highlighting and Contouring

Disclaimer: The following may sound like a tutorial but really isn't, just my opinion on how something works. You may disagree so don't throw any stones. If you don't like what you are reading don't read it, and void where prohibited by law.

For a more in depth tutorial click here.

Highlighting and contouring is fun to do when you know what you are doing. If you don't know then the colors can just look like misplaced racing stripes on the face. I have seen many people's attempts at contouring and highlighting and sometimes I just want to shake them and tell them, "You should have just left your face alone." I know makeup artists say that highlighting and contouring is just bringing what you want forward and what you don't want into the shadows. Yeah, right. Easier said than done. I know that many of you do the fish face of sucking in your cheeks to contour yet some do not stop the contouring until that line meets the middle of the cheek. I won't tell you to do something without a reason. I am not going to be like some makeup artists who say you put it there just because. No, I want the reason and explanation to why. So, what I am about to post you may not agree, I don't mind; but I will tell you why to put the color in that area. As you look at the pictures, feel your face and learn where your muscles and bone structure sit. Feel how the bones curve into the hollows. (This will be very important for the eye shadow application post.)

To Reveal is to Conceal

I figured that it would be important to have a post on concealers and neutralizers and touch on the subject of highlighting and contouring. When I didn't understand makeup, I really didn't pay any attention to concealers. I didn't even know and cared that neutralizers existed, I just wanted to play with all the color stuff I had. In fact, my stash probably consisted of a box full of fun and one concealer! What was I thinking? Well, obviously nothing in the way of correction.

Kry Kry Kry Out for Kryolan Micro Shades

What are Kryolan Micro Shades? They are little containers of highly pigmented creamy silicone based colors made for the Hi-Def media. The stuff can be used anywhere on the face which makes it a very versatile product. So far there are 15 colors that range from neutrals to a grass green. I bought only two to try out and wished that I had bought more, but I really have way too much makeup and restricted myself.

Makeup Brushes, Pt. 4-Powder, Cheeks, Lips

My brain decided to give me writer's block after the eye brush post. I think I had a short circuit. Now, it is finally up and running and it is allowing me to finish my series on makeup brushes.

Makeup Brushes, Pt.3-Eye Brushes: pt. 2

Okay, where was I? Eyeliners and eyeshadow brushes. I have to admit that organizing pictures for these brushes took some time. I wanted to get the brushes that would be most useful in shape to eye application and their differences. I know brushes can be boring to look at. So much more fun to see how someone applies eye makeup and to see the outcome. Well, I am working on that for different eye shapes for future postings. What is important now is to understand brushes.