Archives for 2015

When it comes to wearing makeup, I’ve always been more interested in eye shadow than lipstick. That’s probably because my eyes — blue-grey with long lashes and dark brows (thanks, mom and dad!) — are my better feature. My lips are actually so thin that the top one virtually disappears when I smile. Who wants to bother with lip color when you can hardly see it?

I also love eye makeup because there are so many more fun ways to wear it than lipstick. From simple to smokey, unlined to cat eye, you can change up your look with every application.

 

That’s why I thought it’d be fun to partner with HP to share my three go-to eye makeup looks. Ever since my 5-minute makeup post, I’ve been asked by readers for more beauty tutorials, but photographing myself applying makeup is a little bit tricky. Instead, I used my brushes and shadows on face charts I found on BeautyEtc.com, scanned them with the Sprout’s 14-megapixel high-res camera, and added handwritten text using the futuristic Touch Mat.

Whenever I wear eye shadow, I always start with my favorite Urban Decay primer. Worn underneath Buxom’s new primer-infused eye shadow, the color lasts all day and all night. (Yes, I sometimes sleep in my makeup. I can be too lazy to wash my face before bed.)

Look One

Pick a color, any color! A single wash of color is the easiest of the three eye makeup looks.

The trick is to blend the color up from your lash line to just slightly above the crease. Unless you’re walking the runway, you want your shadow to be more intense down near your eye lashes — not all over. Use a blending brush to soften any obvious lines in the crease.

 

Look Two

For this eye makeup look, you’ll need two shadows within the same color family. Neutrals like taupes and browns are perfect for daytime, or try pinks and purples for a more dramatic evening look.

Start by sweeping the lighter shade across your lid with a large fluffy brush. Using a smaller soft brush or a crease brush, smudge the dark color into your crease working from the outside in so that the color is darker near the outer edge of your eye. Finish by using your blending brush to soften the line of color in your crease. You don’t want it to look like a stripe!

Look Three

The final eye makeup look is an easy way to wear bright summery shadows if all-over color isn’t your thing. Start by brushing a pale shade like white, silver, or beige across your lid. With a small stiff brush, tap the darker color on outer half of your lid, starting at the corner and working in toward the middle of your eye. Once again, use a blending brush to soften the line where the light and dark colors meet.

Finish all three looks with a couple swipes of your favorite mascara!

Which of these three eye makeup looks will you try this weekend?

This post was written in partnership with HP. As always, all ideas and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog! #SproutbyHP #CIY #GoMakeThings