9 times out of 10 a client will ask me to make their eyes look bigger, brighter and really stand out.
Before you want to try the latest on trend looks or work a smoky eye it is best to know what colours and tones best suit your eye colour, eye shape and compliment your skin tone.
From there you can choose the best eyeshadow shades and textures to create the look your are aiming to achieve and how to emphasize or disguise areas that you do not like.
There are colours we can choose to enhance, harmonize or emphasize our eyes. Neutrals are universal and suit everyone. Matching eyeshadow colour to your eye colour will create a soft, complimentary and more subtle effect and opposite colours will provide a maximum contrast and illuminate your eyes creating intensity which will make your eyes really stand out.
The colour wheel is the basis to all the decisions we should make about colour choice in makeup.
* The 3 colours in the middle are primary colours - red, blue, yellow. They cannot be created.
* Surrounding them are secondary colours - purple, orange and green. They are created when 2 primary colours are mixed together.
* The colours on the outer edge are tertiary colours. They are created by mixing a primary and secondary colour together.
The end result is a spectrum of colours.
Colours opposite each other are complimentary which mean they can neutralize each other when placed on top of each other (which is why a green concealer will reduce redness in the skin). When placed next to each other they emphasize each other (which is why we use liliacs and purples to emphasize green eyes)
Colour is a very relative subject, choosing the right colours can prove to be the key to a perfect result in your eye makeup.
Flatter yourself - The shades in your irises pick up pigments in your eyeshadow, making eyes appear bigger and brighter. Light colours will enhance and enlarge, dark colours intensify and deepen.
Warm skin tones have a yellow/golden undertone and cool skin has a blue or pinkish tone. Keep this in mind when choosing eyeshadow tones.
To compliment your skin tone choose coppers, gold and auburn shades in your hair if you have a warmer skin tone and if you have a cool colouring choose shades with ash, violet or beige tones.
For cooler skin tones go for cool browns, yellow browns can make you look sick. Baby pinks, fuchsias, soft lilacs are flattering for a fairer skin. Jades, emeralds and cool green work especially well as well as turquoise in summer. Avoid very light blues as they will emphasize your skin tone, not flatter it.
For warmer skin tones go for warm russet browns, coppers and golden browns. Air force blue, navy blue and warm blues also work well. Warm greens with a hint of gold, olive green and dark green for a smoky effect. Don't choose light blue tones as they will look grey on your skin.
For olive skins go for neutral or warm golden browns. Warm pinks, burgundies, flamingo pink and coral pink create a contrast. Use warmer or dark blues. Any blues with a hint of grey or purple work well on your skin. Vivid warm and dark greens also work well. Purple is very flattering, especially if your eyes are hazel or green. Avoid light greens as they will blend into your skin tone making it look grey.
Neutrals: Neutral shades can be worn by all eye colours, anytime. Think shades of champagne, gold and browns. The most universally flattering, perfect for any occasion shade of eyeshadow is gold. Gold flatters every skin tone and the yellow and rose based golds are made for highlighting, while the copper hues are great for defining.
Green eyes: Complimentary warm or cool depending on eye tone.
Pink & purples, copper and golds intensify and make the eyes pop.
Blue eyes: Complimentary warm or cool depending on eye tone
Golds, bronzes, Orange and up to red intensify and make eyes pop.
Brown eyes: Complimentary warm or cool depending on tone
Deep inky blue, purple and green intensify and make eyes pop.
Hazel eyes: Brown and greens for cool hazel eyes and gold, bronze, brown for warm golden hazel eyes.
Deep pinks, purples and mahogany intensifies and makes eyes pop.
Maximize your eye shape: In most case we need to minimize or enhance a certain shape. You should always extend lines and eye shadows either 1/3 or 2/3 of the way across the eye. If you shade or line 1/2 way it will cut the eye in half and make it look distorted.
Small eyes: Aim is to make them look bigger
A creamy white eye liner to the inner rim gives the illusion of a larger and more open eye.
Curl your lashes, and apply several coats to the top lash line. False lashes on the top outer corner will help create a bigger eye also.
Add some highlighter to the inner corner to widen and brighten and a touch of highlighter under the arch of the brow.
Use liner to smudge into the outer corner underneath the lash line. Use eyeliner to create a flick starting from the pupil and extend past the outer edge making the eyes seem wider.
Large, round prominent eyes: Aim is to balance or make them a little smaller
For some having big eyes is fabulous - all you need to do is emphasize what you have!
A blended smoky/bronze eye works well for this shape eye.If eyes are big, more roundish and quite prominent you can use matte & darker shades especially to the outer corners.
Border the eyes with dark contours and elongate by blending outwards making sure each colour is blended so the gradation is seamless. This will ensure the eye itself is noticed, and not just the makeup.
Emphasize the inner rim of the eyelid edge with dark eyeliner and smudge. Using a hard edge line will only emphasize the roundness.
Don't set any accents and don't highlight the middle of the eye.
Apply mascara to upper lashes only.
Don't tweeze brow line too thin.
Close set eyes: Aim is to make the eyes look more open and larger
Lighten the area between the nose with concealer.
Apply a light coloured, pearl eyeshadow to the inner two thirds of the lid to widen and brighten.
Shade the outer one third with a darker colour. A contrast of dark and light shadows makes your sockets seem deeper, so your eyes look larger.
Draw the contour line from the centre to the outside of the eye only.
Set accents in the inner corner of the eye.
For small eyes use a liner to create a winged flick on the top lash line making the eye seem wider.
White liner on the inner rim will make eyes appear larger and more open.
Wide set eyes: Aim is to make them appear in balance and closer.
Apply dark eyeshadow to the inner entire moveable eyelid up to the inner corner of the eye.
Draw contour line all around the eye , including the inner corner top and bottom to draw the eye inwards.
Set accents in the lower brow area, if at all.
Sagging, hooded lids: Aim is to set back the droopy lid and to detract attention from the eyelid by playing up your eyes other features.
Create some balance and play up the eyes other features.
Lighten the corner of eye with concealer and use a lighter/brighter matte eyeshadow in the inner corner top and bottom, this way you will see the colour as it doesn't get hidden by the heavy lid.
Use a darker, matte colour across the socket line to push them back and don't extend contour lines to the corner, but gradually shade them our 2 to 3 mm.
Blend a dark bronze outwards towards the lashes. Continue the colour to line the entire eyelid, defining the shape.
Define the inner rim then smudge liner underneath the lash line to soften.
Avoid all shimmering/frosty eyeshadow textures.
Apply a thick layer of mascara to lashes especially the upper lashes to lift the eyes.
False lashes will help to open the eye.
A straighter brow line with slight arch is complimentary.
Almond shaped eyes: Aim is to soften the almond shape
Use highlighting and defining products to flatter the eyes natural contours.
Use a lighter shade on the inner corner to create a more rounded shape.
Shade the outer corners outwards.Create a triangular shape on the lid and then soften it.
Line thicker the middle section of the eye top and bottom to create a more rounded effect to the eye if desired.
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