It is a common misconception that applying eyeshadow is the easiest part of eye makeup. This has actually cost many individuals when they’ve not paid attention to the correct techniques of eyeshadow application and ended up with patchy and poorly blended shades that spread beyond their eyelid. But luckily for makeup enthusiasts, it isn’t the most difficult thing either.

Before you begin to apply eye makeup, it is important to understand a few things, such as your undertones, preferences, and eye color, and in some cases, the occasion.

Also, having right eye makeup brushes is necessary since without them you cannot achieve the seamless look you’re after. This doesn’t mean that you have to invest in thousands of brushes, especially when being a beginner makes it quite tough to figure them out as well. So it is best to begin with, some generic, yet good-quality brushes, and a basic eyeshadow palette. Once you have the tools, you can follow these eyeshadow application tips for beginners to get the makeup look you desire.

1. Begin with good makeup brushes
This is one of the major reasons why most of the popular makeup artists don’t believe in using fingers to apply eyeshadows. This won’t give you the kind of precision you need as you cannot see what you’re doing very well if you use fingers. The proper tools can truly be the difference between a bad and a good eyeshadow application. Even if you don’t want to invest in expensive brushes, you can opt for brands that don’t burn a hole in your pocket and get at least a couple of different brushes to let yourself experiment properly. Eye makeup brushes not only help in proper pigment deposition and distribution of the makeup but also help in the seamless blending of the colors.

2. Apply concealer as base
Eye primers are quite expensive and concealers can be a great substitute for the same. Unless your eye makeup is being applied for a big occasion or your work demands it, you can probably work with concealer in place of eye primer. Begin with applying concealer as it helps in smoothing out the fine lines, makes a smooth base for eyeshadow application, and helps to hold on to the colors. Also, using them helps the eye makeup to popup, and looks vibrant as well.

3. Put a base eyeshadow on the eyelid
With the help of eyeshadow brush, simply sweep some of your preferred base colors on to your eyelid. The base eyeshadow needs to be a neutral shade one tone lighter than the colors you will be applying later on. Based on the look you want to achieve you can, you can even bring up the color to the brow bone so that you can get that perfect and dramatic smokey eyes. Alternatively, if you want a basic look you can stop right at the crease.

4. Apply darker shades in the crease
The dark colors tend to attract light hence putting a darker eyeshadow in the crease helps in making the eyes pop, and also adds extra depth and dimension to it. Make sure to blend the darker shades properly to not make it look like a bruise or a mark. Also, do not use too much of this color at first but gently build up to the consistency and amount you want.