Eyeshadow

Fig #1: This is the most basic and common way of wearing eyeshadow. You will see this done on most celebrities. Only the younger ones deviate from this method because the light shadow on the lids tends to open up the eye and make it look larger (great for small eyes), and the darker shadow in the crease helps any "drooping" to recede. Place your light color under the eyebrow and on the eyelid. Put your medium shadow in the crease and blend up onto the browbone. Connect it in to the lid at the outer corner. Use your darkest shadow to line the eyes.

Fig #2: I see this simple method often in fashion magazines. Sometimes I see a fairly light shadow used on the lid. The lightest shadow is applied under the eyebrow. The medium shadow is applied to the lid and crease area and sometimes also up onto the browbone and extended a bit at the outer corner of the eye. The dark shadow is used as liner. This design helps round eyes to look more almond shaped. Large eyes can look especially good done this way, but many eye types can wear this look. Pass on this one if you have small eyes.

Fig #3: This is great for making close set eyes look wider, but can also look great on normally spaced eyes. Avoid this look if you have wide set eyes. Place your light shadow all over the eyelid and browbone. Apply the medium shadow to the outer third of the eyelid in a sideways triangle shape, in the outer half of the crease, and also bring it under just the outer third of the lower lashes. The dark shadow is used as linThere are many variations you can do with these basic patterns:

-Liner is always optional. Also experiment with both medium and dark shadows for eye lining.
-You can also add some of the dark shadow in a sideways "V" shape at the outer corner of the eye (See Fig #4) to any of these three designs for additional depth and drama. This is also great for widening close set eyes, and a great way to turn your daytime look into an evening one.
-Fig #4 can also be a clean and simple eyeshadow design on its own. Use a light shadow all over the eyelid and browbone, then use a medium or dark shadow for the sideways "V" at the outer corner. Use the same shadow or a darker one to line your eyes. This look is great for elongating round eyes. Skip this one if you have wide set eyes.
-You can use a dark shadow in place of the medium shadow with any of these designs for a dramatic evening look. Just make sure you apply it very carefully with a brush, since dark shadows can be difficult to blend. This can be a difficult look to wear. It is easiest to get away with on figs #3 & #4, because the shadow covers a smaller area. You may even be able to wear these two with darker shadows in the daytime (I do! with Revlon's Midnight Wine). On figs #1,#3 & #4, you could additionally substitute a medium shadow in place of the light shadow on the lid.
-An additional option for fig #1 is to substitute the light color on the lid with a 4th color a shade in- between the highlight under the eyebrow and your medium shadow in the crease.
-Another variation on fig #2 is to add a little dark shadow only in the contour or "hollow" of the crease. This can also be difficult to blend and keep from looking obvious, but some eyelid shapes can use the extra contouring effect (such as with protruding eyes).
-You can also vary the look by how far you extend the shadow from the crease onto the browbone and out at the outer corner of the eye. The higher and further out the shadow, the more formal and dramatic it will appear. For a more natural look, keep the shadow confined to just the contour of the crease (or just the eyelid on fig #2), and try not to blend it up onto the browbone very much. Some women have very little space between the crease and eyebrow and will only have room to apply the crease shadow one way.
-If your eyes are close set, don’t place shading right near the nose. Leave a space. Extend the shadow out a bit at the outer corner of the eye. If you are doing fig #1 or #2, apply the medium shadow heavier on the outer half of the eye. Also make sure you highlight the inner corners of your eyes with concealer to give the illusion of space.
-If your eyes are wide set, extend the shadow in all the way to the side of the nose and don’t extend your shadow past the outer corner of the eye.
-For Asian Eyes, Fig #2 works well, and you can also add a darker shadow on the lower 1/4 of the upper lid by the lashes. Another option is to use a lighter shadow on the inner two thirds of the eye (a light or medium color), and a darker shadow on the outer third of the eye (a medium or dark color). Still apply highlighter just under the eyebrow. This can look very pretty done with two medium shadows of the same shade, in slightly different depths. Just make sure you go with the natural shape of your eyelid. Avoid anything complicated or that tries to give the illusion of a crease.

If your eyes are small or deep set, you may have to be careful about how dark you go with your shadows. You may have to keep your medium shadow towards the light side to keep the eye from appearing "closed in" and smaller. Experiment. Sometimes deep set eyes can look great in a variety of looks.

Eyeliner: I recommend applying eyeshadow over pencil. It lasts all day, it is easier to control than liquid, and the combination makes the color nice and dark. You can get that nice smudged look or apply the shadow with a tiny, fine brush or a square-shaped brush and make a sharp line. I suggest you just get a black or dark brown eye pencil and then you can use it under any color shadow you choose to line your eyes with. Make sure the pencil is soft enough so it goes on easily and does not stretch or irritate your skin. There are plenty of nice and soft inexpensive pencils, so don’t settle for anything less!

If your eye pencil does not go on well and pulls at your skin, try applying it before you apply any powders to your eyelids. If your pencil is going on too greasy, apply your pencil and shadow liner after your eyeshadow.

Experiment with wearing eyeshadow without any liner, liner without any eyeshadow, and try them together.

Experiment with both medium and dark shadows for liner. You can also wear them both at once. Use a medium shadow to make a thick, soft line all the way around the eye. Then use a dark shadow for accent on just the upper lid, the outer third of the upper lid, the outer third of the eye (both top and bottom), or make a very thin dark line close to the lashes or dot dark pencil between the lashes.

With your almond eye shape, what part of the eye you line is just personal preference. However, don’t line the lower lid without lining the upper lid. You can line just the outer third of the lower lid or extend it along the entire lash line. I am not a fan of lining the lower lid, I prefer to line just the top. I feel it visually "lifts" everything upwards, while liner on the bottom tends to "drag" things down. On my round eyes, lining both top and bottom emphasizes their round shape. I prefer how just lining the top and extending the line slightly past the eye, makes them look more almond shaped. I think I also have an aversion to liner on the lower lid because it looks so"80’s" to me. I also feel it can have a tendency to look "harsh."

For a more natural look on the lower lashes, dot pencil between your lashes instead of drawing a line under them. You can also draw a finer line on the bottom, apply the color more lightly than on the top, smudge it well, or use a lighter color than on the top.

If you have large eyes, then you can wear liner all the way around the eye and it will look good.
If your eyes are small, don’t line them all the way around. It will make them look smaller and "closed in." Just do the top lid, or at least leave a little space between the inner corner of the eye and where the lower lashes start. Also try skipping liner entirely to "open up" the eye.
If your eyes are close set, don’t bring any of your liner all the way to the inside corner. Extend it slightly past the outer edge of the eye.
If your eyes are wide set, you can bring your liner all the way to the inner corner of the eye. Don't extend it past the eye at the outer corner.
Deep set eyes can look either too small with liner all the way around, or it can make them really stand out. Just give both a try.
If you have protruding eyes, definitely experiment with liner, it will help your eyes to recede. Mine protrude, and I find that a thick, smudged line does the trick.
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