RUBY REVEALS | EVERYTHING EYESHADOW

CHOOSING EYESHADOW COLOUR

There are three categories when it comes to eyeshadow colour:

• Pale, highlight colours
• Mid-tones for basic lid work
• Stronger shades

At one point in time, people felt they had to use all three on their eyes, then monochrome eye-makeup started trending. These days, anything goes – there will be times when you want to draw attention to your eyes, and times when you don't.

INTRODUCING BRIGHTER SHADES 

It’s good to start with a neutral base colour (mid-tone) - beige, taupe, light brown, nude - and then apply a stronger colour in the crease over the top. To explore and experiment with colour, start just a touch - whether it be a thin stripe, a little in the corner or a wash of colour over the top. Build up the colour gradually and see if you like it. Some colours look vibrant in the palette but much more subtle once applied to the skin. It also depends on your application and how heavy-handed you are. The best thing about eye shadow is that you can put it on and take it off, you don't ever have to be stuck with something you don't like.

HIGHLIGHT

Highlight can either be matte, or slightly iridescent. It can be applied to the brow bone, all over the eyelid, or the inner corners to brighten the eyes. It's usually quite sheer so that it can be blended in, and built up, easily.

EYE SHADOW FORMULATIONS

There are various eye shadow formulations to play with, and each have a slightly different effect.

Pressed Powder – The most common type, usually coming in palettes. Pressed powder eyeshadows come in various finishes such as matte, satin, glitter and metallic.

Cream – Cream formulations are often easier to apply, effortlessly gliding on. They leave a lovely, glossy finish.

Loose Powder Pigments – These pack the most punch, providing the strongest colour. They can be applied sparingly to add an accent of shimmer or applied across the whole lid.

Liquid – Applied with a lip gloss-like wand, they make application more controlled vs a loose pigment.

Crayon - Great for on-the-go, they often come in pencil form and are easy to apply and blend out.

TOOLS

When working with powder, look for brushes made from either sable hair as the bristles are dense and thick, giving the best product distribution or synthetic hair. Technology has moved on in recent years making synthetic perfect for powders as well as creams.

If you're going to use more than one colour, avoid dipping the brush in and out of different shades, and go for more than one brush. Switching the same brush between multiple colours means you don’t get the true colour on your brush. Ideally, you’ll have one to deposit your mid-tones, one to apply your darker shades, and keep a clean one for highlighting.

The best eye shadow brushes are dome shaped (outside bristles shorter than the ones in the centre), as this shape is great for blending. Larger brushes are better for lighter shades because they cover a wider area, medium for the mid-tones, and smaller for darker tones and definition. 

If you only have one brush on hand, dip the brush into your loose powder in between shades as it allows you to blend without adding any more colour. It’s also great for cleaning and smoothing around the edges.

APPLICATION

• If you find that your eye makeup doesn’t usually last, or you have oily eyelids, opt for a primer before you apply colour.
• Take your colour on to the brush, and dust off any excess. Instead of closing your eyes, look straight ahead, and with one smooth movement let the brush sweep freely along the crease of the eye, starting on the outer corner.
• You can either start with base colour first, whether it be light or mid-tone, and then apply the definition, or, if you find you can be quite heavy-handed with application, do this the opposite way round. Put your darker colour on first, and then use your mid-tone or highlighter to blend it out.
• Keep the darkest point at the lash line for sultry definition.
• When it comes to eyes, blend, blend, blend is really the key. When you think you’ve blended enough, blend some more.
• To avoid sharp lines where one colour starts and another finishes, you want to blend inwards to soften the edges. Always finish off under the eye with a light or mid-tone, otherwise it will look top heavy.

Ruby’s top tip: Keep a pot of q-tips dipped into translucent powder handy, they are a great for softening any hard edges and wiping away mistakes.