The Golden Rules of Eyeshadow

  So I have this friend. I've known this friend since I was 15, and even though we go long periods of time not talking, when we get together we always have a laugh. However in recent months said friend has taken to wearing garish shades all over her eyelids. Now I'm not criticising wanting to use bright colours, in fact if you're one of those people then all power to you. However I do have an issue when you girls decide to just slap a colour on your eyes and go.

  Every girl should know that make up is an art. You can go ahead and think of your face as a canvas, but girls we are not practicing any of that modernism or surrealism stuff. I personally believe less is more, and advocate minimalism when possible. However, if you're daring enough to pick out a bright blue or baby pink eyeshadow, I must press upon you some serious advice. These aren't the only things you need to know, but it's a good start. So here goes.

Rimmel London, Glam'Eyes
Quad Eyeshadow (6.99 each)

1) Pick a colour/palette and stick to it- so you wake up in the morning and reach for the neon green sitting at the bottom of your make up bag. Don't be also reaching for the equally offensive shade of orange next to it! You're already going to be looking like a lime Starburst, why go confusing everyone! If any of you are confused, Rimmel and Revlon do some really good palettes where all the colours you need for a look are there in one set.

2) Always throw in a darker colour- and by dark I mean grey, black or a darker shade of your main colour. Don't be throwing a dark purple with a light green. The lightest colour should always be inwards, and fade outwards to a darker shade. Don't just use one colour only, it looks like you put no effort in.

Urban Decay, Long Lasting
Primer Potion (£16)

3) Primer- I cannot stress how important this is. Priming your eyes doesn't just set a foundation which keeps your make up set for longer. Primer is kinda the same shade as your skin, so I use it as a guideline once it's on to know how far up the eye lid I need to put the eyeshadow. Think of it as colouring inside the lines.

Urban Decay, Naked 2 (£39)

4) Don't be cheap- As I said earlier, make up is like art. If you're painting, you won't want to go to Asda when you could be getting your paint from Hobbycraft or a specialist art shop. So why do the same with your make up? Better quality brands may be more expensive, but consider them an investment. Also, read reviews before you buy. It will save you a lot of time and money. My go to brand is Urban Decay, extremely pricey (one colour sets you back £14) but superior in quality and long lasting. The shades I use personally aren't the brightest, but if you visit their website they have all kinds of crazy colours.

Left: Urban Decay, Gunmetal (£14)
Right: Urban Decay, Snakebite (£14)

5) The Golden Rule, Blending- Great so you managed to fit all your colours on, now what? You can't be going out there looking like you have rainbows on your lids. Blending is my number one rule. I remember being reluctant at first because I was scared all the colours would blur into one, but it did nothing of the kind. Blending smoothes it all out and you see one colour blend seamlessly into the next. If I can see a definitive line in your handiwork, it's not on.