The holidays are a perfect time to rock a glam eye with some sparkle and color. I'm introducing both to you here.
Let's get right into it, shall we?
Skip putting on your base and foundation right now. Anytime you are using dark colors or shadows with potential for fall out you will want to forgo your base and foundation until after you've applied your eye makeup. This will eliminate the need to reapply your face.
Start with an eye primer. This can be any sort of eyeshadow primer.
In this case I used MAC Paint Pot in Painterly to eliminate dark circles and give my lids a "clean slate".
Use this from lashes to eyebrows.
Create a dark grey base. I elected to use NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Black Bean as it offers even coverage and great control of the color. I can blend it down from it's super dark black into a muted dark to medium grey. This will go from lashes up to your crease (Where your lid folds. You can find your crease by opening your eye, the fold while your lid is open is the crease.)
Take a gold color now, and using a paddle brush, or larger angled brush (or your finger if you lack brushes) and apply to your lid, this should go from lashes to crease. Any gold will work, though, you'll want to go for a more vibrant gold over a muted frosty one.
Now, take a matte black (no sparkle or sheen) on a pencil brush (a small fluffy angled brush would work as well), and begin to work this along your crease, starting at your outer V (the "V" shaped portion of your eyelid where lashes end and your crease begins) and working inwards. Don't drag the black all the way down to your inner tear duct, it should gradually fade as it moves across your crease.
Using the same brush, take a golden brown (or a soft copper if you wish. You're wanting a reddish brown with golden undertones if possible), and begin to work this along the upper edge of the matte black. You'll want the two to blend into each other, but don't blend too hard or it will turn muddy. Follow the same line as the black, the brownish copper should be creating some depth.
Taking a very soft and light white gold, take this and apply it along the brow bone, blending gently into that golden brown just applied, using a fluffy blending brush.
Now this is part is up to you. It adds even more sparkle and glam to an already sexy glamorous eye. You can use eye primer, though I prefer to us LA Splash adhesive for this process....GLITTER!
Taking the primer or LA Splash adhesive (do NOT use anything other than recommended eye products for applying glitter to your lids!), apply a small amount to the ball of your lid.
Taking a cosmetically safe (this is important or you risk scratching your cornea or worse!) glitter in gold, apply over the primer/adhesive, dabbing gently, not swiping. Use your finger as it's easier to control the results and allows you better maneuverability.
Be sure to curl your lashes and apply your favorite mascara. Don't worry about lining the lower lash line. You want this to make your eyes shine and pop!
Apply a soft pinky blush, or if you are more darker in skin tone a soft berry. Use a pinkish nude lipstick and gloss, keeping the attention on your gorgeous eyes!
What sort of colors of eyeliner does a person use so it looks nice and soft, not so intense?
This was the original question, well, ad lib a bit of course.
To answer this, it really depends on your eyes, and the shape of them. Anyone can wear any color of eye liner, and any color of eyeliner can be toned down to appear softer, instead of a kohl rimmed eye that makes many of us think Vamp or Gothic.
The trick, when using the darker colors for lining is application. Lining along the water line (the rim of the bottom eyelid, ABOVE the lash line) is going to be pronounced and intense with black and dark browns. But there is a way to soften this! Smudging is one way. Taking either a smudger or soft small angled brush and "smudging" the liner so the line is not as defined. This can also be done to soften liner along the upper lash line as well, to gain the same effect.
But it's also important to keep in mind that hue and shade count! The darker the liner, the more intense the look. Many companies are now offering a wide array of the same sort of color, but in different hues and brightness. If you like the brown liners, but find that dark brown liner you have in your makeup drawer is just too much, even when you smudge it, perhaps it's time to hunt down a bit more lighter shade. Urban Decay (though a bit pricey for some of us) has a massive range of fantastic eyeliners and can be found at the local Ulta or Sephora. Last I checked they had at least 8 different shades of brown liners, all with various undertones and shades. And they aren't the only cosmetic company going this route.
