Create depth
This is probably my go-to hack to take my eyeshadow from looking drab to fab. All you have to do is use a slightly dark variation of purple/black/brown depending on the colour palette you're trying to recreate and darken your crease using a blending brush. TRUST ME! This one easy move will elevate your entire look and take it to the next level. If you don't have a blending brush you can easily do this with your fingers, and then clean up the extra product with concealer or an ear bud. If I'm creating a pink/red look I tend to use a complimentary shade like auburn or dark purple to darken my crease. If I'm using metallic as the base, then I tend to go with a black eyeshadow for the crease and if it's the day then I prefer using a brown shade to create the necessary depth I'm looking for.
Use a textured metallic shadow
For me, I love using a textured metallic eyeshadow to really bring out my eyes and give them that extra *oomph*. Having two perfectly blended eyes is a myth! Honestly no one has time for that. I literally use 1 base shadow (brown, red, pink - whatever your preference) and then go over it with a textured metallic one. The shine works wonders for hiding any bumps or lumps. You can just sweep your ring finger across your entire lid and voila! you're good to go! I absolutely love Huda Beauty's Rose Gold Palette £56, or Rs 5375 on Nykaa. The shades I use consistently are 24k (gold metallic), Angelic (perfect for a pink-look!) and Fling (if I'm creating a red-hot look!)
Build a base
If you really want your eyeshadow to last the whole night, then this is a hack you absolutely need to include in your routine. I've tried eyeshadow primers before and they are horrendous. Why? because I feel most of them are very sticky and just feel very heavy on your eyelid. Instead, I prep my eyes with a very small amount of moisturiser or an eye cream like the Estee Lauder Advanced Repair Eye Cream that has a much lighter gel-like texture. Once it's been completely absorbed into my skin, I use a tiny amount of concealer and even out the colour of my lids. This is especially important if like me you have dark circles or pigmentation around your eyes and this tiny little step prevents the final result from looking dull & really maximises the colour payoff. I then use an extremely light nude shadow (eg: Moondust from the Huda Beauty Palette or M.A.C Cosmetics' Rice paper) before applying my coloured eyeshadows. By following this simple step, you can be rest assured your eye make up is going to look just as dazzling and fresh 6 hours later as it does when you just put it on!
Left picture: I had just applied my make up Right picture: After 5 hours in park in the sun!
(not filtered!!)
Hope these easy tips helped make your next look shadow chic! Let me know what you think xx Farah