Your eyes are arguably one of your strongest assets. They’re the “windows to the soul”, after all. The more reason you should brush up on your eye shadows skills and give your lids some extra attention. But applying eye shadow can be a tricky task. What are all those different sections of a palette for? what type of brush should I use? Luckily, the whole shadow game doesn’t have to be a headache. So let’s go back to the basics.

Below are the ten golden rules for eye shadow:

Always take care of your tools

Cleaning your eye shadow brushes is probably at the very bottom of your to-do list, however, it is very important. We are talking about your eyes, so cleanliness is the key. Run your brush under lukewarm water and then pour a nickel-sized amount of baby shampoo in your hand, rinse well and pat dry with a clean cloth.

Always use primer

An eye shadow primer creates a clean canvas for you to work with, and it acts as a barrier between your eye shadow and the natural oils in your skin. That way, your makeup stays put so you can keep touch-ups to a minimum.

Know your eye shape

Considering your eye colour is a given, but also take into account your eye shape. Have you got a deep-set eyes? Hooded?or Close-set? Determining the shape of your eye helps you decide which shading technique is right for your specific featutres and plays up your natural beauty.

Decode your palette

You might be tempted to open an eye shadow palette and just have at it, but it’s important to know which sections correspond to each part of your eye. There’s a method to all this palettes out there, but here’s a general breakdown of your basic eye shadow quad palette: the lightest colour, second lightest, second darkest and darkest colour.

Choose your formula wisely

pressed eye shadows are your basic, most common formula. They’re great, mess-free option. Cream shadows are perfect if you want a dewy sheen, but they can crease easily-especially if you have oily lids. Loose shadows usually come in a small pot, and you’ll feel like a professional makeup artist using them. But they are definitely the messiest of the three.

Avoid a monchrome look

A deep plum eye shadow looks gorgeous on its own, but once you add a plum lip and a purple sweatshirt? Things are bound to get matchy-matchy. Don’t be afraid to go bold, but just make sure your overall look has balance.

Always Blend accurately

I can’t stress this enough. Blending your edges is the different between your eye shadow looking flawless and looking like, like a hot mess. Please don’t smear, Use a light touch and gently sweep your brush along your lid, blending harsh lines. To blend like a pro, you need the right brushes

Invest in the the right brushes for eye shadow

There are so many eye shadow brushes out there in every shadow brushes out there in every shape and size, it can get confusing. But here are the three major ones you should own.
Basic eye shadow brush: The bristle are flat and stiff, and you use this for all-over colour
Blending brush: The bristles are soft and fluffier foe seamless blending
Angled eye shadow brush: This is a precision brush that is perfect for applying your liner colour above your lash line