Cheat Sheet Beauty : 3-Step Eyes
Today : I'm working some cheat-sheet magic onto some of my favourite eye looks. Get your liner/mascara/shadow-brushes at the ready and blend, blend, blend!
3-STEP BRONZED LIDS : MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked + KIKO Long-Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in Golden Brown + RMK Crayon and Powder Eyes in Bronze*. Use a fluff brush to dust a light bronze shadow over the lids. Then pick a darker and more pigmented product to work into the crease and outer corner - an eyeshadow pencil works best here. Use the brush to blend the two, before lightly smudging the pencil along the lower lash line. Finally dust a loose glitter shadow over the crease and onto the brow bone before once again, lightly lining beneath the eye. Et voila, bronzed eyes a la Olsen!
3-STEP METALLIC WASH : Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer + MAC Pigment in Rose + Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Sand Gold. A party-perfect look which defined the catwalk last season, but which despite the simplicity, requires skill and precision. Use of an eyeshadow primer is vital to ensure that the look lasts all day/night long without ending up scattered across your cheekbones. Apply generously and allow a few seconds before adding your main wash of colour. A high-quality product will have the best results here - MAC's loose pigments are incredibly finely milled and contain ingredients which adhere the product to the skin. Use your fingertip or a brush with densely packed bristles to apply. Define the crease and lash-line (both top and bottom) with an eyeshadow pencil in a colour which compliments the pigment.
3-STEP VOLUMINOUS LASHES : Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers + L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara + L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara. Use a high-quality lash curler with a light pumping action to give your lashes that vital natural lift. Spending at least 30 seconds on each eye will result in a long-lasting and noticeably lifted effect. Use a mascara aimed at volumising to apply a first coat of mascara to the top lashes only. Gently wiggle the wand from the roots of the lashes to the tips. Once dry, apply a second coat of mascara with a product more focussed upon lengthening the lashes - concentrate it upon the outer lashes, top and bottom.
3-STEP BOLD BROW : Miss Sporty Clear Mascara + Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow Palette + Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown. Use a clear mascara to gently brush your brows upwards and outwards. This helps to define their natural shape as well as create the illusion of fuller thicker brows, and will keep them in place. Allow the gel to set before using a light powder to fill in the ends of your brows - this will prevent them from appearing too heavy and thickset. Build definition by using a pomade, which will result in a natural but bold look which will last. Start in the centre of the brow with short delicate strokes, following the direction of hair growth. Work the product outwards so as to avoid creating overly heavy brows.
3-STEP EASY EYESHADOW : Clinique All About Shadow Eyeshadow in Black Honey + Zoeva 231 Petit Crease Brush* + Zoeva 227 Soft Definer Brush*. Select a warm neutral shade and apply a single sheer application across the lid. Take a dedicated crease brush (the best will have densely packed bristles and a tapered end) and work a heavier and more pigmented layer of the product into the crease and outer corner of the lid. Finally select a softer, fluffier brush and lightly blend the product so as to create an ombre effect across the lid.
3-STEP CAT-EYE LINER : A La Carte Stay Put Eyeliner Pen* + Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Eye Pencil + L'Oreal Super Liner Blockbuster Intense. Use a fine-tipped felt-tip liner to work pigment in between the roots of the lashes and onto the waterline for a subtle defining effect. Next take a well-sharpened pencil liner and lightly sketch out the shape you wish your eyeliner to take. As a rough guide start from the centre of the eye and take the flick out before following the curve of the lid down. Once perfected, use a thick-tipped felt-tip liner to trace over this line. Use the tip to extend the line to the inner corner of the eye, and the side of the pen to create a thicker line on the outer portion of the lid.
3-STEP BRIGHT EYES : Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in Tisse Mademoiselle (medium/matte shade) + Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in Tisse Mademoiselle (lightest shade) + Rimmel Kohl Liner in Nude. An eyeshadow palette or duo works best for this look, but as a rule select one dark matte shade, and one pale iridescent shade. Dust the matte product over the entire lid before dabbing the lighter one onto the centre - blend it out slightly so as to avoid harsh lines, and create a natural, sculpted effect. Dot a little of the lightest shade into the inner corner of the eye, before lining the waterline with a nude liner.
For more eye makeup tips, check out my Beginner's Guide to Eyeshadow on A Little Opulent.
What are your go-to eye looks in three steps?
G x
To stay updated on future posts you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin.
*PR sample