The Easy Eye Shadow Tutorial for Beginners

There’s no doubt about it—playing with makeup is a ton of a fun. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t intimidating and challenging when you’re just starting out. Eye shadow in particular can be a source of much frustration, especially when you start attempting to incorporate multiple shades and brushes into the mix. Don’t shy away just yet—with the right lineup of products and a solid how-to, there’s no reason eye shadow application has to be a harrowing experience. Try this extremely easy eye shadow tutorial to help easy your makeup difficulties. Beginners—this one’s for you!

Eye Shadow Tutorial 101: What You’ll Need

Grab these eye makeup basics, then get to work!

Eye shadow primer: If you want to help ensure your makeup look lasts, you’ll need an eye makeup primer that locks everything in place. (Learn more about the importance of primers here.)

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Pocket Palette Eye Shadow: Half the battle in managing to apply more than one shade of eye shadow is actually picking colors that work well together. Rather than struggling to find four complementary colors, stick with a palette that does the heavy lifting for you. These compact eye shadow quads come in eight different color combos, ranging from neutral to bold. With a mix of finishes and shades that blend smoothly, the best thing about the palettes are the directions on the back. Expertly broken down for beginners, you’ll find instructions detailing the best spots to place each color. No guess work necessary!

Shading brush: It’s perfect for picking up pigmented products and applying shadow to larger areas.

Blending brush: Who wants harsh lines and edges? Buff them away with a soft, tapered brush.

Pencil brush: The small head of a pencil brush is just right for placing shadow in super-specific spots.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner in Black: This pencil eyeliner formula glides on like silk for a soft and luxurious line with long-lasting intensity.

L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara: Fulfill your lash desires with this mascara that offers the look of voluptuous volume and lush length.

How to Create an Easy Eye Look

Eye shadow looks can be total works of art, but you don’t have to be a masterful artist to manage exceptional application. Follow these simple steps to create a beginner’s eye look that’s seriously striking.

Step 1: Apply eye primer. To help keep your shadows from smudging and creasing throughout the day—all the while punching up their pigmentation—start with an eye shadow primer. Blend a thin layer of primer onto your lids and up to your brow bones.

Step 2: Brush on your base. The base color in the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Pocket Palette Eye Shadow is the very first shade. Using your shading brush, apply this light shadow all over your lids.

Step 3: Darken the outer and inner corners. Working clockwise, pick up the next color in the palette on your pencil brush. Add the darker shade to the outer and inner corners of your lids, creating two “V” shapes. Don’t worry if it looks a little messy—we’ll get to blending soon!

Step 5: Define your crease. To enhance the shape of your eyes, continue a small amount of your second shade into the crease of your eyelids.

Step 4: Blend, blend, blend. Blending can help solve all your eye shadow problems. Take a blending brush and blur the edges between the two eye shadows you’ve used so far. Since the palette contains colors that are meant to work together, they should blend together seamlessly. Employ a “windshield wiper” motion with your brush to effortlessly smooth any harsh lines.

Step 5: Highlight the center. Wipe off your shading brush and pack it with the third shade in your palette, which is meant for highlighting. Place the color just on the centers of your lids, where the light would naturally hit.

Step 6: Use eye shadow as liner. Your final color is also your darkest shade, making it perfect for using as a makeshift eyeliner. Dip your pencil brush into the color and smudge the shadow right up against your lashline.

Step 7: Tightline your eyes. While eye shadow absolutely can be used as eyeliner, it can’t do everything. To make your lashes appear thicker and more intense, you’ll want to apply an actual liner to your waterline. The L’Oréal Paris Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner in Black is smooth and soft enough to glide on to this area. Gently pull up on your eyeliner to reveal your upper waterline, and carefully apply the liner directly to the base of your lashes. Ta-da, you just tightlined.

Step 8: Sweep on mascara. Almost finished! No eye look is complete without a dose of mascara. Place the brush of the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara at the bottom of your lashes and gently pull the brush upwards, to the tips. Now enjoy your feathery-soft fringe.

Ready to move on from beginner to intermediate? Check out our tutorial, How to Wear Metallic Eye Shadow This Summer, for another super-cool eye shadow tutorial.