How to Apply Natural-Looking Eye Shadow: The Complete Tutorial

What better time to play up natural-looking eye makeup than during the winter? While you may be bundling up in layers of clothes, you can let your makeup look do the opposite by wearing just the bare necessities. When you play up your natural features with a series of gray, taupe, gold, brown, olive, and burnt orange eye shadow shades, you can embrace a natural makeup look that’s totally on trend. Ready to rock a seasonally appropriate, au naturel eye makeup look? Below, we share how to apply eyeshadow for a natural eye makeup look. And note that while this eye makeup look is great for winter, you can rock it all year long!

HOW TO APPLY EYESHADOW FOR A NATURAL EYE MAKEUP LOOK—BASED ON YOUR SKIN TONE

How to apply eyeshadow for a natural look will differ based on your skin tone. Read on for three separate tutorials broken down by skin tone.

NATURAL-LOOKING EYE MAKEUP FOR LIGHT SKIN

If your skin is on the fair to light side, follow the eye makeup tutorial below to learn how to apply eyeshadow for a natural-looking makeup look that utilizes light eye shadow shades and brown eyeliner.

STEP 1: APPLY EYE PRIMER

Eye primer is essential for any eye makeup look, including natural eye makeup. No eye primer on hand? No problem! Just apply a dab of the L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Super-Blendable Multi-Use Concealer to help create an even canvas for your eye shadow application.

STEP 2: APPLY TAUPE EYE SHADOW

To add the faintest wash of color to your lids, swipe the L’Oréal Paris Colour Rich Monos Eye Shadow in Mix and Matte or Pain Au Chocolat from your lash line up to your crease. Since this is supposed to add just enough natural-looking color, you don’t want to extend either eye shadow beyond the upper edge of your crease. What’s more, you don’t want to apply eye shadow so heavily that it creates a harsh line of demarcation. For that reason, it’s best to apply your eye shadow with a fluffy blending brush, as you can use it to gently swipe on color without creating lines.

STEP 3: ADD DIMENSION FOR BRIGHT EYES

One of the easiest ways to create the appearance of wide-open eyes is to apply a light shimmery eye shadow to the center of your lid, directly over your pupil. To get the look, apply the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in Paris Beach with a tapered blending brush so that it won’t stray all over your lid.

STEP 4: SHAPE EYES WITH EYELINER

Instead of drawing on a harsh and unnatural-looking black line, use the L’Oréal Paris Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner in Brown to line your eyes. To keep your eyeliner natural-looking, apply it close to your upper lash line and leave your lower lash line bare.

STEP 5: FINISH WITH MASCARA

Again, instead of reaching for black mascara, try using the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara in Black Brown for a set of lashes that look naturally full.

NATURAL-LOOKING EYE MAKEUP FOR MEDIUM OR OLIVE SKIN

Does your skin fall into the medium or olive range? In that case, read the following natural-looking eye makeup tutorial to learn how to apply eyeshadow for your beautifully bronze skin tone.

STEP 1: START WITH EYE PRIMER

A tiny bit of eye primer or concealer can help make it easier to apply eye shadow. So, regardless of your skin tone or the type of eye makeup look you’re trying to achieve, this should be the first step in your eye makeup routine.

STEP 2: APPLY OLIVE EYE SHADOW

A soft, shimmery olive color looks beautiful and natural when paired with an olive or medium skin tone. To get the look, start off by applying a very thin wash of olive green eye shadow, like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in Green Promenade, to your lid between your lash line and crease. Next, add dimension to your eye by darkening your crease with the same eye shadow. Make sure to blend in-between with a fluffy brush for a more natural-looking fade.

STEP 3: LINE YOUR UPPER LASH LINE IN OLIVE

A thin line of green eyeliner can help define your eyes just enough that they’ll really pop. Use the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner in Forest Green.

STEP 4: …AND YOUR LOWER LASH LINE IN GOLD

Tracing your lower lash line in a gold eyeliner, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner in Gold, can help brighten the appearance of your eyes.

STEP 5: FINISH WITH MASCARA

Since you have slightly darker skin, you can get away with black mascara while still looking natural. To coat your lashes to perfection, pick up a tube of the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara in Black and get to work.

NATURAL-LOOKING EYE MAKEUP FOR DEEP SKIN

Darker skin tones look particularly stunning in brick eye shadow shades. Try the following natural-looking eye makeup tutorial for your best look yet.

STEP 1: PRIME THOSE LIDS, LADIES

Want an eye makeup look that wears more evenly? Using an eye primer will help with exactly that, so don’t skip this step.

STEP 2: APPLY A BURNT ORANGE EYE SHADOW

Darker lids look gorgeous dusted with rich brick colors, like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in Matte-ison Avenue or Acro-Matte. Confine the eye shadow of your choice to your lids and you’ll have a beautiful, earthy, natural-looking eye makeup look on your hands.

STEP 3: CREATE DIMENSION.

Use a tapered blending brush to apply a light brown eye shadow to the center of your lids.

STEP 4: LINE YOUR LIDS TO PERFECTION

It’s time to break out the liquid eyeliner! Simply trace the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Liquid Eyeliner in Black from your inner corner out to the edge of your lash line.

STEP 5: FINISH WITH MASCARA

Reach for your darkest mascara to emphasize your lashes and top off your natural-looking eye makeup look. A few swipes of the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara in Blackest Black will do the trick.

THE BEST MAKEUP TO PAIR WITH NATURAL-LOOKING EYE MAKEUP

Since you’re sticking with a natural eye makeup look, you should keep the rest of your makeup natural-looking, too. Use a matte foundation, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation, for a flawless finish, and apply a quick coat of nude lipstick. Be sure to check out our article, How to Find the Right Nude Lipstick For Your Skin Tone, to find your perfect match.

Now that you know how to apply eyeshadow for a natural-looking eye makeup look, why not try a look on the opposite side of the spectrum? Here’s How to Pull Off Dramatic Eye Makeup.