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

Natural eye makeup never goes out of style. Let your makeup look do the talking for the remainder of summer by wearing just the bare necessities. What does that mean? It’s time to play up your features with a series of gray, taupe, gold, brown, olive, burnt orange, and nude eye shadow shades, so you can embrace a natural makeup look that’s totally on-trend. One take on this trend is a natural smokey eye, but for today, let’s focus on something slightly more subtle.

Ready to rock a seasonally appropriate, au naturel eye makeup look? Below, we share how to apply a natural eyeshadow look. So, grab your eyeshadow palette and follow along! (P.S. While we acknowledged this look is great for summer, it’s definitely one natural look you can rock all year long!)

HOW TO APPLY EYESHADOW FOR A NATURAL EYE MAKEUP LOOK

How you should apply eyeshadow for a natural look will differ depending on your skin tone. Read on for three separate natural eyeshadow looks based on skin tone.

NATURAL 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 Infallible Full Wear Concealer Waterproof, Full Coverage to help create an even canvas for your eye shadow application.

STEP 2: APPLY TAUPE EYE SHADOW

Before we dive into eye shadow, you’ll want to get your hands on a natural eyeshadow palette, like the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Enchanted Scented Eyeshadow Palette. To add the faintest wash of color to your lids, swipe the light to medium brown 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 lightest shade from the palette 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 EYE MAKEUP FOR MEDIUM OR OLIVE SKIN

Does your skin fall into the medium or olive range? In that case, read the following natural 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 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. Make sure to blend any harsh lines between your lid and crease!

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. Keep the line thin to maintain your natural look. 

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 natural finish foundation, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation, Lightweight, 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.