Almost all eyeshadow follows one structure. Learn it once, then change where the shades go depending on your eye shape.

The structure

Three shades doing three jobs:

  • A light shade across the whole lid, and under the brow. Brightens
  • A mid shade in the crease. Creates depth
  • A dark shade in the outer corner. Defines

Blend where they meet. Ninety percent of good eyeshadow is blending; the shades themselves matter less than people think.

Adjusting for shape

Round eyes. Concentrate the dark shade at the outer corner and pull it slightly outward rather than upward. This lengthens rather than deepens.

Almond eyes. The standard placement works as described. Little adjustment needed.

Close-set eyes. Keep the light shade in the inner corner and push the dark shade further out. Darkness near the nose pulls the eyes visually closer together.

Wide-set eyes. The reverse — bring some of the mid shade toward the inner corner.

Hooded eyes. Apply the crease shade with your eye open, placing it slightly above your natural crease so it stays visible. Shadow placed in the hidden crease disappears entirely when you open your eye.

Downturned eyes. Lift the outer placement upward toward the tail of the brow instead of following the natural downward line.

The technique points that matter

  • Build gradually. Less product, more layers. Getting shadow off is harder than putting it on
  • Blend with a clean brush. A brush loaded with colour cannot soften an edge
  • Small circles at the boundaries, not sweeping motions across the whole lid
  • Prime the lid, or use a little base product set with powder. Eyelids are oily and shadow creases without it

The mistakes

Too much dark shade too early is the main one. Start with the mid shade, and only add dark once the shape is established.

Sharp edges are the second. If there is a line where two shades meet, keep blending.

Choosing colours

Neutrals — browns, taupes, soft greys — suit everyone and are what most people wear most days. Colour is for when you want the eyes to be the feature.

For which shades suit specific eye colours, the makeup section has pieces on blue, brown, green and grey eyes.