After years of being relegated to the deepest recesses of makeup kits, eyeshadows are back – with a vengeance. Only this time, the application is more natural and not as raccoon-dark as the eyeshadows of the ‘80s. There is also great flexibility in color choices, unlike in the past when there was always a “season favorite.”

Why is eyeshadow used at all?

Colors are used to soften or intensify the eyes, create a particular mood, or even alter your eye shape. Eyeshadow also “opens up” your eyes somewhat, drawing attention to them, much as lipstick is sometimes used to draw attention to the lips.

Types of eyeshadow

Powder. This is heavily pigmented and will instantly leave on color at first application. Powder eyeshadow can either be shimmery, containing mica particles that give off shine or matte, which has a sheer texture. You can use a small sponge to put on the color before using a brush for blending. This prevents eyeshadow powder from falling onto your face during application.

Cream or liquid. This is a bit harder to apply and blend, but it can be properly done with practice. High-quality cream eyeshadow should be selected and carefully blended so it won’t clump or get stuck in the creases of the lids.

This is often used for single or up to a double-color application only. Using three or more colors in cream form may give you a grayish mess. This also happens if you use it with an extremely soft or creamy eyeliner. Some people find it better to blend cream eyeshadow with their fingertips, followed by a small piece of clean sponge.

Eyeshadow techniques for various eye shapes

Large, wide-set eyes. To make the eyes appear closer together, don’t apply dark eyeshadow near your nose – this looks too obvious. Instead, use the crease as a guide and draw your shading line there, near the inner corner of the eyes. Don’t extend the eyeshadow beyond the outer border as this may make your eyes look wider apart.In addition, don’t add white or any frosted eyeshadow to the inner corners of the eyes.

Asian eyes. Usually, women with these eyes want to create an eyefold where there isn’t. To create this illusion, put on bright, frosted eyeshadow above and on the eye crease. This should take about a third of the space between your eyebrows and your eyelashes. Note that this is only effective if your eyelids are still firm and not saggy.

Protruding eyes. The bulge has to be minimized, and to do this, use matte eyeshadow rather than a shiny one for your base color. Blend the contouring in the crease midway down the lashes. It’s also recommended that you curl your lashes each time.

Small eyes. To make them look bigger, apply a shimmery base color over the entire surface of the mobile lid, use an iridescent hue right below the eyebrow, at the outer corner, and in the inside corner. To make your eyes look longer, use black eyeliner for the upper eyelid and extend it up and outward a bit.

Mature eyes. To give your eyes a lift, restrict color to above your upper lid and keep the lower lid, plus the sides, free of base eyeshadow which can make the eyes droop all the more. For a softer look, use gray or brown mascara rather than black.

As a final note, don’t just follow the trends – use only eyeshadow colors that match your skin tone. You can also look closely at the tiny specks in your eyes. Pick a color from those and look for eyeshadow in that color – it’s guaranteed to draw out the beauty in your eyes.