Whenever I’m working with more than a few colors (which is basically always, let’s be real!), I’ve found that the three biggest takeaways are: cleaner brushes (sometimes just a clean brush solely to diffuse colors together is absolutely necessary), building up more slowly for deeper shades (or anything harder to blend out later), and taking a step away from the mirror to ensure it’s blended but not over-blended.
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I start with a larger brush for lighter crease shades and make sure that with every shade that is darker I use a smaller brush. Then, to blend those darker colors I go back in with the previous brush I used with a lighter color. Then I clean off my largest brush as best I can and blend the edges out again.
I always have larger brushes on hand of varying degrees of stiffness for just straight blending. I never use these brushes to deposit colour.
I also have a couple of colour which I use which are very similar to my skintone if I feel my blend has gone too dark, or I’ve gone too high with my transition shade.
1.) Applying my browbone shade FIRST. Yes, I know how bizarre that must sound. But it’s been working for me for years. I apply MAC Orb eyeshadow or something similar in finish before I do my transition shade.
2.) A good, clean blending brush does most of the work for me.
3.) Patience! Getting a nice blended yet still defined edge takes patience, especially in the beginning of someone’s eyeshadow journey.
4.) Always take a look in a non-lighted mirror that’s a normal viewing distance away to see how things really look!
The main trick for me is good brushes, sometimes even a bad eyeshadows is made workable with a great blending brush. But there no magic, one brush, some looks or eyeshadows work with a stiffer blending brush, some with a very fluffy soft one.
The base also helps with blending. I’m always applying a good silicon primer and set it with powder, it helps me blend well even stiffer shadows. Also, there are base or transition shades that help blending darker shadows. For example, I use MAC Blanc Type as a base whenever an eyeshadow doesn’t blend well; and when the situation goes wrong, I know I can bring more neutral shades like MAC Haux or Omega, or even my contour shade to correct the blending of darker colors.
I also like to blend slowly and in steps, assessing the situation in the meantime.
Blending is one of the trickier elements for me, as I am usually applying eyeshadow with my glasses on.
Clean brushes are essential and a variety of them. I use a fluffy brush to deliver the all over the eye soft colour, a thin tapered brush for the darker shade nearest to my lash line and a medium kind of brush for the crease. Another fluffy brush is used to blend everything in.
I really like these questions because I learn so much from you all!
I’m no good at using multiple colors but I had to comment on your eye look. Those colors and placement are so GORGEOUS!! I only wish I could duplicate something half that beautiful!
I think I struggle with blending techniques in a few ways.
First of all, most youtubers constantly say blend-blend-blend and they do, but often when they are trying/reviewing a new palette they blend, and blend, and ultimately the whole eye looks like one homogeneous and sometimes muddy shade with vague deeper layers in the crease or outer V.
What I like is how well you work with the colours to really show each shade you test in your looks. Your shadow never looks muddy–but very precise, and for your reviews on this platform, I think that is imperative.
However, when I try to do what you do, it looks like I forgot a step and you can’t see the rest of my face for my eyes!
Ergo, I blend, and blend and blend…. LOL.
Seriously tho, I start at my crease in a very neutral shade with a fluffy brush and blend all over the lid (this is also to prevent the creasing that is increasingly hard to prevent as I get older). I have an assortment of sizes of stiffer brushes and crease brushes, that I use for depositing colour; then I blend again.
I also have sponge tips which I love for glimmer/metallic shadows (less fallout and more impact I find) and silicone ones–but I find the silicone ones tend to destroy the shadow pan more and are harder to use than sponge tips.
I also use my finger a lot, for the lid especially–but that’s depositing, not blending.
Where can I find the breakdown for this eye look, please? Thanks in advance.
https://www.temptalia.com/looks/reflection-on-rainbows-look-featuring-sydney-grace/
This eye look is so pretty !! The colors !! ? (the look where you talk about blending eye shadow)