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Do you mix eyeshadows to create custom shades?
Do you mix eyeshadows to create custom shades? We don’t just mean blending two colors together where they meet but actually dabbing your brush or applicator into two or three or ten shades. Have you been successful?
I remember the first time I saw someone do this, and it was Eve Pearl when I visited her space in NYC. I mean, sure, you think about it, and you may have even done it once or twice, but in practice, it just never called to me. After seeing Even do it, though, I was like, “Wait, why am I NOT doing this?” It’s a great way to dupe yourself a shade you’ve been wanting, because inevitably, you have something that’s close enough to start mixing with!
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I’ve mixed shadows a few times, and since it’s usually with cheaper shadows that I buy on impulse, I’ve started getting itty bitty 1-inch square containers from The Container Store, mashing up the shadows, mixing them, and re-pressing them, so I can just swipe one shadow instead!
That’s an incredible idea, thanks!
Yes, but *unfortunately*, even if I find the right combination, it doesn’t stop me from buying the shade I’ve tried to recreate. I have serious issues, LOL. The same goes for lipstick, as well, although I have that one pretty much under control.
For the longest time, I’ve done this. Sure, I use shades individually, but makeup has been art to me. I’ve always loved mixing stuff, so it just came to me naturally to mix colors together to make a new shade. Doesn’t stop me from buying shades similar to ones that I could dupe, though, lol. I gotta have em for easy/convenient use, right? Right.
Absolutely! Most of the time it’s the only way I can get the exact eyeshadow colors that I want (because it seems like nobody makes them!). And mixing your eyeshadows can make some really unique colors. I mixed Nars Lhasa with L’Oreal Gold Imperial today and it was gorgeous, especially in sunlight.
Ooohh, I want to try that…
I had heard about it but didn’t actually try it until this week. And it
has been my new fascination. I had heard about the color layering
technique that Le Metier de Beaute is so famous for promoting, but I
wasn’t impressed until I saw a video of the application (I don’t have
one of their counters nearby). They took a bright coral with strong red
tones and layered a lapis lazuli blue over it and it was just stunning.
The resulting color was so complex and nuanced. That video hit me like a
shovel and I’ve been having a blast experimenting with weird combos
this whole week. It’s great because I have just effectively expanded my collection significantly, but it’s also pretty bad because now I can’t talk myself out of buying eyeshadows with wacky colors that totally don’t work for me. I can see it now, I’ll see some horrible color that I wouldn’t have given a second chance before and now I’ll be thinking to myself “but I wonder what it would look like layered…”.
I don’t really do it anymore with my pressed shadows–but I remember when I first got into makeup and had a lot of loose pigments, I would mix my own shades all the time and put them into extra pots I had. I know it’s not the same thing but still…:P
Yes, I do. It seems to happen mostly with browns whne both are the same finish but I need a little more red or purple in the brown. Also with greens. It’s fun to experiment. I hate it when I can’t remember a winning combination that I want to recreate. I need to keep a notepad at my desk, or tell Siri on my iPhone to take a note for which ones I used.Â
Yep. I don’t create little pots of anything, but a lot of the browns on the market tend to be warm or reddish in tone, so I’ll generally mix them with a beige or taupe to “cool” them down to work better on my skin. I also tend to mix a lot of light grey into my more colorful shades if I want to tone them down for a more “work appropriate” shading.
Sometimes… When an eye shadow is too warm, I mix in a similar cooler color to make it more neutral. 🙂
I do that for eyebrow shade. I mix MAC Wedge, Soft Brown and Espresso to get the shade I want for my brows.
I do it often. To create a custom color, or to give a metallic sheen or some shimmer to a matte shade.
Sure, why not? You can warm up or cool down, lighten or darken a shadow pretty easily. If you’ve ever put a shadow over a colored base, it’s the same thing.
I have done this with pigments, adding a blue or a green tint to a brown. Â I bought empty watercolor paint pots at a dollar store which are perfect for storing small amounts of pigment for the makeup bag, and are great for my custom colors.
KaseyCannuck  Smart idea!!!I reuse cleaned sample pots.
Grrrr!!! I hate when I post in the wrong place!!!I have done it when I need a colour and I don’t have it or I am out of the particular colour i need. I use loose/pigments as powder is hard to guage. I don’t make it a habit because I’m usually still sleepy in the mornings and I rarely allow myself time to concentrate on mixing new colours. Though, if different eyeshadow colours on each eye ever become popular … I’m in!! LOL!
Kat von D wears different colors on each eye (I seriously just thought it was my TV, until I read it somewhere).
xamyx That’s very interesting. I did not know that. Though, Kat VD is on my sh!tlist of brands and products not to buy from. Â
As a more mature (older!) woman, bold strokes of color and prominent demarcation lines are far from suitable so I am all about ombré and letting one shade blend seamlessly into another. The bonus to doing this is creating gorgeous , opalescent shades where colors overlap. Le Métier de Beauté has embraced the layering concept since the beginning and I have noticed more and more brands like Chanel and Guerlain also promote the layering of colors. Duping a shade is only the obvious reason for combining shadow shades. Layering shades creates custom looks that are perfectly suited to a woman’s skin tone and eye color. The only caveat is not to over-blend or use a poorly made brush because that can muddy the colors rather than let one show through the other.
I do mix eye shadows occasionally, although not often. Usually I will test it out on the back of my hand first to see if it looks right, because most shadows do not mix well together like you imagined in your mind.
Daniellenm30Â hahha..exactly..murky!!!
No, I can honestly say I have never mixed a custom shade for myself. Â Layer, yes, but never mixed. Â I don’t know if I could do it… Â I would have to shave off some eyeshadow from each pan into a separate container because my brain would explode were I to deface a product with another… ;0)
I either use a brush on the outer edge of the pan (if I just need a tiny amount), or if I need to cover the entire lid, or use it as a wash, I’ll take a coarser brush, then tap it onto a clean surface (like a small mirror, lid, etc), mix, and apply. That way, the surface doesn’t become scratched, and the outer edges can easily be wiped away, and leaves the bulk of the face pristine.
xamyx The mirror is a brilliant idea! Â
wwendalynne I have the same problem! Sure, I want the shades mixed for that one time I use them, but not forever!
I’ve only done it once or twice. Â I mixed Naked and Buck together. Â Naked by itself is just useless to me. Â Mixing the two colors together worked out well enough. Â
I am surprised at the answers so far, I have always done this, I didn’t realize it was a “thing” lol. I also never considered it as making custom colors, it’s just mixing some colors together.
@Dana -Me too. My interest in make up grew up with my love of art, drawing and painting. A nature extension of those hobbies.
i often custom make colors 2 suit me. my complexion is quite deep, and i find that colors either don’t show up on me, or i end up looking like a clown. that applies to foundation as well. i’m yet 2 find the perfect match. i have 2 mix 2 shades 2 get something acceptable, & then set it with a powder that’s either a tad dark, or a tad light, depending on what the foundation looks like
nubian_queen15Â I can’t think of a single foundation I own that I do not mix with something else!
Have you tried powders designed for theatrical use? There are brands, such as Ben Nye, that are very finely milled, and while very pigmented, they’re not heavy, cakey, or chalky. You can also find them in “in-between” shades, and they’re very forgiving if you can’t find an *exact* match.
I mix mine, but only with loose shadows. And I don’t do it all the time… just once in awhile.
Yes! I don’t do it everyday, but when I do it often is because I want a little darker shade or a little lighter. I like to mix because is like having another shade on your palette without buying a new one.
I have the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette froma few years ago and I absolutely love to mix the light and dark shades to create gorgeous silvers and browns, as well as natural colours with a splash of bright colour!
Yes, I often mix colors just for fun or to had a very little shimmer to a matte shadow or vice verse. Love it.
Charcoal Brown and Omega for my brows =)