I’ll apply eyeshadow first, so then I can wipe away the fallout without worrying about disturbing my base makeup. I might also use it with a damp or firmer brush and press onto the lid to minimize fallout in the first place.
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I do my base first. I have quite a bit of correction to do and it’s very difficult to get everything “right” working around my eyes. Powdering before shadow usually keeps fallout from sticking (although I don’t powder anymore) and my secret weapon is a LE duofiber brush from EcoTools. It’s no longer available so I’ll describe it as closely as I can: It’s the size of a typical blush brush, round, smaller at the ferrule and flares out, flat top, rather dense base fibers with longer fibers that are relatively sparse and quite stiff to the point of being kind of pokey. It’s a fallout removing dream, each of the longer fibers works like a little finger and flicks it right off your face.. it even does a great job with glitter (and you know how hard that is to get off). I don’t “sweep” with it (that smears fallout), kind of roll the ends of the bristles across the skin to emphasize the flicking. Prevention is best though.. I don’t get much fallout though because of how I handle my shadows. Apply a small amount of product at one time (you can always go back for more) and press the powder into the bristles by dabbing it on a flat surface (I usually use the inside of a the compact or palette) instead of tapping it off into the air as we are most often suggested to do. This has the added benefit of not flinging it all over your workspace or floor as well as distributing the color evenly through the brush preventing clumps of color. Wetting your brush for shimmers/glittery shades helps a bunch as well as patting/pressing it on with the flat side of a brush.
3 specific things that I will do when using a fallout prone eyeshadow that I have found really help reduce the problem are as follows: a glitter glue primer, a dampened brush and/or applying with my fingertips. And if there’s even a tiny amount, once I apply my undereye concealer, it is GONE!
A good eye shadow primer. I love glitter glue primers, using my fingers instead of a brush and applying with a patting motion. I always do my eyes first. And if necessary I clean up with a makeup remover wipe , Q tips or a fluffy brush.
Like Christine, I will apply my eyeshadow first before any face makeup. I’ll clean up any fallout with a cotton pad and micellar water.
I almost never have the problem, which is good, because I usually do my base first. If there is fallout, that mean I have to remove it in parts and do it again *sigh*
Post-it notes! Seriously! It’s a tip I saw on youtube years ago – take small Post-it notes, cut a slight curve if you need to (but don’t cut away too much of the adhesive) and use those as under-eye “shields”. It works really well, though it won’t help with shadows like UD’s MCRA or Maui Wowie – the types of shadows that have fall-out all during the wear time rather than just during application. I did try Too Faced Glitter Glue for that but didn’t like how difficult it made it to blend the shadows. I use all the other common tips like tapping off excess, sometimes wetting my brush or using a “glitter” applicator (it’s a little silicone V shaped thing – Sephora used to make one but they don’t any more; Lise Watier still makes one, I think, but I could be wrong). To be honest, with really problematic shadows like MCRA, I just don’t bother any longer – it’s too much trouble and there are enough identical shades without the all day glitter cascade!
I actually have a really effective trick for this! (I like to do eye makeup last, because I’m not very precise with depositing and blending BB cream.)
Spoolies. Specifically, the spoolie that comes in a duo with brow scissors sold at Sephora. Just tap the spoolie on your fallout or, for more stubborn bits, scrape lightly. The bristles are stiff enough to pick up powder without much pressure, and short enough to be precise. You can spray hairspray on the spoolie for increased undereye-vacuuming effect.
This also works for dry mascara that finds its way to on top of your eyeshadow, and for removing stray brush hairs if your face brushes are starting to shed…
I press and place the eyeshadow with a stiffer brush. No swirling in the eyeshadow pans. Then I go in with a blender brush. It also helps to not get too much shadow on your brush. Fallout is never an issue for me!
I also work with my eyes first…especially with smallish eyes and my “color outside the lines” tendencies it works out way better this way…
Same here, I do my eye makeup before my base makeup. I just use a fluffy powder brush or a fan brush to wipe away the fallout. Sometimes I’ll have to use a makeup wipe if it’s just not wiping away as easily or if it’s a shadow with glitter in it.
I always do my eyes before my foundation, but after applying moisturizer to my face. This gives the moisturizer time to settle in. I wipe away any fallout with a brush. It also helps to select eyeshadows that are less prone to fallout in the first place, which is where Christine’s reviews come in handy! 🙂
I hardly ever have the problem. When I do, it’s been with my Bobbi Brown Navy e/s which is impressively super-pigmented. I used to use this as an eyeliner applied with a flat liner brush, but, come to think of it, haven’t used this shadow for years…….proud to own it, but never use, hmmmm…..
I am messy so I always have some or a lot of fallout depending on the particular shadow(s) being used; but I haven’t had any luck ‘brushing off’ the fallout – the result usually looks scary, like a glittery/shimmery black eye! As many others, I will do my eyes first, wash off the fallout with a micellar or makeup remover wipe, rinse off the area of my face under my eyes, dry off and apply the rest of my makeup. Yes, it takes time; but at least the makeup looks nice and neat this way.
If I ever have a problem with fallout I take scotch tape wrap it sticky side out around two fingers, and pounce it on the specks and it will pick all of the fallout and especially glitter, even if I have already put my base on. I passed this tip on to one of the makeup artists at Sephora while she was applying my makeup one day. I was surprised that they were not taught this tip in their training, I thought that this was a well known hack.
I use Shadow Shields from Royal Quartz. They are wonderful !!!! Not $$$, you get 30 of them for 9.99 . Never out out of them.
Darn keys, OOOPPPPS Run out of them, Sorry
I always apply eyeshadow before I put on my face makeup. I clean up the fall-out with a makeup remover wipe.
I avoid eyeshadows with a lot of fallout as they tend to play hell with my contact lenses. BUT on the occasions I do have fallout issues I 1) do my eye makeup first & 2) use baby wipes to clean up the fallout.