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Eye Shadow: Not Just for Teens

Remember when eye shadow was fun?  It’s usually the first item girls grab when they start to play with make up.  The unabashed brightness swathed across their lids. 

But as we mature this teenage beauty staple often falls by the wayside.  Desire for a more “natural” look, a two- (or three-) in-one product or (usually) less time for primping all contribute to our displacement of this lid adornment. 

After not using eye shadow in years, a set came across my desk recently.  Even back when I did use shadow it was usually a light tannish, brown color not that far off from the natural color of lids.  This duo from Lavera came with a white shade and (here’s the fun part) a dark charcoal color.  The deep, sultriness of it was so super tempting that I could not wait to test it out.  Envisioning Angelina Jolie in Wanted I rounded up my brushes, sponges and assortment of applicators and plunged in.  My first attempt (done, thankfully, preshower) ended up a bit addict-y.  Not what I’m trying to represent.

After more experimentation I ended up with some cool results.  Here they are:

First off, when you have dry skin a powder shadow will leave eyes looking crepey and old.  That said, there are a couple of tricks to sultry, glossy eyes using powder shadow. 

1)  Scrape off a tiny bit of shadow and mix with a drop of rosehip oil.  This creates a thick glaze for lids and also works great as a liner.  Rosehip oil is very gentle and won’t move into eyes.

2) If you have dry skin you are probably already using a cream blusher.  Apply a light layer of powder shadow to lid then go over it with some of your cream blusher that you’ve dabbed on a fingertip and blend.  This creates a cool smudged look and the color of blusher really doesn’t matter, though I probably wouldn’t use anything too pink.  Revolution Organics Glow Beauty Balm in Bronzed works like magic here. 

3) Now for that Slept In look you read about.  To achieve the real deal you would have to actually sleep in your eye makeup which is a no.  Get this look by simply applying a dark powder shadow to lash lines before you hop in the shower.  Emerge with … The Slept In look.

4) You know how a dab of concealer at the inside corner of your eyes will make them appear fresher and more awake?  Try putting just a bit of white shadow in the same spot over concealer.  Even better!

A darker eye looks best with a nude lip, so keep the rest of your make up toned down if opting for a smoky eye.  If you want to keep it simple with a touch of drama, apply a light shadow to your entire lid and use the darker shadow along the lash line.  Lavera’s Eye Shadow Duo No. 2 in white/graphite is perfect for these looks.  Enter code feelgood2010 at checkout and receive 10% off any regularly priced item, one use per customer good through December 31, 2010.

Experimenting with eye shadow has been a lot of fun and I find myself smudging a bit on most days now.  Who knows I may even go full glam one of these nights.  What are your favorite eye shadow tricks?

Image:  dreamglow at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license.

Written by Liz Thompson

I am an organic beauty expert, writer, and mom of two young environmentalists who can already spot a toxic product when they see one. Read more about me at Organic Beauty Source.com, and find me on , Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.

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