"I don't think that being a strong person is about ignoring your emotions and fighting your feelings. Putting on a brave face doesn't mean you're a brave person. That's why everybody in my life knows everything that I'm going through. I can't hide anything from them. People need to realise that being open isn't the same as being weak."

- Taylor Swift

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Coloured Eyeliner

Okay, so even though I promised myself that I wouldn't blog anymore about makeup, I really can't resist. But this is an important contribution to the monolid society.

Monolids are generally found on Asians, especially Asians with smaller eyes, in that the crease flops over and hangs below the upper lash line, giving the appearance of a) small eyes b) short eyelashes and c) incredibly difficult eyes to put eyeshadow on.

Many people I know with monolids try to adapt makeup techniques, often badly. But I've found two super awesome techniqures that look fabulous with monolid eyes.

Technique 1: Coloured Eyeliner - this works with black, brown, grey, and colours that match your skin tone.
By using a single, neutral, shimmery colour on the lid, you avoid noticable creases (which happens all the freaking time), and you avoid the problem or abrupt and messy edges you would get with bold matte colours (the crease acts as a natural line softener, but people with monolids don't have a crease). Make sure when you make the lower lashline coloured cateye it looks alright when you close your eyelids.

Things required:
Eyeshadow brush
Slanted eyeliner/eyebrow brush
A light, medium and dark eyeshadow from the same colour family and undertone, with a shimmery, perle, glitter or satin finish (preferably not matte)
Eyeliner the same colour or darker than the darkest eyeshadow, either khol or retractable (not gel or liquid) 
A shimmery pink or nude eyeshadow
Eyebrow powder, or an eyeshadow about three shades lighter then your natural eye colour
matte neutral eyeshadow
Silver, white or gold shimmery eyeshadow

To 'night-life' it:
Black eyeliner
Coloured liquid eyeliner (Same colour as eyeshadows)
Coloured glitter eyeliner (can be the same or different colour)
Black mascara
Eyelash curler 
Facial diamentes (optional)
False eyelashes (optional)
Eyebrow gel or hairspray
Eyebrow brush or clean toothbrush

Method:
  1. Apply foundation and powder to face as normal
  2. Apply matte neutral eyeshadow from lashline to browbone with eyeshadow brush
  3. Fill in eyebrows lightly with slanted eyeliner brush, wash or rub off excess powder from brush 
  4. Apply netural or pink shimmery eyeshadow from lashline to browbone with eyeshadow brush
  5. Line the lower waterline with eyeliner pencil
  6. Apply the darkest eyeshadow on the outer third of the lower lashline, creating a slight cateye.  Apply with a slightly wet brush if using good-quality eyeshadow (this will make the colours more vibrant, but will ruin cheaper eyeshadows). Wipe excess off brush.
  7. Apply the medium eyeshadow on the middle third of the lower lashline, wipe excess off brush 
  8. Apply light eyeshadow to the inner third of the lower lashline, wipe excess off brush.
  9. Apply eyeliner on lower waterline 
  10. Apply silver, gold or white shimmery eye shadow to the inner corner of the eye. 
  11. Go over the darkest eyeshadow ith a little liquid eyeliner, if preferred. 
  12. Apply a little glitter eyeliner to eyelashes, if preferred
To 'night life' it:
  1. Apply black eyeliner on the outer half of the lower waterline 
  2. Strongly define the eyebrows and seal with a little eyebrow gel or hairspray. 
  3. Apply liquid eyeliner over the darkest eyeshadow, followed by a little glitter eyeliner.
  4. Curl eyelashes and apply mascara. Apply fake eyelashes if preferred. When mascara is dry, apply glitter eyeliner to eyelashes.
  5. Apply white, silver or gold shimmery eyeshadow to the browbone 
  6. Apply diamentes on one eye only, a la Taylor Swift in the 'Teardrops on My Guitar' video (pic below:) 

    Adjustments for normal eyelids:
    1. Only apply the shimmery nude or pink eyeshadow to the crease, then highlight the browbone if you prefer.
    2. Apply black liquid, pencil or gel eyeliner in a slight cateye on the upper lashline. You can also line your upper waterline in black or coloured eyeliner 
    Technique #2: Smokey eye - this also works with black, grey, brown, and colours suiting your skin tone. Beginners may prefer to have many different shades, arranged from darkest to lightest, to help with blending.  This look is great for any eyeshadow finish, but I like shimmery finishes best. This method also works well with normal eyelids.

    Tools:
    Eyeshadow brush
    Slanted eyeliner/eyebrow brush
    Eyebrow powder or an eyeshadow three shades lighter than your eyebrow (three shades darker if you have fair hair)
    Neurtral matte eyeshadow 
    Blending brush or foam eyeshadow applicator
    A light, medium and dark eyeshadow from the same colour family.
    A smudgy kohl eyeliner darker than the darkest eyeshadow, or black or brown
    Gold, silver or white shimmery eyeshadow

    Method:
    1. Apply foundation and powder to face as normal
    2. Apply neutral matte eyeshadow from lashline to browbone 
    3. Fill in eyebrows lightly with slanted eyebrow brush. Wipe off excess powder from the brush. 
    4. Apply smidgy kohl eyeliner in a thick line on the top lashline - this should not be visible when the eye is open - flicking at the end for a slight cateye. Blend the edges with a blending brush or foam eyeshadow applicator 
    5. Apply the darkest eyeshadow in a thick band on top of the eyeliner - the eyeshadow should be visible when the eye is open. Blend into the eyeliner slightly with a blending brush or foam eyeshadow applicator
    6. Apply the medium eyeshadow in a thick band on top of the darkest eyeshadow. Blend into the darkest eyeshadow slightly with a blending brush or foam eyeshadow applicator
    7. Apply the lightest eyeshadow to eye socket (use your brush to feel for this). Blend up to the brow bone and down into the medium eyeshadow. 
    8. Apply eyeshadow and eyeliner to the lower lashline as shown in technique #1
    To 'night life' it:
    1. Apply black eyeliner on the outer half of the lower waterline 
    2. Strongly define the eyebrows and seal with a little eyebrow gel or hairspray. 
    3. Apply liquid eyeliner over the darkest eyeshadow on the lower lashline, followed by a little glitter eyeliner.
    4. Curl eyelashes and apply mascara. Apply fake eyelashes if preferred. When mascara is dry, apply glitter eyeliner to eyelashes.
    5. Apply white, silver or gold shimmery eyeshadow to the browbone 
    6. Apply diamentes on one eye only, a la Taylor Swift in the 'Teardrops on My Guitar' video (pic above)
    So there you have it!

    P.S my favourite colours are purple, blue, brown and teal.

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