Dealing With Color Payoff In Eyeshadows

Ever seen a gorgeous shade of eyeshadow, get super excited about putting it all over your lid, put some color on your brush to apply it and then... nothing. You have barely a hint of what the color should be! UGH!

So what can you do if this happens? You can try a few of the following tricks to bring out the boldest color possible.

1. Use a primer! This will make the skin tone on your eyelid even and will be a good base for the color to stick to.
2. Figuring out the best primer is also important. Some will really bring out the color but make it harder to blend while others will make blending super easy but not show the color as brightly. (I personally love the Urban Decay Primer Potion or the Two Faced Shadow Insurance)
3. Use a base on top of the primer and before putting any eye shadow on. You can use a NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil or a MAC paint pot or even an eyeliner.
4. Pat the color on to your lid. You're trying to pack it in as opposed to sweeping it over your lid. This will help it have a stronger color and even less eyeshadow fallout on your cheeks.
5. There are some eyeshadows that can be used wet. When the eyeshadow goes on wet it can have more vibrance to it. Before you apply any water to it, make sure to check whether it's meant to be used wet, otherwise applying water can ruin the makeup.
6. Brushes, brushes, brushes! Not all brushes are made the same way and they can make a difference in how vivid the color looks on your lid. To really pack the color on to your lid, I'd suggest getting a good paddle brush (such as the MAC #239 or the Sigma E25). Packing the color on the outer corner of your eye can be done with many a different brush; my favorite is the contour brush from e.l.f. Don't forget to blend out the shadow with a fluffy brush!

Speaking of brushes... how do you know if a brush is good? Density! The denser the brush, the less product is going to be lost between the hairs of the brush. Another thing to pay attention to is the shape. Tapered, soft brushes are going to be good at distributing color and blending it out so don't use them if you're trying to pack the color on to your lid.

Super awesome tip of the day: Don't have time to do full makeup? No worries! Sometimes just adding a bit of color is all you need to look awake. Fill in your eyebrows if yours are light and sparse (highlight the browbone if desired). Add a tinted lipbalm to your lips, a bit of blush or bronzer to your cheeks and maybe even a bit of eyeliner on your upper waterline. This is called tightlining which makes your lashes look a bit fuller without having to apply mascara. BAM! Now you look awesome.

Minimal makeup can still make a huge difference