“You do such a wonderful smokey eye… Mine needs so much work.
I think part of my problem is just not having the right tools to blend with (brush recommendations would be appreciated!)… I love how, in your looks, the colours seem to flow together seamlessly. I also know nothing about eyeshadow bases beyond eyeshadow primer (I’m such a noob), so any tips on that would also be super helpful!”
–Jess
Hi Jess,
I’m on it! OK, so it really helps to have a good blending brush — scratch that. A good, clean blending brush, because even a good brush with a lot of gunk in the bristles will just scoot the shadows around your lids, instead of blending the colors together seamlessly.
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I have a couple of favorites I love and use all the time, like the mighty MAC 217 and 224.
The 217’s brush head is a little denser and smaller than the 224’s, so I prefer it for blended eye looks with more distinct transitions between the color gradients or when I’m working with hard-to-blend eyeshadows.
For this look with the new Laura Mercier Artist’s palette for Eyes, I blended it with the MAC 217.
And when I want smoother color gradients and a smokey effect that looks really blown out, I grab the 224, which has a fluffier, wider head.
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Basically, when I don’t have to be terribly precise, I go for the 224.
Blowing it out with the too faced My favorite things palette and the MAC 224…
Between the 217 and 224, you really can’t go wrong with either one.
Too faced also has a tapered blending brush similar to the MAC 224 that I like. It’s a little thinner than the 224 and terrific for guys/gals with small lids. It’s available in their $39 shadow Brushes vital 3-Piece Set, which also comes with a flat shadow brush and a small smudger brush. The whole kit is top-notch, come to think of it.
Powdering your lids first can also make blending a little easier. After you apply your primer (It’s easier to blend shadows on top of some primers than others. I like using MAC Painterly paint Pot as a primer.), dust face powder all over your lids with an eyeshadow brush. You can use whichever brush or face powder you like, but I usually just grab whichever ones are closest, LOL!
Anywho, the layer of powder latches on to your primer, evening out the surface and smoothing the application of any powder products you layer on top. Το αποτέλεσμα? more easily blended eyeshadows.
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Ελπίζω αυτό να βοηθήσει! and if you’re reading and you have any other smokey eye tips or recs, please share them in the comments.
Ο φιλικός φίλος σας ομορφιάς γειτονιάς,
Karen