Order to Apply Eye Makeup

Hi friends! Now that my Halloween-tutorial-packed month of October has ended, it’s back to the basics! I really am here to help you. I always want you to tell me what you find confusing in makeup and skincare. When I broke down the order of face products in a post, it ended up being one of my most popular, recently featured on Buzzfeed! Now it’s time for the order of eye makeup and this one is far simpler! And as always, this is just what I, as a freelance makeup artist and lifelong beauty lover, find works best. You can take it or leave it but I’m trying to make your life easier! 🙂

1. I haven’t skipped an eye primer for over 8 years. I would never apply eye makeup without it. I like ones with more concealing properties in them like Urban Decay’s Primer Potion in Eden, which cancels out veins and discoloration and a little goes a long way. I never have creasing or fading when I prime lids first. I apply it from lash line all the way up to the brows.
2. I apply eyeshadows next and do so in this order: crease color, lid color, outer corner, lower lash line, brow bone. That’s just what works for me. I always do eye makeup before face makeup to minimize fallout cleanup and do save the lower lash line shadow for after under eye concealer and powder.
3. Whether using a pencil, gel or liquid liner, if you want it to be it’s most vivid, apply after shadow. Granted, if you find it’s too intense, you can always apply shadow over it to dial it down. I like to line my inner rim, sometimes called the waterline, and find that this is best done after shadow too. If done before, you could get shadow fallout on it and reduce the intensity.
4. You don’t have to curl your lashes, but I promise you when you do it, you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes! is my very favorite with coming in a close second. I don’t like to curl lashes after mascara because it can clump them together and pull on them.
5. And for the grand finale, mascara of course! I wouldn’t apply mascara before shadow as the shadow can get on the lashes and give your black lashes a dusty appearance. I apply mascara to top and bottom lashes and then move onto my face makeup!