Facing that scary Eyeshadow Palette

I recently heard someone say that the Urban Decay Naked Palette is ‘scary’.

Scary?

Scary simply isn’t the word I would use to describe it; beautiful- yes but scary isn’t quite the word.

I think being a beauty blogger it’s so easy to forget what a ‘normal’ person sees when they look at a palette and actually I can see why it would be scary. Why are there so many colour? Do I wear them all? Where do they go? Which ones go together?

 So I thought I would share a few tips on how to use a palette and answering a few key questions as I believe a beautiful palette should bring excitement and not fear.

Start with the neutrals
I personally think an eyeshadow look made up of browns looks for polished than one made up of blues and greens but more than that I think that they are also more forgiving. Bright coloured eyeshadows still scare me and if you aren’t use to using eyeshadow I would recommend sticking to neutrals.

You don’t have to use all the colours
There is something very beautiful about a wash of a single colour all over the lid and just because there are 4 or 99 eyeshadows in a palette doesn’t mean you have to wear all of them. I usually go for anything between 1-4 and I think it would be quite hard to use much more than 6. If you are going for just one colour I think a medium toned eyeshadow with a satin finish works best, just apply all over the lid and a blend into the crease. You can then go on and add a highlight and contour shade if you wish.

Colours that are next to each other would often work quite well together
If you have a quad then the likely hood is that all the shades have been put together as they compliment each other, if you have something with around 10 eyeshadows then the colours on either side often work the best but most of the colours are likely to work together. If you have on of those ridiculous palettes with 99 shades then it gets a little more difficult so I say stick to smaller palettes as you are also more likely to use all the colour.

Want to follow the rules?
Generally speaking you then have a medium shade ‘lid colour’ which goes from the lash line to the crease of the eye. The lightest colour then goes under the brow bone and on the inner corner of the eye as a highlight. You then have a darker shade, often matte, which is blended into the crease to contour and can be used to define the outer corner.

Get good brushes
A good set of brushes can really help in the actual application of the product, never use the sponge tip applicator that comes with the shadow, instead invest in a flat eyeshadow brush and a blending brush.

Do you find eyeshadow palettes a little daunting?

26 Comments

  1. 6th January 2015 / 5:24 pm

    This is helpful for me as I feel I am horrible at putting eye shadow on. I'd love to know your recommendation on a good set of brushes. Thanks for posting!

  2. 6th January 2015 / 5:40 pm

    This is a really helpful post! I definitely agree that using a sponge tip applicator shouldn't really be done!

    Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

    xx

  3. 6th January 2015 / 5:56 pm

    Great post, I love my UD palette, wasn't sure it was worth the money at first but found it a doddle to apply and lasts ages compared to cheaper versions …so it's not so scary in my books! πŸ™‚

    Jen xx
    http://www.kitsch-n-sync.com

  4. 6th January 2015 / 6:07 pm

    I can see how some might find it daunting at first but it's a great way to have a play around with different looks. If I could only have 1 palette it would be the Naked 2

    Great Post

    Jenn
    Photo-Jenn-ic
    x

  5. 6th January 2015 / 6:26 pm

    Great post! I guess us beauty addicts see palettes like these and just completely fall for them, especially the beaut Naked 3, but when I think hard I can definitely see why some people would see them as scary. I love the Naked 3, it's my favourite of all 3! x
    ELEANORMAES

  6. 6th January 2015 / 7:08 pm

    Great idea for a blog post!! As a beauty addict I am the same and have quite a few. You have included some really good tips for beginners. Awesome read xoxo

    jpoppy-thats-just-me.blogspot.co.uk

    • 6th January 2015 / 7:42 pm

      Hey hun, random i know but…
      How did you create the direct link to your blog in the comment, i just write my link but it doesnt allow anyone to click it.
      xxx

  7. 6th January 2015 / 9:19 pm

    Great post, it's so helpful for beginner's but I personally love dramatic eye looks.

    Brigid xo

    bridinnn.blogspot.ie

  8. 6th January 2015 / 9:57 pm

    Love the Urban Decay Palettes. I love experimenting with eyeshadows and my palettes all the time x

    pintsizedbeauty.blogspot.co.uk

  9. 7th January 2015 / 4:02 am

    Great post! I have really learned a lot here. Thanks for sharing this.

  10. 8th January 2015 / 11:44 am

    Great post! I'm looking for the perfect neutrals palette at the moment and I definitely need the naked palette in my life xx

    elly from alldeathbydiamonds

  11. 15th January 2015 / 8:34 pm

    I got the naked palette for christmas. I definitely don't find it scary, hehe, rather fabulous. I do love good nude colours, pinks and browns. Bright colours scare me. And as you said it is put together so that the colours can be combined. Although yes I would never use them all at once. Oh and you are right good brushes do help. xx Dandy I http://www.dandelionblue.co.uk

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *