Eye Shadow can be a tricky thing to get right and walk down the street you will see how many people get it wrong. Alternatively people will stay away from wearing eye shadow for fear of getting it wrong. The aim of this article is to give you some advice on the best way to apply your eye shadow and also what colours are best to go for.

How to Apply Eye Shadow

Using eye shadow can help to make your eyes stand out, give you a dramatic look and even define your eyes. Below are the steps for applying your eye shadow:

Step 1 - The first thing to do is to prepare your eyes. This is very simply done but lightly dusting them with a little bit of loos powder.

Step 2 - Now you want to apply your base eye shadow which should be light in colour. To do this use a good eye shadow brush and sweep it across your whole eyelid. This should go all over from the brow to the lashes. If you want to make your eyes appear wider then you should apply some highlighter. This should go on the lower lid from the inner corner of the eye to the middle of the eyelid.

Step 3 - Now get a slightly darker shade to that used in step 2 and using a small eye shadow brush, apply it to the crease of your eyelid. The crease is the basically the bend you see in your eyelid when your eyes are open. Remember to blend it slightly around the edges into the lighter colour to give a smoother finish. The blending can be done using a cotton bud or your fingers.

Step 4 - Now move on to a darker colour for the area below the crease. This should be applied along the line of the eyelashes. Again remember to blend this colour into the one used for step 3 to keep continuity. If your eyes are wide set then you can skip this step.

Step 5 - Finally you want to make sure you tone down any dark colours. This can easily be done with cotton wool pad and some powder. Add some powder to the cotton wool and shake of the excess then gently press the cotton wool onto the eye over the eye shadow. Voila, perfect eyes.

How to Choose your Eye Shadow Colour

Now that you know how to apply your eye shadow it is important that you pick the right colours. Below is a list of simple tips for selecting your eye shadow colour.

1. It is important to complement your eye colour and skin tone. Colours that slightly contrast your natural eye colour will work a lot better than those that match it exactly.

2. It is always best to go for natural shades, particularly in the day time. Remember that bright colours can look fake and go out of fashion quickly. If you do go for bright colours, then save them for the evening and use them to create and effect and compliment what you are wearing.

3. If you are following the above steps remember to use 3 colours that are just different shades of the same colour or that complement each other. The last thing you want is harsh lines between colours that clash.

4. Remember that the light colours you use will help to widen the eye and that dark colours can cause the eye to recede slightly.

5. If you have blue eyes then colours that can work well for you are soft browns or tans, usually with sandy or pink undertones.

6. For green eyes, khaki or brown colours with yellow undertones can be fantastic.

7. For dark brown or black eyes you should probably go more for charcoals which can also help for creating a smoky look.

8. Finally, experiment. There is nothing wrong with trying different things out. Next time you are in a big store, go to one of the cosmetics desks and try a few things out. Also as the expert what they think would work.

Now there is no excuse for not using eye shadow, it should be part of any women's make up routine so follow the above steps and end up with fabulous eyes.