Glowing Eyes for Day or Night

Remember me?!  I warned you this blog may turn out to have been just a summer hobby...In truth, I was on a job hunting/interviewing helluva roller coaster and was feeling too lame and crazed to write anything.  Not to mention, selfies SUCK.  Here's the best I could do to show off how the shadows play off of each other...I know my lid picture looks creepy...but my eyelids look funky closed!  You'll deal and not judge me.

So!  Trying to stay away from browns...I came up with this concoction of colorful-but-not-crazy shadows that can be subtle enough for a day look, or smoked out for a slightly heavier night eye.

1.  Prime your lids with a primer like Benefit Stay Don't Stray

2.  Use a blending brush (MAC 217 or Sigma E25) to blend a reddish/orangey/brown shadow, like MAC Brown Script, into the crease.  Since this color is so bold, start with a little and gradually add more - it's always easier to add more color than it is to take it away...and blend, blend, blend...otherwise you'll be trapped in the 80s - so not glowy.

3.  Next, bring on the shimmer!  When using a matte shadow in my crease, I like to add the shimmer color on the lid after so I'm not a total shimmer fest.  I just want my lid to pop, otherwise it looks a little overboard.  Apply a champagne shimmer, like MAC All That Glitters, to just the lid (not the crease!) using a regular old eyeshadow brush (my favorite is Sephora Pro Shadow Brush #14).

4.  Since you've already got that brush in your hand, go ahead and use it to apply a highlight color, like MAC Shroom, to your brow bone and inner corners of your eye.

5.  Pick up a short, dense brush that's somewhat precise (like the Sigma E32 or even the Bobbi Brown Eye Smudge Brush) to apply a deep purple-y wine color, like MAC Sketch, to the outer corner, AKA the outer "V" of your lid.  It doesn't need to be need or look good, in fact it will probably look messy.  That is why you will then...

6.  Blend it out with your blender brush mentioned in Step 2 so you eliminate any harsh lines.

7.  Line the inside of your upper lid - so you get in there between those lashes - with any waterproof black liner.  (I happen to love Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner applied with the Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush.)

8.  Line the inside of your entire lower lid with the MOST GORGEOUS liner...Tarte SmolderEYES Liner in Tiger's Eye.

9.  Use a pencil brush (like MAC 219 or Sigma E30) to first apply Sketch to the outside of your bottom lash line and blend, blend, blend.  Then use the same brush to apply Brown Script to the rest of the bottom lash line, slightly overlapping it with Sketch.  And, duh - BLEND.

10.  Add a buttload of black mascara to top and bottom lashes and - POW!  (I think I used Mary Kay Lash Love...)

See below these pictures for an even SMOKIER version...

To add INTENSITY...

Another time, I repeated the same look but added a conservative black line to my upper lash line using Urban Decay 24/7 Perversion and smudged it out with a flat brush (I used MAC 212).