Should Eyeliner Go On Before Eyeshadow?

 

If you’ve followed me for a bit, you will know that I recommend very different techniques for self-makeup than I do for making up others.
Certain products and techniques that work well for self, don’t always work well making up others, and vice versa.

However this one is one I use on both - on my celebrity clients and for self-makeup
It’s super useful to understand the why’s of each step - though - to get the most out of your new tricks.
Should you do eyeliner before or after eyeshadow?
Spoiler alert… I do both before and after…

Why do before?

One of the many things eyeliner does is it exaggerates, enlarges, or creates a new shape of the eye.

1. Applying eyeliner before eyeshadow means you have the shape mapped out and then apply your eyeshadow according to the eye shape you have created, using your eyeliner.
2. Eyeliner can go on more smoothly on clean skin rather than grabbing on to eyeshadow. If eyeshadow has already been applied, it makes it harder to blend or smudge out your eyeliner, as the eyeshadow sort of sets the eyeliner as it’s being applied.
3. The other benefit of applying eyeliner first is that going over it with the eyeshadow can then help to “set” and hold your eyeliner in place.

Why apply after?

Applying eyeliner after eyeshadow means you can really intensify the look. Otherwise the eyeshadow can soften or hide the eyeliner a little too much. For instance, applying black eyeliner after doing eyeshadow can mean the intensity of the black remains really black!

What I do (as a makeup artist to stars)…

I do both.
I first map out the eye and create perfect placement with eyeliner.
I blend and shape the eyeliner to perfection
Then I apply eyeshadow.
Then I go over and intensify at the lash roots the eyeliner
This creates a blended perfectly placed, stunning look to the eyes.