Save Money - rock your own eye makeup

First, PREP the area

An often overlooked step for creating an amazing eye look, is preparing the eye area. This is especially important for those of us over 50 with mature eyes and the challenges that come with them!

Take time to use a beneficial eye cream, and perhaps additional hydration like Hydrogel Eye Patches. Then allow time for these products to set before moving on to the next step.

Now PRIME

After the cream has been absorbed, apply an eye primer. Eye primer is super important for any eye shadow look, regardless of age! Eye primer will prevent your eye color from creasing and fading, will allow the various shades to blend better, and will make your look last longer. In addition, the individual colors will be "truer", more vibrant and less likely to be patchy.

You may also choose to add concealer to cover unevenness or discoloration on your eye lids if your eye primer is colorless. This will help create a perfect canvas to work with. I like to use a cream eye color brush to apply a nice smooth layer.

Eye cream is mentioned in my blog, Summer Skincare - Shake up your routine with these top 5 tips

Next, SELECT your shades

For me, selecting eye shadow shades is the most fun part of the process!

I consider what I'll be wearing, the time of day the event occurs, and the shades that complement my own eye color.

You can discover the best eye shadow shades for you by taking a look at the color wheel! Find your eye color on the wheel and the shades that are directly across that color will be the most flattering and make your eyes pop!

You want others to notice how beautiful your eyes are rather than how pretty your eye makeup is. The difference is subtle, but important!

For more information on using the Color Wheel to select your eye shadow shades, click HERE.

Using the Color Wheel to select eyeshadow shades for your eye color

Practice, practice, practice!

After prepping the eye area and selecting our eyeshadow shades, it's time to practice! Keep these points in mind as you learn to rock your new eye look.

• use quality makeup brushes

• select a variety of shade intensities (light to dark) to work with

• line your eyes to correct any imbalance or irregularity

• focus on the top of your eyes rather than the bottom to visually lift them

Here are the steps that I use to create a dramatic purple eye makeup look for my next special occasion. (The concepts will be the same regardless of the colors that you choose.)

• use a traditional eye shadow brush to apply a wash of light matte shadow just beneath your brows and on your eyelids.

• apply a matte midtone shade using a small head, tightly bristled eye shadow brush to create a "fake crease" in the area that your crease should ideally be. This will typically be a little higher than your actual crease.

• use a slightly wider eye shadow brush with a pointed tip to apply another layer of midtone in the same general area. This one can have some shimmer and should be a slightly different shade than the midtone above.

• add a deeper accent shade to the outer corner of your eyes with a small head traditional shaped eye shadow brush. This can also be shimmery.

Shades that I used:

Finishing touches...

• now apply a "dot" of color at the outermost part of your outer corner, using a small head brush that will allow you to control exactly where your deposit the color. Then use the same brush to very carefully fan out the color, keeping it within a small area. This color should be the darkest shade that you plan on using, and can even be black. Matte is best.

• using your middle finger, rub some light shimmery or satin-finish eye shadow onto your finger and then dab onto the middle of each lid. Do not blend this out!

• you can use this same light shadow in the tear duct area of each eye to brighten the area. Use a very small headed brush.

Beyond eye shadow...

• line your upper lashline with black (or very dark) eye liner, winging out the edges to give a lifted look (see demo in video).

• take a thin eye liner brush to go over the eye liner with powder shadow to set it in place. Then use the same eye liner brush to line the lower lash line about 1/3 - 1/2 way across. You can skip this altogether if you do not wear glasses.

• apply two coats of thickening and lengthening mascara to your upper lashes. If applying to your lower lashes, hold the wand vertically. You may also want to consider using false eyelashes!

• finish with a setting spray or finishing spray to keep your look in place all day and night!

Wrap Up

Creating your own special occasion eye makeup look can be fun, economical, and flattering. So why not learn how to rock your very own look? With some preparation, proper color selection, and lots of practice, you can get the professional look of a makeup artist while still accommodating the unique needs of your mature eyes. When it's all said and done, you want to hear, "You have such beautiful eyes!" rather than "I love your eye shadow." If you get that kind of feedback, you have truly learned how to "rock" your special occasion eye makeup look!