Ditch your frustration about applying eye makeup by embracing these looks that'll play up your specific eye shape!
1) Grace Park's Look | The Girl Next Door
Why it works
Grace Park has a tan skin tone and thin, almond-shaped eyes, so the warm tones she's wearing paired with a medium lip color is perfectly complementary, says Babaian. She "is always known for having that very natural, just-got-out-of-bed hot look, so it works," she adds.
Who should do it
Babaian recommends this look for those who are just starting to experiment with makeup and don't want a heavier shadow look. "It's so light, if you screw up, it's still going to look good," she says.
How to get it
Step 1: Apply foundation on your lids. "This is key … otherwise the makeup will slide off your face," says Babaian.
Step 2: Apply a plum-y, cool brown eyeshadow along your top lashlines and slightly above the creases so as to avoid the "hooded" look.
Step 3: Apply the same shadow to your lower lashlines.
Step 4: Use a dark brown liner on your top lashlines.
Step 5: Curl lashes.
Step 6: Apply lots of mascara.
Step 7: Add individual lashes for more drama.
Grace Park has a tan skin tone and thin, almond-shaped eyes, so the warm tones she's wearing paired with a medium lip color is perfectly complementary, says Babaian. She "is always known for having that very natural, just-got-out-of-bed hot look, so it works," she adds.
Who should do it
Babaian recommends this look for those who are just starting to experiment with makeup and don't want a heavier shadow look. "It's so light, if you screw up, it's still going to look good," she says.
How to get it
Step 1: Apply foundation on your lids. "This is key … otherwise the makeup will slide off your face," says Babaian.
Step 2: Apply a plum-y, cool brown eyeshadow along your top lashlines and slightly above the creases so as to avoid the "hooded" look.
Step 3: Apply the same shadow to your lower lashlines.
Step 4: Use a dark brown liner on your top lashlines.
Step 5: Curl lashes.
Step 6: Apply lots of mascara.
Step 7: Add individual lashes for more drama.
2) Maggie Q | The Modern Smokey Eyes
Why it works
"Maggie Q's eye shape is a classic thin lid, almond eye with a double eyelid … Since she has close-set eyes, she extended the shadow straight out and didn't try to do a fake crease," says Babaian adding that she considers this a very good thing.
Who should do it
Who should do it
"I would recommend this eyeshadow technique for anybody, since the makeup is just wrapped around the eye. The colors are contouring colors so it can apply to all depths of skin tone. It's very wearable," says Babaian.
How to get it
Step 1: Apply foundation to your lids.
Step 2: Use warm brown eyeshadow as a base and sweep it slightly above the creases, then extend it straight out for close-set eyes.
Step 3: Apply the same shadow to your lower lashline.
Step 4: Apply dark brown or black shadow over the previous brown hue along your lashlines, but not all the way to the outer corners.
Step 5: Add black liner to the top lashline
Step 6: Curl lashes.
Step 7: Apply tons of mascara.
Step 8: Pair this smoky eye with pinky nude colored lips.
Bonus tip
How to get it
Step 1: Apply foundation to your lids.
Step 2: Use warm brown eyeshadow as a base and sweep it slightly above the creases, then extend it straight out for close-set eyes.
Step 3: Apply the same shadow to your lower lashline.
Step 4: Apply dark brown or black shadow over the previous brown hue along your lashlines, but not all the way to the outer corners.
Step 5: Add black liner to the top lashline
Step 6: Curl lashes.
Step 7: Apply tons of mascara.
Step 8: Pair this smoky eye with pinky nude colored lips.
Bonus tip
Eyes will look bigger if you use a layering technique when applying your shadow. Use the darkest shadows along the lashlines and lighter shadows above so it gradually gets lighter as you move up the eyelid. Babaian says this creates "natural-looking depth."
3) Michelle Kwan | The Natural Smokey Eyes
Why it works
Michelle Kwan perfectly played up her medium dark skin tone and her monolids with a few easy steps, says Babaian. "She layered her shadows with brown shadow underneath and black on top, and she matched it with a neutral brow, which gives it that sultry look." This is similar to the look seen previously on Maggie Q, but tailored for monolids.
Who should do it
Who should do it
People with monolids. Also, it depends on your personal preference on how smoky you want it. The closer to the lashline, the more natural it'll be; the further away, the more dramatic," says Babaian.
How to get it
Step 1: Apply foundation to your lids.
Step 2: Use a warm brown eyeshadow at the base making sure it doesn't go beyond the mid-point of your eyelid, you want to have a lot of space beneath your browbone before the shadow starts.
Step 3: Apply the same shadow hue to your lower lashlines.
Step 4: Apply dark brown or black shadow along your lashlines over the previous shade you just applied -- don't extend it all the way out to your outer corners.
Step 5: Add black pencil liner to the waterline inner rims.
Step 6: Add liner to both top and bottom lashlines smudge it out to finish.
Step 7: Curl lashes.
Step 8: Apply a significant amount of mascara.
Step 9: Apply highlighter on your inner corners and browbones to add a touch of sparkle.
Bonus tip
How to get it
Step 1: Apply foundation to your lids.
Step 2: Use a warm brown eyeshadow at the base making sure it doesn't go beyond the mid-point of your eyelid, you want to have a lot of space beneath your browbone before the shadow starts.
Step 3: Apply the same shadow hue to your lower lashlines.
Step 4: Apply dark brown or black shadow along your lashlines over the previous shade you just applied -- don't extend it all the way out to your outer corners.
Step 5: Add black pencil liner to the waterline inner rims.
Step 6: Add liner to both top and bottom lashlines smudge it out to finish.
Step 7: Curl lashes.
Step 8: Apply a significant amount of mascara.
Step 9: Apply highlighter on your inner corners and browbones to add a touch of sparkle.
Bonus tip
When lining your bottom lashlines, remember to smudge it out. Babaian warns, "wherever you put darkness is where your eye is going to follow. If you only put it in the lower rim, it makes the eye seem smaller, but if you add liner to the lower lashline and smudge it out then it brings those outer edges forward, so it makes the eye look larger."
4) Zhang Ziyi | The Diva Look
Why it works
"What makes this look so pretty is that Zhang Ziyi pairs it with a pretty cheek and a pretty lip with a hint of pink in it, so it makes [the eye makeup] a little softer," says Babaian. Also, "since the shadow isn't going into the brow area, it helps open her close-set eyes," while her naturally filled brow keeps the look glam instead of goth.
Who should do it
Who should do it
While she has thin, almond-shaped eyes, this look would work on any eye shape. However, Babaian says, this look is best for fair skin to keep it fashion forward, and close-set eyes as "it will make them look further apart."
How to get it
Step 1: Apply foundation to your lids.
Step 2: Sweep a neutral brown shadow on your eyelids, creating the shape you want using a small, fluffy shadow brush. Extend it out a bit to create the cat eye shape.
Step 3: Blend a soft black pencil liner over brown shadow allowing just a little of the brown to peek through.
Step 4: For the outer corners, hold a business card up to the end of your eyes to help create a perfectly straight line and, using a black eyeshadow, extend the tails out a bit. Trace over the shadow line with black pencil for lasting power.
Step 5: Smudge the lines slightly with a brush.
Step 6: Line your waterline inner rims and lower lashlines and smudge along your lower lashline to create smoke.
Step 7: Apply a black matte shadow over all of the pencil you just applied to "mattify everything," says Babaian.
Step 8: Curl lashes and apply lots of mascara. "Lashes are key to soften a dark eye," says Babaian.
Step 9: Apply a silvery shimmery highlighter to the inner corners of your eyes.
Bonus tip
Step 1: Apply foundation to your lids.
Step 2: Sweep a neutral brown shadow on your eyelids, creating the shape you want using a small, fluffy shadow brush. Extend it out a bit to create the cat eye shape.
Step 3: Blend a soft black pencil liner over brown shadow allowing just a little of the brown to peek through.
Step 4: For the outer corners, hold a business card up to the end of your eyes to help create a perfectly straight line and, using a black eyeshadow, extend the tails out a bit. Trace over the shadow line with black pencil for lasting power.
Step 5: Smudge the lines slightly with a brush.
Step 6: Line your waterline inner rims and lower lashlines and smudge along your lower lashline to create smoke.
Step 7: Apply a black matte shadow over all of the pencil you just applied to "mattify everything," says Babaian.
Step 8: Curl lashes and apply lots of mascara. "Lashes are key to soften a dark eye," says Babaian.
Step 9: Apply a silvery shimmery highlighter to the inner corners of your eyes.
Bonus tip
Do eyes first, then foundation," says Babaian. This way you won't need to clean up any black crumbles afterward.
5) Lucy Liu | The Glowy Daytime Look
Why it works
Lucy Liu has lighter shadow focused on most of her upper lashline, with a darker shadow just on the ends, which helps to lift her eyes, says Babaian.
Who should do it
Who should do it
This great-for-daytime look works for mostly everyone though the particular "orange-y shadow will show up better on lighter skin tones," says Babaian. And it's ideal for "somebody who has a fuller brow and more of an uplifted eye" or short eyes as it helps "to extend them to make them look more wide," she adds.
How to get it
Step 1: Prep lids with foundation.
Step 2: Apply an orange-y brown eyeshadow on lids, extending it out past your outer corners a bit.
Step 3: Blend dark brown shadow over the orange.
Step 4: Apply a black liner on top lashlines.
Step 5: Curl lashes and apply mascara.
Step 6: Apply individual false lashes, which make eyes appear like they're naturally wider.
How to get it
Step 1: Prep lids with foundation.
Step 2: Apply an orange-y brown eyeshadow on lids, extending it out past your outer corners a bit.
Step 3: Blend dark brown shadow over the orange.
Step 4: Apply a black liner on top lashlines.
Step 5: Curl lashes and apply mascara.
Step 6: Apply individual false lashes, which make eyes appear like they're naturally wider.
