[tiffanyhoward]

Ok, I suck at blending my e/s! I don't know what to use to blend, and when I try I feel like I'm sweeping the color off?!?!?! I'm so sucky at it. I love macGoddess eyes. Her shadows look sooooo blending, its amazing, how can I do that?
Tiffany

[MACGoddess]

First thing you need is a good base. If you don't have something that will stick the e/s on, you CAN blend it right off, especially for drugstore e/s!

I use MAC Paint+MAC Cream Color Base on top of it... The Paint prevents creasing and the CCB allows the e/s to stick by creating a tacky top to the paint. Other bases people have tried are MAC Shadesticks (I have a few and I like them, but not as much as my combination) and Urban Decay's Primer Potion (I haven't tried this and probably won't...).

Next comes the laying down of the e/s. If you want high impact color, I would suggest loading the brush up with color and packing it or patting it on your lid rather than sweeping the e/s across your lid. I will usually place my e/s next to each other rather than layering them on top of each other if that makes sense? I don't put a layer of the inner lid color all over the lid, then the next color, then the next. The colors never come out bright and true that way. Instead I only put that inner color on the inner third or half of my lid, then I put the middle color next to it, and so on. I save the blending for after I have "blocked out" my whole eye.

Finally is blending. I use a brush that is the same as MAC 224. It is the Sonia Kashuk Pointed Blending Brush. You can see a pic of it in my Notepad for reference. It is very soft and it FABULOUS for blending! This is what I use always pretty much unless it is a small area to be blended. When blending don't sweep the brush over the WHOLE color or the whole eye... Only sweep it over the area where the two colors you are wanting to blend MEET. For example in the FOTD today I only blended where the gold inner eye color and the pink middle color met. Always go from inner to outer eye with your strokes of your brush, and NEVER go back and forth with your brush. Only in one direction.

Also, use light strokes, you don't want to tug at the e/s or your eyelid. It might take a while, but take your time. Don't ever rush blending.

Also when I want to blend the crease color with the browbone highlight color, I will do so in a small and light circular motion rather than sweeping in a certain direction. This blends that area a little better and doesn't create a strip of color that you are trying to blend.

Take your time and practice!! You will get it eventually hun!

[anne7]

Leila hooked you up with all you need! Myself, I still need that SK brush Lei has mad blending skills!

[CamaroChick]

Thanks, Leila. That's very helpful! Now if only UPS would bring my Paint and CCB so I can try this.... :P

[bocagirl]

Wow Leila, another excellent post. Thanks.

[missjeffrey]

Great advice Leila!!!

[mach1grrl]

Awesome advice!!! That was the most helpful thing I have read in a while! I have always loved smoky eyes and I am not too bad at it after doing it for years, but certain techniques you explained seem like the perfect solution to the few problems I have....I always blend from outer to inner and on the entire eye. And I feel like I am pulling off color. Can't wait to try these new techniques! Thanks so much for the very detailed advice!

[MACGoddess]

Glad I could help!! lol, I was mulling on that post for a while! I think it look me about 15 minutes to finish it and post it just about...lol. I didn't want to leave anything out.

Let me know how you guys fare! If you need any more help or have any questions please feel free to PM me!

[fairy_wings]

Great post, good to know how other ppl do it!

[Summer]

OMG That was an excellent post. I am going to copy and paste it in an email and send it to myself.

[Liz]

good post lei!

[tiffanyhoward]

Thanks soooooo much! Now I need to but the brush!
Tiffany

[Marisol]

Thanks Leila!

[Ley]

Nice instructions - so clear!

[amillion]

It also helps to practice practice practice. Two years ago I was horrible at applying makeup as well. I just started checking out places like spectra and livejournals to see how the other ladies were doing stuff and trying to recreate looks. You don't need to spend a fortune on brushes because half of this is just trying to get the correct application process down. The other half is having decent tools to work with. It's true when many say to use a good base for es. I swear by UD primer potion. Paints I feel are too thick for me. I just blend where I want all the colors to meet in soft swirling motion or a back and forth windsheild motion with a light hand. It also helps to have a mac 217 brush. Which IMHO is the best blending and crease brush there is. Many have different ways but it's all about getting the look you like.