Natural Eye Makeup Never Goes Out of Style—and for Good Reason

Now, if you think the natural eye makeup look is all about a casual, no-makeup makeup look, you’d only be half right. While you can go low-key with brown and tan eye makeup, you can also go big and bold with a smoky eye, shimmery lids, and a dark smudge on the waterline. Neutrals don’t have to be boring! That’s why natural eye makeup continues to be on-trend. It’s really for everyone and every skill level.

How to nail the perfect natural eye makeup:

You don’t have to be a makeup artist or a beauty influencer to try the now-classic neutral eye. But luckily, we do have Joseph Carrillo, celebrity and editorial makeup artist, to give us the run-down on what he calls his “go-to” makeup look. “It can be worn day or night,” he says. “And it can be jazzed up or down with lipstick and eyeliner.” Carrillo has worked with major names including Dianna Agron, Madelaine Petsch, and Alexa Chung, and uses what he calls a timeless eyeshadow look for the red carpet. Though, he does admit, natural eye makeup starts trending again when a member of the Kardashian-Jenner family rocks the look. Call it the JLo effect.

Carrillo gave us a simple natural eye makeup tutorial to try the look at home. You can use any of the products you have in your beauty kit including makeup brushes, but of course we have some stellar recommendations for you, as well. But first, prime, prime, prime! Carrillo can’t say enough about eye primer, like THE BEAUTY CROP Stuck On You Eyeshadow Primer. This will ensure all your hard work stays put and doesn’t transfer or fade.

Next, Carrillo likes to use a “soft highlight color under the brow bone, blended to the crease.” An eyeshadow hue such as the lightest shade in WANDER BEAUTY’s Wanderess Rush Eyeshadow Palette would work well for this. Then, using a windshield wiper motion, you’ll want to apply a soft brown eyeshadow color into the crease and focusing on the outer corners. Here’s where you can have a little fun. Pack a shimmery pigment right onto the lid. The ORYZA Camo Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette has four gorgeous options. Use a lighter brown or even a pink or gold. Look at your skin tone and choose a complementary hue that makes your eyes pop.

Now, you’ll want to up your makeup look with some extras. Grab that first shimmery light eyeshadow color and pop it into the inner corners of your eyes to make them sparkle. Finish by curling your lashes and adding tons of mascara. We love the BENEFIT COSMETICS Roller Lash Mascara in Black for the way it lifts and separates as it coats each lash. And that’s it! A makeup look that feels effortless but makes a major impact.

More tips for your natural eye look:

1. Sometimes eyeliner, especially black, can look a little intense for daytime. Instead use an angled brush to smudge black eyeshadow close to the lash line for a softer glam. If black eyeshadow still feels too harsh, try a midnight blue, such as IBY BEAUTY Eyeshadow in Midnight Sky. The shade is especially pretty against brown eyes.
2. Do you have a go-to bronzer already? Perfect. Take a look at it closely and see what you like most about it. Is it the warmth? The deep color? This is important because it’s probably also your best crease color, says Carrillo. If approved for the eye, you can literally use that bronzer in your crease. Or go for a similar brown eyeshadow color such as MEECH N MIA Loose Pigment in Brown.
3. We told you how important eye primer is. Well, if you don’t have one on-hand, you can use a concealer, ideally one that’s a bit lighter than your skin tone. This will still keep your eyeshadow from fading, and it’ll also create a lighter base to really make the eyeshadow color pop. A full-coverage concealer that also hides your dark circles is your best bet here. We love MORPHE Fluidity Full-Coverage Concealer for the way it hides redness while being seemingly immune to sweat.
4. If you’re having trouble seeing exactly where your crease is, grab the closest makeup mirror. Tilt your head back and look down into the mirror. You’ll see more of your lid and really see where to apply the eyeshadow. This works especially well for those who don’t have a ton of lid space to begin with.
5. We already told you to add light, shimmer eyeshadow into the inner corner of your eyes. To make your eyes look bigger and wider, add the same or a similar light shimmer shadow in the middle of your eyelids right over your pupil. We love the lightest shade in the ORYZA Precious Platinum Shimmer Eyeshadow palette. To apply, you can use a small eyeshadow brush designed for packing pigment, or even just the tip of your finger.
6. For a more natural eyeliner look, skip the bottom waterline and only apply brown eyeliner to the top lash line. It’s a pretty and effortless look for work, school, or a date. L.O.C.K. COLOR LOCK IT Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner in Pearl Brown glides on like a gel and has a beautiful bronze shimmer finish.

Our Favorite Natural Eye Looks:

1. Soft Glam 

The queen of neutral eyeshadow, Kim Karashian almost always wears a version of a natural eye. She knows exactly what shades work for her skin tone. Kardashian favors a taupe color on her lids and smudged brown eyeshadow on the lower lash line. She also highlights her brow bone for a shimmery pop when she turns her head. Get the look by applying your favorite highlighter right over your brow bone just as if you were highlighting your cheek bone. (You can do that too!) MICABEAUTY Highlighting Powder in Shade #3 gives skin a candlelit glow.

2. Smoky Cat Eye

Camila Cabello always looks great but she’s especially on-point when she rocks a neutral smoky eye. It’s a less dramatic way of wearing the trend but still glam enough for the red carpet. What makes this look have a cat eye vibe? Well, she focuses the brown eyeshadow colors towards the outer corners of her eyes, leaving the inner corners more skin-colored. This gives the appearance of a cat eye without the black wing. Use an angled brush to sweep shadow up and out. Try the matte and shimmer shades in the HUDA BEAUTY Obsessions Palette in Warm Brown to create endless eye looks.

3. Go for the Drama

Willow Smith did not come to play with this smoky eye. Her makeup artist used black eyeshadow to line her eyes and bring all the drama. The inky eyeshadow is then shaded out onto her lids and a lighter, shimmer shade is applied above it and up towards the brows. It adds dimension and gives a hint of glamour. Get the look with the BANG BEAUTY Eyeshadow Quad in Smokey, with its intensely pigmented shades—including black.

Now, grab all the products you need to nail a neutral eye. Want in on all the IPSY Glam Bag fun? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started. Already an Ipster? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and Twitter @IPSY.

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