Time needed: 10 minutes.
Makeup has evolved throughout the ages resulting in a variety of different categories. The Asian eye make up is one of them and it is gaining popularity continuously. It’s interesting to look at how this kind of makeup came into existence, how it changed and what influenced its evolution.
Makeup trends always change over the years. When I was in high school, all the girls were crazy about blue eyeshadow. In college, it was Victorian style makeup. Nowadays, celebrities are wearing a lot of Asian eye makeup. If you’re trying to do an Asian eye makeup look to attempt for Halloween or any other reason, this article is for you.
For centuries, Asian women have been admired for their delicate features. Their eyes are considered by many to be the most expressive of any culture around. I think we can say that Asian eye makeup is popular especially with the changes in today’s fashion world. There are many benefits that knowing how to apply the perfect eye makeup can bring to your face, like enhancing it and making it more beautiful. That is why you should know more about every part of making your eyes look even better as possible.
Have you ever wanted to try Asian Eye Makeup? Or at least learn about it? Or do you even have any idea what it really is? It’s a very popular look amongst Korean and Japanese women. This style of eye makeup often includes a brighter color on the upper eyelid with the bottom lash line being lighter and more natural looking. I love this style because it makes your eyes pop! Then let’s get started!
- PRIME EYELIDS
When applying any eye makeup, it is crucial to start off with a clean slate. This means, you’ll want to start with a proper base that’ll not only prevent your eyes from appearing oily throughout the day but also bring out the full effect of your Asian eye makeup. It’s really easy to achieve the perfect base just by using a concealer!
Eyelid priming before putting on eye makeup will prevent your eyeshadow from creasing and smudging throughout the day. Choose an eye primer that is close to your skin color, but try going for a lighter color if you have fair skin or a darker color if you have tanned skin.
The skin around our eyes is very sensitive which means you need to make sure it’s well cared for. And in order to do that you must have a concealer that will allow your eye makeup to last all day!
Credits @viviaandao - EYESHADOW
After you’ve applied the base or primer, it’s time to turn your attention to the eyeshadow. The first step is to pack the light shade in the outer V and inner thirds of the eye, with slight emphasis in the inner corner. Packing means you want to take a soft or flat brush and apply shadow from about a third of the way across your eyelid outwards.
This step is crucial to creating an Asian eye look. Since you’re using a dark color, you need to make sure that you pack on enough color so when you blend it out, it’s still dark and vibrant. If you use too little (I know from experience), then your eyeshadow will lose some intensity once you wash the color out.
Remember that Asians have mono lids (single eyelids), which means our eyes are deep set and the shape of the eye itself is round. This means that when applying eyeshadow, we need to be cognizant of these facts in order to create a good shape for our eyes.
Credits @viviaandao - CONNECT EYESHADOW
After applying some eye shadow in the outer v and in the inner third of your crease, the general theory is to connect these two using a ”Z”-shaped motion, first with a pencil brush and then with either a small brush or (my favorite) an eyeshadow brush dipped in water. The advantage of water is that it’s easier to control than simply your finger or sponge; it doesn’t pick up any excess shadow (it’s not porous), and best of all, it gives you a lot of fluidity.
The outer third of the lid is connected to the crease using a black or dark eyeshadow. This helps define the eyes and makes them more obvious. By connecting the outer V to the crease, this helps the eyes stand out from the face better.
To keep this sort of look natural, you want to focus on the outer V and the inner thirds of the eye, as well as in the crease. Asian makeup doesn’t usually feature a lot of shadow in the outer corner or on the brow bone.
Credits @viviaandao - BLEND EYESHADOW
A common makeup mistake is applying eyeshadow too heavily in the outer V and darker inner corners. You want to apply eyeshadow, blend and build up color as you move it towards the lash line. This is why applying more eyeshadow looks great in the center of your eyelid but fades towards the outer corner. You will also notice that I applied my dark shadow on the center of my lid only a little bit, and blended it towards my crease where I also applied eyeliner.
By now, you should have a thick outline of your eyeshadow. Don’t worry if your line doesn’t look precise at this stage. Using the same technique as you did for lining, blend the eyeshadow in the outer V and inner thirds of the eye in the crease. This is where the most shading will be occurring and you want it to appear smooth and soft to give it depth.
It’s important to blend the eyeshadow nicely and well so that it creates a smooth gradient and transition from light to dark shades. Applying the color on the outer “V” of the eye and on the inner third, in the crease area, helps create a stronger definition between your eyelid color (i.e. your eyeshadow) and your eyebrows while also creating dimension. Never apply eyeshadow above the crease as this will make you look older.
Credits @viviaandao - CONCEALER
In this technique you add the concealer at the center of your eyelid. This will be your foreground where your makeup will appear. The concealer here should be a bit thicker than usual. The amount should be about 3/4 times the usual amount of concealer you use on the eyes. Then after applying some makeup on it you then use some shimmery eyeshadow over it and blend it till there is a smooth surface. If done well this technique will produce some nice effects for you when you are in the dark. The shimmery eyeshadow adds more sparkling and the thickness of your eyelid makes some more voluminous look to your eye area.
Putting a little bit of concealer will create the shade you look and become smoother when you put on the eyeshadow. Some people like using foundation, but I don’t really like that because it tends to make my skin oily as the day progresses. Concealer is a really good alternative since its main job is that of concealing your skin imperfections anyway and not to cover you up too much. After that, go ahead and put on the shimmery eyeshadow.
I like using a concealer instead of a foundation for my makeup because it’s lighter and looks much prettier. Plus, you can take care of dark eye circles with it. Once you have enough concealer on, put some shimmery eyeshadow on top of your lash line. Nude color is best here, but you can use pink or brown to make your eyes look bigger.
Credits @viviaanda - BLEND
In this step you want to blend out any harsh lines. When doing this step try to apply a very small amount of powder because even though the color has been set, you still may wipe some off. If you find that there is too much powder on your eyelid, take a Q-tip and gently remove the excess and blend out with another makeup brush.
As you blend, keep a tight grip around the perimeter of the eye especially underneath the eye. This will prevent any fallout or smudges and make sure that your makeup stays intact for the entire day. You don’t want to create harsh lines under your eyes because that would obviously look really bad and make more work for you.
It is important to blend out and soften the edges of any hard or unnatural lines. This helps to make the eye makeup appear more natural.
Credits @viviaanda
