Eyeshadow 101.

I am so excited to start posting about specific makeup looks and ideas, but first I wanted to give you some definitions and such for words that I like to use when I talk about makeup. I don't mean to insult any of your intelligence, and if you think you know this stuff already, feel free to just look at the pictures :) For some of you who are just getting started, or are just interested, in makeup, I really just want you to know what I mean when I say certain things.

My friend Myra graciously allowed me to use her lovely eyes as examples for this post. She's a rockstar. I did my best to get the colors where I wanted them, but forgive the crooked lines. Using Paint is not necessarily a strength of mine.

Oh, and I believe that eyeshadow is one word. No matter what spell check has to say. I like to live on the edge and all that.

Here we go.

Eyeshadow Finishes

Shimmer: Shimmer eyeshadows can look very different from one to another. Some just have a very soft, barely-there sheen to them, while others are filled with chunks of glitter. I happen to appreciate the entire range of shimmer shadows very much. Some people like to differentiate between the different degrees of shimmer with words like pearl or glitter, but I really just like to keep it simple and say shimmer if it shimmers at all.

This is NYX's Mermaid Green Single Eyeshadow. It is a pretty classic example of a basic shimmer eyeshadow. The camera didn't quite get the loveliness of the color, but hopefully you get the idea :)

This is what we would probably call a metallic eyeshadow, which is just a sort of specific kind of shimmer shadow. These ones tend to look, well, like metal. It's Sephora's Outrageous Primsa Chrome Eyeshadow in Outrageous Metallic Beige and it is freakishly beautiful.

Here we have Milani's Runway Eyes Eyeshadow in Black Out. It's a bit difficult to really get a grasp on this color from the picture, but it is an actually almost matte shadow with very fine glitter worked through it. It gives a different effect than what a shadow like Mermaid Green (above) would. Just more glitter-like. Trust me, it's not as complicated as it seems.

And this is Wet 'n' Wild's Coloricon Shimmer Single Eyeshadow in Trashed. It is another almost matte color, but it has larger pieces of glitter worked through it. This is what we could call a glitter eyeshadow, but, again, I'll mostly just refer to any of these types as shimmer.

Matte: A matte shadow is one that does not have any shimmer to it. That's basically it.

This lovely is Wet 'n' Wild's Coloricon Eyeshadow Single in Panther. It is a black that is very serious about its job, and it is completely matte.

Parts of the Eye (That We Put Eyeshadow On, This Isn't an Anatomy Lesson, After All)

Everyone has different eye shapes and set ups, so I am just going to give you terms and definitions that fit the common, or standard eye shape. If you have hooded eyes or really large eyes or what-have-you eyes, just try to think about the words that I use in relation to your own eyes. I'll try not to be exclusive as much as possible, but I spend the most time with my own eyes, and when I describe things to you that I do on my face, I just want you to know what I mean :)

The Lid: This is the part of the eye that is below your crease. It covers your actual eyeball when the eye is closed.

The Upper and Lower Lashlines: These are just what they sound like. It's the part of your eye where the roots of your lashes meet skin.

The Crease: This is the part, of most eyes, that is created when the eye is opened. It is essentially a fold of skin created by the lid's and the skin under the eyebrow's meeting. It is usually a crescent shape, but changes with the shape of peoples' eyes. This could also be called the socket, which is decidedly more descriptive.

This is where the crease is when the eye is closed. When eyeshadow is there, it essentially just outlines the eyeball.

The Upper and Lower Waterlines: The upper water line is also called the tightline. These are the skinny lines of skin that are closest to your actual eyeball. (When you look at your eye, it goes eyeball, waterline, lashline. Make sense? Hopefully.) The upper one is harder to see, but if you put a mirror on a table in front of you and look down into it while pressing your upper eyelashes back with your finger, gently, you can see it pretty well.

I did my best to outline where Myra's waterlines are. Maybe just looking at the eye without the yellow lines will help you more.

The Browbone: I use this word to cover any part of the eye that is above the crease and below the eyebrow. It is generally visible whether the eye is open or closed. You can actually feel the bone if you just press your finger up under your eyebrow.

The Inner Corner: This is just what it sounds like: the skin that makes (usually) a triangle right next to the top of the bridge of your nose. The waterline-ish area in that same part of the eye is usually called the tear duct. I don't often put makeup there, but sometimes I'll put eyeliner there for a really smoky look.

The Outer Corner: This is where the outer edge of the lid and crease meet. Usually this is the darkest part of a conventional eyeshadow look.

Some Other Words I Might Throw Around...

Highlight: This just means a color that is very light and potentially shimmery. I'll use colors like this to lighten up the browbone and inner corner, and when I put them there, I'll probably refer to them as highlights.
Pigment/Pigmentation/Pigmented: This just refers to the level to which an eyeshadow is rich in color and texture. Generally, we want to use eyeshadows that are very pigmented and soft. Some of the best powder eyeshadows almost feel like creams.
Swatch: A swatch is just a way to display a color. When I get a new shadow or palette, I will usually play around with the colors just by spreading them on the back of my hand or swirling my finger in them a bit. If a shadow comes out well in a swatch, it is very likely to be great on the eyes.


Thanks for sticking with me, and keep an eye out for Eyeshadow 201!