Five ways to get the most out of your humble brown eyeshadow
Matte brown eyeshadow might seem boring to you, but it can be one of the most useful pieces of makeup in your kit once you learn how unlock its potential. It can do so much especially when you have the right shade! The most versatile is a medium neutral brown with a matte finish. A good neutral eyeshadow palette should have one in it but lots of brands sell singles as well. Consider it if you want to have more product and extra space to move your brushes around.
In this quick tutorial, I used the MAC Eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown five other ways aside from its intended application. Here's why brown eyeshadow should be your makeup bag staple!
#1: Get soft, polished eyebrows
Why just keep it on your lids when eyeshadow can work on your brows just as well? Choose a shade that closely matches your hair and use it to fill in your arches. Be careful though: eyeshadows are sometimes more intensely pigmented than their brow powder counterparts so start by applying sparingly with a light hand. Make sure to brush it out with a spoolie after!
As eyebrow powder
#2: Achieve that smoky yet subtle line
Eyeliner and eyeshadow are both applied on the lids so it makes sense that you can substitute one for the other. You can't do any tightlining or uber crisp lines like a gel or liquid liner but the brown color will create a softer liner look. To intensify the color of the powder, you can lightly wet your eyeliner brush with clean water before dipping it into the eyeshadow. You can even use a liner sealer like the Inglot Duraline to get a long-lasting, intense line.
As eyeliner
#3: Contour to your heart's content
Most contour powders are dark and brownish in color, very similar to brown eyeshadow which makes for an excellent substitute in a pinch. A neutral matte brown creates a natural-looking shadow on the skin, and it can even be used to contour along the sides of your nose! Just use an angled brush to apply a sheer layer of brown right under your cheekbones and jawline. Use an eyeshadow blending brush to subtly shade your nose and eye crease.
As nose contour
#4: Try drawing an aegyo sal, the K-beauty secret to a youthful look
Have you seen that meme of how K-Pop stars look without aegyo sal, aka the little fatty pouch under the eye? It’s amazing how weird they looked without some deliberately-placed shadow, and its absence did make them look older. It still sounds weird to us to create "eye bags" where we were taught they shouldn't be, but doing so makes the eyes look bigger and fresher - strange, but true! Just apply light shading under the bag of the eyes to get the effect.
#4: Fake thicker hair by evening out your hairline
This is something Koreans also inspired as well - a neat yet natural-looking hairline. If you want to create an impression of depth and volume for your hair or just really want your baby hair not to stand out too much, just shade your hairline with a blush brush. Add more intensity as needed but keep everything well blended! You can also thicken your part the same way.
Hope you see your brown eyeshadow in a new light! Have you ever tried using your brown eyeshadow on other parts of your face? Which one of these tips would you like try? Let us know your own picks for the best matte neutral brown eyeshadows, too!
