Step by Step Eye Makeup Photo Tutorial

Step by step pictures on applying eye makeup can help create a much needed visual for a basic eye makeup look. Once you master the basic steps to a pretty, polished eye, it's easy to expand to more complicated and artistic eye makeup styles.

The first step for most women is to apply under-eye concealer to hide dark circles or other flaws. Apply with a brush or with the index finger in a light tapping motion until the product is smoothed under the eye. If you don't need to cover any under eye imperfections, you can skip this step.

Apply a small amount of primer to the lid with a brush or your index finger. You can use a product made specifically to prime the eye (this will allow makeup to last the longest) or use a small amount of eye cream or concealer.

Next, apply your base eye shadow on the lid of the eye. The base eye shadow is usually a light to medium color and will be applied to the lid of the eye using a small or medium eye shadow brush.

Next, apply the highlight color. This is typically a lighter shade, or the lightest shade in an eye shadow trio. Apply the highlight shade to the brow bone and any other areas you want to highlights, such as the inner corner of the eye.

Apply the contour shade is in the crease of the eye and blend outward in your desired shape. This is a darker shade and really helps define the eye. It is typically applied using a smaller eye shadow brush because the color is more concentrated and you are creating definition.

Although contouring can be done in many ways, one of the most popular is to create a slight "v" at the corner of the eye. This helps make the eye appear more open and creates excellent definition.

Use a larger-sized eye shadow brush and blend the eye shadows well. Unless you are going for an avant garde or artistic look, eye shadow tends to look much better and more natural if it is well blended without harsh lines.

Apply eyeliner to the top lid. You can apply eyeliner as a pencil or a liquid or with an eyeliner brush if it is a gel or cream formula. Kohl pencil is the most popular; use short, small strokes to connect the line along the top of the eyelid, close to the lash bed.

Place liquid liner or gel liners on the eye in a smooth movement in a thin line. Then build the thickness of the line as desired.

Curl the eyelashes with an eyelash curler. Gently squeeze the curler together at the base of the lashes and hold for a few seconds. You can also 'walk' the curler up the rest of the lashes and repeat for a longer look and more curl.

After curling lashes, apply mascara to the top lashes. Tilt your head back and gently move the mascara wand from root to tip. Apply additional coats as desired.

It's not always necessary to add mascara to the lower lashes, but if you wish to do so, hold the mascara wand vertically and move across the lower lash line. This trick helps catch each of the smaller lower lashes.

Eyebrow corrector can help add definition and polish to brows and really add to your overall eye makeup look. These come in pencil and powder form and should be applied with short, light strokes.

By practicing, you'll find out which types of eye makeup and which styles of application work best for you. Although these steps provide you with a naturally beautiful style of eye makeup, there are many ways to get creative with your look.

Once you are comfortable with the basic steps, experiment with different colors, designs, and styles that interest you.