Applying your eye shadow is an art in and of itself, but don’t let that scare you away. As you experiment with blending different colors and tones to highlight and shade different parts of your eyelids, you will have fun discovering the different effects you can create with eye shadow! The most basic – and most common – technique is to use lighter shades closest to the lashes and up over the eye lid, with progressively darker tones applied to the crease and back corner. The most common type of eye shadow comes in a powder form, but you can also find beautiful shadows in pencils, creams and liquids. Eye shadows can be applied with brushes or sponge-tipped applicators, with the size of the brush or applicator proportionately matched to the area of the eye to achieve a well-blended design. Be sure that your brush or applicator is soft and smooth so the product is applied without irritating the sensitive skin of your eyelid. And pay close attention to how you blend your colors, keeping in mind that bolder, brighter colors will create a more dramatic effect, while neutral, earth and skin tones will result in a more elegant and understated look. Eye shadow is more about shaping and shading the eyes than it is about coloring the eyes.