There's an outlier in every great eyeshadow compact—a black-sheep pigment that remains untouched as the shades around it disappear with overuse. Maybe it's burnt orange or brick red—bright, beautiful...intimidating. Here, makeup artist Miguel Lledo shows us how to work with the outlier from three of our favorite shadow palettes. The trick, he says, is applying it in tandem with all the other colors in the set.
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1
Red Alert
Hellin Kay
Outlier: red.
NYX Rocker Chic palette in Tainted Love, $18, available online or at NYX brick-and-mortar stores
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2
Prep Lids
Hellin Kay
With a small eyeshadow brush, sweep the light peach shade across the lid up to the crease and into the inner corner. The neutral shade will anchor bolder layers, Lledo says.
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3
Define the Crease
Hellin Kay
With a fluffy eyeshadow brush (which helps diffuse a bold color), apply the blue shade along and slightly above the crease, extending the line out past the outer corner. Next, trace the brush outward along the bottom lash line and back over the lid, stopping midway above the pupil.
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4
Layer Up
Hellin Kay
Now comes the outlier color. With the same fluffy brush, top the blue shadow with red pigment. "The blending of this cool blue shade with the warm red creates a beautiful smoky purple," Lledo says.
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5
Soften Up
Hellin Kay
To diffuse the look (unless you're all about drama) blend the shimmery gray shade over the lid and into the inner corner.
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6
Orange S.O.S.
Hellin Kay
Outlier: orange
Dolce & Gabbana The Eyeshadow Quad in Cocoa, $62, Nordstrom
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7
Highlight the Inner Corners
Hellin Kay
After sweeping the lightest, peachy shade all over the lid and under the brow bone, use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to apply the orange shade around your eye's inner corner: Sweep it up to the brow and down along the lower lashline. The placement of the color helps make the whites of the eyes look even brighter, Lledo says.
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8
Wing it
Hellin Kay
Wet a small, stiff brush and use it to apply the medium brown color along the top and bottom lash lines, extending past the outer corner to create a small wing. Wetting the brush gives a sexy, smudgy effect, Lledo says.
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9
Add Definition
Hellin Kay
Apply the darkest shade (a deep, rich brown) along the crease and the bottom lash line, extending it over the wing for a soft smolder.
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10
Code Blue
Hellin Kay
Outlier: aqua
Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Color Quad #310, $55 and Eye Color Quad Case, $25, Clé de Peau Beauté
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11
Define the Crease
Hellin Kay
First, apply the light shimmery pink all the way up to the brow bone and along the tear duct. Next, grab a dense, stiff eyeshadow brush (it concentrates the color) and sweep the aqua in question along the crease, extending it past the outer corner. Lledo suggests using a dry Q-tip to clean any migrating product and make the line sharper.
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12
Intensify
Hellin Kay
With a small, fluffy brush, sweep the purple shade into the crease from mid-pupil to just beyond the outer corner. "Leaving a little bit of blue adds lightness to the eyes," Lledo says.
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13
Blend to Diffuse
Hellin Kay
Swipe the shimmery brown shade onto the outside half of each lid and blend so that there's a seamless transition to the purple. This neutral shade acts as a diffuser, Lledo says, so the look has a cool gradient effect.