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Eye shadow can be scary. I get it. Colorful eye makeup is my thing, yet I still find myself reluctantly exploring the world of eye shadow. So many different shapes and sizes of brushes exist for the sole purpose of transporting pigment from a pan to your lid in an artful fashion. All of the options can be exhausting and intimidating. Don't get me started on blending either. My wrist hurts just thinking about it.
Luckily, you can still add color and shimmer to your lids without grabbing a handful of brushes, finessing them with a certain flick and twist of the wrist, or ending up with muddy eye shadow. All you really need is your fingers. If you don't trust me, take the word of four professional makeup artists. I asked them to share exactly how to successfully apply eye shadow without any tools and not one of them told me, "Oh, that's not possible."
In fact, Los Angeles-based makeup artist Fiona Stiles often ditches her brushes in favor of the tools she was born with. "I use my fingers for shadows all the time, at work and on myself," she says. "At work I use them to lay on color in a more concentrated way, and on myself, I use them to create a wash of shadow on the lid." Mind you, when Stiles is at work, she adorns the faces of Gabrielle Union-Wade and Lily Collins. If finger-painted-on shadow is good enough for them, then it's good enough for us.
With this in mind, I put together a handy guide to applying eye shadow with your fingers.
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The amount of eye shadow formula choices these days are about as numerous as the brushes available. And new ones have been dropping that are made specifically for finger application, like Tarte's Foil Finger Pocket Palettes. Those aside, I'll try to make the other formulas as easy to navigate as possible.
"If anything, you want to avoid dark, matte shadows because they are trickier to work with and you can often see streaks and patchiness if you apply them with your fingers," says Emily Cheng, a makeup artist based in Los Angeles. Instead, seek out lighter, brighter shades with a shimmery or glittery finish as they are more forgiving and easier to blend out, adds Los Angeles-based makeup artist Mai Quynh.
Out of all the eye shadow formulas you could find on the market right now, an eye shadow stick is the most foolproof selection. "You can apply them directly onto the eyelid and then blend out — super effortless," Cheng explains. Try the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Pencil or the CoverGirl TruNaked Queenship Shadow Sticks. I'm not a fan of shadow sticks, but I have friends who swear by them. To each their own.
For something a bit more blendable, all the makeup artists I talked to agree that cream formulas lend themselves to incredibly easy application. "They glide on effortlessly with fingers and I find some are even better when applied with fingers," Cheng says. (I second that.) Stiles is a fan of the Supergoop Shimmershade for neutral looks and the Rituel de Fille Ash and Ember Eye Soots for the unexpected color range. As for the latter, I must admit the shade called Viscera (metallic scarlet) is one of my favorite eye shadows of all time.
The most long-wearing option is liquid shadow. Not only are the tubes incredibly portable, but you can seamlessly build up pigment from a subtle wash to an intense color moment. "I love the new Kosas 10-Second Liquid Eyeshadows," Stiles adds. "The colors are bold, and the coverage is great. You can smudge it onto the lid without being too concerned with perfection. I recommend putting a bit on the back of your hand, dipping your finger into it, and then applying to the lid until you feel comfortable with the dry time." My personal favorite shade is the pearly cobalt Nitrogen.
Before we dive into logistics, Stiles quickly prefaces the goal: "If you aren’t using brushes and are using your fingers, don’t expect to create a sharp cut crease. Ease is the name of the game here," she explains. "It’s about a soft wash of color or a concentration of one shade — not a rainbow of colors intricately blended."
Another word of caution: Wait to swipe on mascara until after you're done with your shadow. "With fingers, you might have a little less precision and you don't want your lashes looking dusty," Cheng says.
Now that we know what look we're going for, allow New York City-based makeup artist Yuui Vision to introduce the first (and arguably the most important) step: "Clean your hands," she states. "The eye area is very sensitive and you do not want any germs in your eyes."
Once your hands are clean, it's time to dip into some shadows, specifically with your ring finger. As Vision points out, this finger is the gentlest on the thin skin around the eyes. After coating your ring finger in pigment, Vision recommends dabbing it where you want the color on your lid to be the most prominent. Then you can blend the hue with your middle finger. Continue alternating between those two fingers until you achieve your desired look.
If you plan to add a second or third color to your eye makeup look, Quynh suggests starting with the lightest color on your index finger and blending it out with your ring finger. Then you can add the darkest shadow with your pinkie and run it along your lash line for a smoky liner effect. "I picked these specific fingers because the index finger will pick up the most color," she explains. "The ring finger will be the weakest, so it will be the best to blend out the edges, and the pinkie finger is the smallest to try to do liner with."
See, eye shadow can be fun and approachable. Now, go forth and feel free to use your fingers to add a shock or a kiss of color on your lids. You might as well apply your foundation with your hands too, while you're at it.
Read more about eye shadow tips:
- The Eye Primer Trick That Makes Your Shadow Look Super Pigmented
- 3 Ways I Mastered Eye Shadow for My Hooded Eyes
- How to Blend Eye Shadow Like a Pro Makeup Artist
Now, learn about 100 years of eye shadow history:
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