How to Apply Nude Eye Makeup

Co-authored by Yuka Arora

Last Updated: June 18, 2021

Nude eye shadow is a good everyday look. You can enhance your natural beauty without wearing a lot of makeup. Nude colors match your natural skin tone and are used to make your eyes look bigger and brighter. You will start with a basic foundation of primer. From there, you will fill in your eyes using neutral shades of eyeliner. You can finish up the look with a gentle touch of mascara and eyeliner.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Laying Down the Foundation

1
Select three colors. You want three colors that are close to your natural skin color. They should form a gradient, moving from light to dark. The shades should be in the same basic color family. For example, if you pick grays as your shades, pick a white, a light gray, and a dark gray.
- You want something close to your skin color. Remember, the point of a neutral look is to make it look as if your'e not wearing a lot of makeup, so you don't want to pick something too bright or gaudy.
2
Brush and define your brows. You should start by filling in your brows with a light dark or gray brow pencil. Pick a color that matches your regular eyebrow shade You don't want to do too much outlining or coloring here. You want it to look minimal.^{[1]
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- Start by brushing out your brows with a clean eyebrow brush. Run the brush through either brow, using quick swiping gestures, to fill in any patches in your eyebrow hair.
- If there are still parts of your brows that are patchy, fill these in with your eyebrow pencil. Fill them in sparingly, however. You don't want to make your eyebrows look too dark or defined. Only fill in bald spots or areas where your hair is thin.^{[2]
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  Research source} Always move your brow brush in the natural direction of your eyebrow hair.
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3
Apply primer and base to your lids. You should always dab your eyes with a solid primer before you begin any eye makeup routine. Primer will help your makeup look defined and will minimize discoloration. You can dab primer onto your eyelids with your fingers. Then, gently dab the primer into your skin.^{[3]
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- Wash your hands before applying primer.
- If you don't have primer, you can use concealer instead. It should produce the same effect, as long as your'e using a concealer with a thicker consistency.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Applying Eye Shadow

1
Dust your crease with the second lightest color. Choose the color that falls in the middle of your color gradient. Use a larger eye shadow brush to dust your crease lightly with that color. This will provide a transition between the darker and lighter shades you apply throughout your eyelid^{[5]
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- If you're unfamiliar with doing makeup, the crease is the area between the uppermost part of your eyelid and your brow bone.
- Use gentle, circular motions to apply the eye shadow to your eyelid.
2
Add the lightest color on the outer lid. The outer lid is the corner of your eyelid closer to your temples. Use a corner brush to apply your second lightest shade to your outer lid. A corner brush is a much shorter, thinner brush, designed to pinpoint the corner of the eyes.^{[6]
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- Gently dab the eyeshadow on. Move from the corner of your eye inward, covering about two thirds of your eyelid with the second lightest color.
- Use light, gentle swiping motions. Use a few layers, enough that the color is distinct and brings out your eye without being overpowering. Less is generally more when going for a nude look.
3
Fill in your crease with the darkest color. Take your darkest color and use a blending brush, which is a larger, fluffier eye shadow brush. Starting at your outer lid, use sideways swiping motions to fill in your crease. You want to make your crease slightly more defined by filling it in a little more with a darker shade.^{[7]
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- You should also apply a small amount of the darker color to your lower lash line. This will make your eyes look a little wider.
4
Blend everything with the second lightest color. Take the second lightest color again. Apply it to a blending brush and gently dust it over the out corner of your eye, making a v-shape with this color that surrounds your eye.^{[8]
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- When you finish the v-shape, use circular motions and move the brush over the corner of your eye and your eyelid.
- Keep blending until all the colors run together slightly, giving your makeup a more even look.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finishing Up the Look

1
Touch up your eyebrows. Once you're done with your eyes, return to your eyebrows. You should use a corner brush to gently highlight your eyebrows with the lightest shade of eye shadow.^{[9]
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- Draw a line running underneath each eyebrow. Then, gently pat the eye shadow into your skin using your fingers to blend.
- You can use a lighter shade if you don't want to use the same eye shadow you used on your eyes. However, make sure to avoid anything shimmery. This will not look natural and can be distracting.
2
Add eyeliner. A light amount of liquid eyeliner is all you need for a nude look. Work with one eye at a time. Close your eye and draw a thin line across the upper lash line. Go slowly, to avoid smudging the eye liner. It can be difficult to remove smudged eyeliner without removing some of your eyeshadow.^{[10]
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- It can help to apply a dark shade of eye shadow, such as black, to a corner brush. Then, gently draw a line with eye shadow along your lash line. This can help guide you as you apply your eyeliner.
3
Apply mascara. As with eyeliner, a small amount of mascara is all that's necessary for a nude look. All you need to do is apply your regular mascara, using the brush that came in the tube.^{[11]
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- Go slowly when applying mascara. You don't want to accidentally get mascara on your eyelid or upper brow bone.
- If you want to use an eyelash curler, this can make your eyelashes look more distinct. However, if you're going for a more natural look, this may look a little too bold.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I make my eyes look natural?

Yuka Arora
Makeup Artist
Yuka Arora is a self-taught makeup artist who specializes in abstract eye art. She has been experimenting with makeup art for over 5 years, and has amassed over 5.6K Instagram followers in just 5 months. Her colorful and abstract looks have been noticed by Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Kat Von D Beauty, Sephora Collection, among others.

Yuka Arora

Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Get a more subtle look with a single shade to save time. For my everyday look, I just wear one eyeshadow. It's a bronzy brown, and I put it on top of my lids and below my lash line, then I blend it out.
Question

Can I use my finger to dust my crease if I do not have a brush?

Community Answer

Yes, or you can use a Q-Tip.
Question

What do I do if I don't have a primer, concealer or foundation?

Owls2014

Community Answer

As long as you have the right eye-shadow colors and eye-shadow applicators, you should be able to create a look that resembles the one in the tutorial.