Anonymous asked: I get kinda sad seeing palettes with a LOT of shades because I want them but if a palette doesn't point out what shades go with what I don't know how to pair them :( I had an elf palette I hardly even use because I don't know what goes wit what

makeupproject-deactivated201701:

don’t worry it takes a while to feel comfortable picking your own combos! look at it like its fun though don’t be discouraged bc if u end up with smth u hate u can always wipe it away sometimes u just gotta get into it (especially with shadow bc there are sooo many options out there). here’s some tips:

•don’t rely too heavily on palette suggestions. eyeshadow is v versatile and its hard to give a one size fits all tutorial bc of that so sometimes u just have to start and get into it! if u don’t like the end result u always can wipe it away don’t be scared to experiment. whenever i do smth with shadow i force myself to choose a new color and try different things it helps u learn and gets u out of ur comfort zone

•start subtle. go for shades that are similar to your skin tone or colors that ur rly drawn to and feel comfortable with if u break out of ur comfort zone right away it might scare u off eyeshadow bc its such a different look incorporate the new dramatic shades slowly and pair them with those “safe” neutrals

•use a color wheel. understanding color theory can get u started off on a safe road and give u a lot of ideas for pairing +/+/+

•base off ur wardrobe. try coordinating your makeup with ur outfits. you don’t have to be rly matchy but if you’re wearing a shirt with a lot of bright blue or green, you could try using a light blue on ur lower lash line or smth like that.

•less is more. ofc there are those rly complicated looks that use like 6+ different shadows for one look and those are fun but when you’re first starting out it can be overwhelming try pairing two main shades and using them with those safe base neutrals i mentioned. concentrate on making just those colors pop and blend good before u focus on extra shades

•create a large inspiration pool to draw from. grab old vogues, watch tons of yt tutorials, follow muas on insta, ect. i get tons of inspiration for eyeshadow looks from so many different sources and i think it helps a lot if u wanna move past a basic everyday look