I feel like I do OK when it comes to looks that I’m very comfortable with. If it’s something smokey or super blown-out, I think what I end up with is not completely hideous.
But I definitely feel like I have A LOT of room to grow, because I tend to over-blend (I JUST CAN’T STOP!), which makes things like cut-crease looks very challenging.
At least with makeup, the practicing is fun. 🙂
What about you? How confident are you in your blending skills?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Just in case no one has told you yet today, you’re wonderful, and don’t you forget it.
I feel kinda the same as you. If I’m comfortable with what I’m doing and it’s a look I’ve done before then I am fairly confident in my blending ability but if it’s something I’m trying for the first time, I will really take my time in case it doesn’t turn out the way I want it to!
Bea x
Bea’s Beauty Blog
I’m not totally UN-confident, but I know I’m no master. I actually prefer a cut crease because if I try to blend I know I over-do it and wind up making things muddy. Things that are more defined are easier for me. If I look back at old looks I have done vs recent looks, though, I can definitely see I am getting there. I think that means by the time I’m in the old folks home, I will have this down!
Hahaha, your comment cracked me up! But seriously, it would look so cool if you’re rocking perfectly blended eyeshadow looks at the old folks home 🙂
@Karen – You know, there’s a certain beauty in properly blended looks, especially how you wear your eyeshadows. I noticed I can only get that result if I use Urban Decay shadows as they are so blendable. With the rest, it’s a bit of a hit and miss for me. I think I need to work on my skills more.
I’m the same way! I feel I do pretty okay when it comes to looks I’m comfortable with but I definitely have room to grow.
I feel like my blending skills are *meh* – I’m just too lazy to keep blending and blending until it all looks perfect! It’s also difficult for me to blend evenly – that is, to get my eyes to match. I feel like I’ll add too much shadow to one lid, and then have to compensate on the other, which throws them out of whack again… sigh. So I keep it pretty simple, typically.
It would probably also help if I cleaned my brushes more regularly, sigh… I hear they’re easier to work with when they don’t have any product build-up! 😉 (also: just thinking about my brushes is triggering nasty-face-reaction. I really need to clean them ASAP. bleh!)
I over blend sometimes for cut-crease looks! As you said I have a lot of room to grow! 🙂
I don’t have any confidence on my blending skills. I think I’m very bad at blending and applying eyeshadow (it never seems to have enough color), but I don’t know if it’s my brushes, my lack or primer or my lack of skills.
I’m pretty confident. I think it takes practice and the right brushes. I love Sephora Blending brush for this.
I have a little method I like: I dab the darker color onto the outer v, then I blend a little in between. The trick is to just blend a little, and don’t stray too far away from that line between the light and dark colors.
I gues I do okay. But Yup overblending is an issue too! 😉
I really need to improve my blending skills.
btw loved your look you have excellently blended both the shades
<3
For me it is all about the brushes. I love blending, but like you have a tendency to overblend which wears down the color and depletes the look.
I’m not very confident. I can never get it to blend out the way I want it to. I was thinking maybe it’s my brushes so I looked for your post with your favorite MAC brushes and ordered a few a couple of days ago. I can’t wait to get them!
You’re wonderful too! 🙂
I’m not very confident with blending. I tend to do simple looks with one or two colours.
Pretty confident 🙂 I rock a smokey eye pretty much every day of the week, so I blend my eyeshadow on autopilot.
I’m okay at simple in the crease blending but need to work on smokey eyes and other styles in blending.
To be honest, I don’t really think about it 😛 If I thought about it, I’d have a perfectionist panic attack, because I suspect my blending is probably not quite what it could be 😛
I thought you were talking about blending foundation, which I struggle with. I spent $20 on one of those bright pink egg-shaped beauty blender sponges everyone has been raving about and really couldn’t tell a difference between that and my regular flat sponge. I haven’t tried a brush yet for applying my foundation although every swears by the brush too. Have you done a post on foundation tools? I’d love to read it if you have.
I feel pretty confident as a blender of my eye makeup, definitely more so on my than on others. Where I am not as confident is with my cheek colors. Those I struggle with for some reason :-/
I tend to get quite lazy with blending, but I do my best when I’m going for darker looks 😛
What do you think is the best eyeshadow blending brush out there?
xoxo
Ana
Hi Karen!
You are an awesome woman! Always remember that!
I just started getting better at blending this year, because I forced myself to practice more.
Actually, the video that you posted of Victor doing your makeup at the MAC store helped me a lot. I really like his “little circles” method of blending eye shadow in the outer v. Before I learned that trick, I really struggled to get my eye shadow exactly where I wanted it in the outer v. It would look perfect on my right eye, but for some reason I wouldn’t put my shadow in the same area on my left eye! I wonder if other people struggle with that, or if it’s just me being crazy.
Anyhow, swirling my brush in little circles in the outer v has definitely improved how my eye shadow looks. I still need more practice, though!
It’s not you being crazy! I struggle with the same thing too. For me, it has to do with how I hold my brush. I’m right handed, so I always use my right hand to apply eyeshadow on both my right and left eye. When my right hand crosses over to the left eye, I hold the brush at a slightly different angle than I do with my right eye. So, I have to compensate the change and adjust the angle. Does that make sense? Anywho, it took me a while to figure this out. The little circles help a *ton*! What brush are you using? A MAC 224?
It’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one who struggles with that! And yes, that makes sense. From all of your amazing eye looks, it seems like you’ve mastered getting your brush angled just right. 🙂 I’m currently using a Sephora crease brush from their Prestige Luxe brush set. I really like that brush, but maybe I should try a MAC 224 at some point. I love/worship my MAC 217, so I need to give the 224 a try.
Oh gosh, you can’t go wrong with the 217. I love, LOVE that brush so much that I keep a few around. It’s really great for the outer corner. Little circles 4 life, LOL!
You know what might help? (And this is going to sound silly, but…) If your phone has a camera, take a selfie when you’re done with your makeup. I usually just place it in front of me and take a quick snapshot with my eyes closed. For some reason it’s easier to see what you need to fix in a photo, go figure. This has really helped me with the even-ness issue, which I still struggle with!
Hope you’re having a nice Thursday so far. It’s a little overcast here in the Bay Area, but at least it’s not too cold.
Right? The 217 and I are BFFs!
That sounds like a really great idea–not silly at all! I think the horrible lighting in my bathroom could also be partially to blame for my blending mistakes, so a photograph would definitely be helpful.
It has been a busy day, but good overall. It’s still a bit cold here in Maryland. Actually, it snowed here on Monday! Can you believe it? I dream of moving to a warmer state someday! If I think about it hard enough, maybe I can make it happen LOL.
I tend to over blend as well.. But I figure that it is better than under blending!
Also, since the sephora Chic week is fast approaching I was wondering if you were planning on doing a wish list for us to see.. Or even recs for products we should snatch up.. I rock NC42 skin as well and your recs have yet to fail me!
I don’t think I’m too bad at it.
I’m an overblender. My blending skills are a’ight, but I could use some assistance. I have a makeup artist friend who does lessons on how to apply makeup properly, so I was thinking I’d take my BFF (who I owe majorly for doing my wedding photography) to do that, along with a spa day of some sort.
I have definitely come a long way, but there is still room for improvement. I have bad OCD when it comes to blending and I like everything to be very soft looking.
I don’t think I have the right brushes. I’m ok at it but by no mean pro.
I love all of your eye looks but I have to say a smokey eye really suits you. Your blending is perfect. I always try to recreate your eye looks but I still need practice in the blending department. I think that I’m okay at blending in general but I’m still working on achieving the soft gradient that goes along with a smokey eye. Also I tend to over extend at the outer v(always more so on my left eye) My left eye is a little bit bigger with the brow being a little higher. I struggle with trying to make both eyes look the same but the fact is they aren’t even without makeup.
I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I think overall I’m okay at blending.