Ombre Eye Shadow: How To Perfect The Gradient Look [Plus 9 Ideas]

This summer, wear your heart on your sleeve and your bold personality on your eyes. Define and bring dimension to your eyes with ombre eye shadows.

To master a fresh and tasteful ombre eye shadow look, keep scrolling!

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Perfect Your Ombre Eye Shadow in Between Zoom Meetings

What You’ll Need:

• Mac Cosmetics Soft Ochre Paint Pot
• Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Volume 2 Palette
• Maybelline Studio Gel Eyeliner
• Inglot Black Kohl 01 Pencil
• Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
• Benefit Cosmetics Precisely My Brow Pencil 4.5
• Benefit Cosmetics Fool Proof Brow Powder 5

Step 1: Apply Primer All Over Your Lids

A good eye primer will hold your makeup in place for the whole day or at least five zoom meetings. Doing an ombre eye shadow effect, you want a primer that will help your pigments show up and appear more vibrant. In effect, your work on blending the colors and creating that gradient effect will pay off and show.

Use your primer to keep your concealer in place, or use a skin tone primer instead of concealer for your lids. The key is to find a primer that will hold your makeup and conceal the veins and discoloration in your eyes.

Step 2: Sweep Sheer White Eye Shadow Towards of Your Brow Bone

Use matte white shadow to highlight your brow bone. By highlighting the high point of our brow bone, you bring definition to your eyes and give it a lifted look. Dare to go extra by using a highlighter on your brown bone instead of a matte color.

Step 3: Color the Inner Corner of Your Eye

Using the lightest shade in your ombre eye shadow look, sweep along the inner corner of your eye in upward circular motions. Concentrate the color in the inner corner and as you move outward, the color should fade out. This will make it easier to blend in with other colors later on.

Step 4: Tap on Your Second Color on the Middle of Your Eyelid

Pack on your third color onto the middle of your lid in tapping motions. In the areas where the color will intersect with the lighter color, sweep lightly so that the colors will blend and melt into each other. This is how you blend two colors together and achieve that ombre eye shadow effect.

Bear in mind that as you sweep color on the high point of your eye shadow, you should follow the shape of your eyeball. Your ombre eye shadow shouldn’t hit your brow bone, your brow bone highlight will help you set the boundary.

Step 5: Brush on Your Third Color Over Half of Your Second Color and Towards the Crease

Apply a deep shade right before the crease, following the contours of your eyes. Blend in circular motions going over your second shade slightly. Leave enough room for a crease color.

Step 6: Blend in Your Crease Color Along the Outer V-Shape of Your Eye

Blend in your crease shade along the corners of your eye to make sure that your ombre eye shadow stays gradient. Shape the tail end of your eye shadow according to the shape of your eyes. If your eyes are small and downturned flick them up and extend a bit, if you rock a natural upturned cat eye keep it aligned with your lower lash line.

Step 7: Apply Eyeliner and Smudge the End

Gel eyeliner will help define your eyes and bring a smokey effect to your ombre eye shadow look.

If you feel underwhelmed by the result of any eye shadow look, apply smudged liner, cat eye, or graphic eyeliner. Eyeliner can add drama and will make your makeup more striking.

Step 8: Add a Touch of Black Eye Shadow Over Your Gel Liner

Blend a bit of black eye shadow over your gel liner moving toward your crease color to make it a truly gradient look. Harsh lines are never invited to an ombre eye shadow look.

Step 9: Touch up Your Crease Ombre Eye Shadow

Go over your crease color again and this time apply over your eyeliner as well so that your ombre eye shadow and ombre eyeliner melt together. When we say ombre, we mean ombre.

Step 10: Apply Ombre Eyeliner on Your Bottom Lash

Apply eyeliner on your bottom lash to create a smokey eye makeup look. Finish it off with a matte black shadow to help set it in place and blend with the other colors. Even with eyeliner, we’re keeping this ombre eye shadow look ombre all the way.

Optional Step 11: Apply Some Color Below Your Bottom Lash Liner

Use your most prominent shades to complete the look and give your eyes a total transformation.

Finish off with some mascara, and voila! You’re done!

Finished Look:

RELATED: 14 Colored Eyeliner Makeup Looks You Need To Try

9 Ombre Eye Shadow Looks to Inspire You

If you find ombre eye shadow looks daunting, these nine looks will show you the potential of the godly gradient look and inspire you to try it out.

1. Frosty Ombre Eye Shadow

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Danielle Marcan keeps it cool and classy with a mint green and warm brown to nude shade. Finish it off with a bold eyeliner and extra lashes just because you can.

Choose two contrasting colors and make it work with your blending skills.

2. Pretty in Pink

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Kylie Jenner used only pink shades and kept her pop of color on the inner corner of her eyes.

If you use neutral tones, this would be a great everyday look.

3. Rainbow Ombre Eye Shadow

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James Charles was inspired by the LA rain, but who wouldn’t be? Apply graphic liner and a touch of gold to portray the sun’s golden rays. The graphic liner was just a mood.

4. Emerald Ombre Eye Shadow

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Emerald is an invigorating and timeless color. Bring this look to coachella or the church because this eye makeup is divine!

5. Pastel Ombre Eye Shadow

@estrellamua_Pastel dreams ✨✨🤍💜 ##makeup ##pastelmakeup ##whiteeyeliner ##eyebrows ##morphebrushes ##fyp ##fy♬ OMG – Camila Cabello

When you know how to work with pastels, you can go crazy and still remain delicate. You’re never out of line with white liner.

6. Refined Rainbow

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If there is a clean way to do a bold rainbow look, this is it. Keep the smoke at a minimum and distribute the colors of the rainbows around your eyes. Your lids can’t have all the fun.

7. Not So Minimal

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Use only two colors, but make them vibrant. I’ll dream about those shimmery inner corners tonight.

8. Fiery Eyes

I see the fire in your eyes with this yellow and orange combo. Finish off your eye makeup with some liner and wispy eyelashes for a feminine look.

9. Get Cool

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Keep cool this summer with cool blue and purple tones, but keep your cheeks flushed with an exaggerated blush.

Check out Wayne’s tutorial to perfect your eyeshadow skill:

Dazzled? I know I am. I bet you didn’t know that eyeliner could also achieve an ombre look.

This tutorial broke down where to apply colors and how to blend them to create a gradient color melt. It’s up to you what colors to arm your ombre makeup look with, but I have to say that you would remiss if you stuck with your browns. Add some mint pastel or neon tones with your brown and inspire the artist in you!

I can imagine the look in your eyes, and I think it’s looking ombre.

Which colors are your ombre eye shadow pick? Share your thoughts with us, we’d love to hear from you, let us know in the comments section below.

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