Mistakes That Are Making Your Eyeshadow Look Patchy

Our eyes are considered to be the focal point of our face, which is why many take the time to dress them up on a daily basis. A swipe of mascara, a flick of liner, and a dusting of shadow can do wonders toward making our peepers sparkle and shine. However, when one element is off, such as patchy eyeshadow, it can throw your whole makeup vibe out the window. There's nothing worse than completing your makeup only to see some separation on your lids. Or, you might give yourself a quick glance hours later and notice that your shadow has migrated. While it's frustrating enough to want to give up on eyeshadow forever, there are several fixes that can prevent patchiness.

As a makeup artist with more than 15 years of experience working on various faces, I've learned that uneven eyeshadow is not caused by just one mistake. It could be due to the condition of your skin or the products you're using. It may take some trial and error to figure out but once you pinpoint the cause of patchy eyeshadow, it'll just be smooth sailing moving forward.

Just like you wouldn't put foundation on your bare skin without some prep first, the same goes for eyeshadow. When you lay down the product onto lids that are full of moisturizer and natural sebum, the shadow is going to appear streaky upon application. The same goes for skin that's super dry — if your lids are flaky, the shadow will creep into tiny creases and look uneven. In order to have a seamless finish, you're going to have to prepare the canvas first.

After you've applied your moisturizer and serum, gently blot your lids with tissue or a facial cloth to get rid of excess oil. It's okay to put a tiny amount of eye cream under your eyes but save the stuff for your lids until it's bedtime. Next, apply a drop of eye primer, such as Elizabeth Mott's Thank Me Later Eye Primer, over your lids with your ring finger all the way up to your brow bone. Make sure to let it set for a couple of minutes before you apply your eyeshadow, but once it's ready, your makeup should glide on easily.

We all have a favorite eyeshadow that we've used to death, but that means it's not as fresh anymore. If you see a film of discoloration on top of your shadow, that means you've got a case of hardpan in your favorite makeup product (but it's easy to fix!). When oils from your face make their way onto pressed powders via your makeup brush or fingers, the formula naturally hardens over time. The darkening of the shadow isn't anything to worry about — it's simply caused by excess moisture and oil. However, that can also mean you're transferring it onto your lids, which will result in patchy eyeshadow.

Hardpan can easily be remedied at home, so don't throw out the remnants of your favorite shadow just yet. All you need to do is scrape off the top layer with a makeup spatula or a similar tool. Once all the discolored area is gone, you're good to go. Another method that works just as well is using tape to gently pat the oily residue away. I like to use Scotch Magic Tape because it's gentle enough while doing the trick. Fold a few inches around your pointer and middle finger and then blot the discoloration away until your eyeshadow looks as good as new.

Smooth eyeshadow application is all about blending but you can't do a decent job without the right brush, and you'll need at least two different types from start to finish. When it comes to laying down the initial color, a thin flat brush is ideal as it will pick up the most pigment. Something like the e.l.f. Eyeshadow Brush, which is sold for only $2 at the time of writing, will do the trick nicely. After your lids are primed, gently rub the brush over your shadow and then tap it a couple of times to get the excess powder off. Apply the color onto your lids and repeat until you get the desired result. If you're using a darker shade for contouring, wipe the brush on a tissue and then apply the shadow to your crease and the outer corners of your eyes.

Once you have all the colors on your lids, it's time to blend them together, but not with the flat brush because all it will do is muddy the colors together. You'll need a soft tapered one like the Sigma Beauty Professional E45 Eye Makeup Brush. Without disturbing too much of the eyeshadow, gently swipe the brush back and forth with the tip until the edges of the colors are beautifully blurred.

One of the best things about eyeshadows is that they come in so many different formulas. Of course, there's the standard powdered kind, but these days, you can also get them in cream and liquid as well. You may be tempted to mix and match your shadows but doing so will just result in a patchy mess. Many often reach for their powdered eyeshadows first but if you're itching to use that new liquid or cream shadow, you'll need to choose one or the other. There is one exception to this rule — if you're using a cream eyeshadow, it is okay to set it with some powder, but use a light hand. Never add cream over powder, however, or you'll end up with streaky eyelids.

Liquid eyeshadows are gorgeous because of their intense pigment but they can't be layered on over powder or it'll look blotchy. Apply them directly from the wand or with a brush over your eye primer and blend them quickly with a stiff brush before they dry. You can add other colors as long as they're a liquid formula but move quickly because they do tend to set within seconds. Try not to layer the shadows too much as doing so will just make it look patchy and flaky. And of course, quality matters but we did the work for you and rounded up the eight best liquid eyeshadows for a stunning and lasting look.

We all love a good deal and with so many budget-friendly cosmetics lines available to us, there's no reason to spend $50 on an eyeshadow. However, sometimes you do get what you pay for and if your eye makeup is looking patchy, it might just be the product itself. High-end eyeshadows aren't expensive just because of the brand name and packaging. They're made with more pigment so you don't have to use as much and the particles are finer, which means there's less fallout.

If you're swiping on eyeshadow over and over again only to see hardly any color, you probably have a dud. Sure, you may be tempted to purchase fun neon shades at the grocery checkout line or the dollar store, but if they're not delivering, then it's simply because they're not made to last long. Your best bet is opting for a renowned product with good reviews, such as Urban Decay's Naked 3 Mini Eyeshadow Palette. Before you toss your eyeshadows out, have fun with a viral TikTok hack that can have you create a custom lip gloss with any makeup product.