7 Simple & Natural-Looking Eyeshadow Looks to Try

Eyeshadow is a product that can be incorporated into your everyday—it’s not just reserved for nights out and special occasions. The key here is to keep it simple and natural-looking, but for moments that call for a capital-L Look, feel free to build and heighten the drama.

Whatever your approach, whatever the occasion, keep reading for all the tips, tricks, and tools so you can comfortably and confidently master easy yet impactful eyeshadow looks.

We’ll go over how to prepare your eyes and skin, the tools and products you’ll need, and lastly, we’ll share some how-tos to inspire your next look.

First, How to Prepare Your Eyes and Skin

Clean, moisturized skin is a must, of course. Even if you’re starting first thing in the morning with a totally bare face (read: no makeup on) from the night before, don’t skip this step. 

Apply The Cleansing Stick to dry skin and add water to emulsify. It’s so gentle that even if you’re not removing leftover product, you don’t have to worry about stripping your skin.

From there, moisturize. We have a few options depending on your skin type. The drier skin types will benefit from a heavier-hitting moisturizer like Miracle Cream, our richest offering. On the opposite end of the spectrum, those with oily skin will appreciate our Oil-Free Moisturizer. And if your skin is somewhere in the middle—no problems with dryness, no issues with oiliness—then reach for Light Moisture Cream.

One important note: if you’re making the eyes the central focal point of your makeup, take care that you’re not applying too much product around the eyes. (In other words, go easy on the Eye Cream.) You don’t want to risk layer eyeshadow or liner over slippery moisturizer, which may lead to smearing and smudging or make your eyes water. 

Tools You’ll Need

If you’re a beginner, gathering the right brushes is key. It’s always an option to pat on product with your fingers but for more control and precision, we recommend keeping an arsenal of brushes on hand.

Eye Fluffy Brush: Start here. Our Eye Fluffy Brush is perfect for applying an even, all-over wash of color.

Eye Blending Brush: For blending and softening harsh edges, meet our Eye Blending Brush. 

Eye Detail Brush: If you’re going for an intense, more pigmented look, our Eye Detail Brush is great. 

The Eyeliner Brush: Eyeliner isn’t a must to complete your look but with The Eyeliner Brush, lining your eyes—whether adding a diffused, soft line or a sharper edge—is a piece of cake.

Consider the Product Formula

Powder? Liquid? Liner? 

A powder eyeshadow is what you likely first think of when you picture eyeshadow, but it also comes in liquid (usually with a doe-foot applicator). 

You can also smudge a liner to act as a shadow are the eyes (and you can use a shadow as liner, too). 

This really comes down to your preference about intensity—what feels easiest for you to control?—and what is truly the most comfortable sitting on your lids.

Looks to Inspire

Neutrals, mattes, shimmers—there’s a whole range of options to embrace, with or without brushes, and with or without liners. All of these are easy to execute and stunning in their individual ways.

Let’s get into it.

Matte Ivory

An ivory (specifically,The Best Eyeshadow in Chic) swept across the lids is a neutral that’s often overlooked. With the right formula, it goes on sheer and builds, so you don’t have to worry about a stark-looking white (which can distract and unintentionally heighten the appearance of under-eye bags or circles).

Here, it’s paired with The Best Pencil in Brown as liner—slightly smudged for casual, everyday appeal. As always, it’s topped off with The Mascara for definition and a welcome inkiness that keeps things enigmatic but neutral.

Above, Constanze is wearing:

• - What The Foundation in Beige  
• - The Face Pencil in Shade 09 and Shade 11
• - The Best Eyeshadow in Chic
• - The Best Pencil in Brown
• - The Brow Pencil in Light Brunette
• - Tinted Face Powder in Rose
• - The Lip Pencil in Nudist
• - The Bronzer in Dusty Rose
• - The Mascara

Very Dark and Mostly Matte

So much impact, so little effort.

A dramatic eye like this couldn’t be simpler. For the eyes to truly stay front and center, make sure the rest of your products are in the neutrals family—meaning, you’ve sufficiently covered any redness or blemishes with the right shade of foundation and concealer (find your ideal color matches with this quick quiz) and your lips and cheeks have just a little something, nothing especially vibrant. 

Here, the brushes are left behind for a simple application by finger. With such bold, dark colors as this (The Best Eyeshadow in BCITW and Dark Brown), the key is to look a bit imprecise. Application without brushes also allows you to build a bit more daringly. If your playful technique left things a little too imprecise for your liking, a matching liner counteracts that and seals the color. 

Top it off with a slight shimmer to dazzle and keep things from looking flat.

Above, Fitz is wearing:

• - The Face Pencil in Shade 17 (eyes) and Shade 18 (face)
• - Lip and Cheek Stick in Tawny Nude
• - The Best Eyeshadow in BCITW and Dark Brown 
• - Just A Sec in Bronze
• - The Best Pencil in Black
• - The Mascara

Embrace the Pink

Pinks are flattering on everyone. It may be hard to believe, given its ultra-feminine reputation, but it’s true. 

Even if you’re not keen on anything too girlish or ladylike, pink can stay subtle, and a little can go a long way. It’s a longtime favorite of ours for its universal appeal and versatility. (If you’re still feeling skittish or skeptical, we have some more expert tips about choosing the best shade for you, here and here.)

Here, we’ve kept things soft and feminine with the addition of shimmer. The result is dewy and youthful, still sophisticated and far from childish.

For the eyes, we doubled up on shimmer, pairing Just A Sec in Baby Pink as a base shadow and then topping with the liquid Sparkle Wash in a complementary gold, Gilded, thereby elevating the whole look.

Above, Haejin is wearing: 

• - What The Foundation in Light
• - The Face Pencil in Shade 03 (eyes) and Shade 09 (face)
• - Tinted Face Powder in Yellow (eyes) and Light (face)
• - Miracle Balm in Happy Hour
• - Just A Sec in Baby Pink
• - Sparkle Wash in Gilded
• - The Best Blush in Peachy
• - Cool Gloss in Peony and Pink Gold Shimmer
• - The Mascara

Simply Shimmer

Glowy warmth is the theme here. The eyes—imbued with an olivey shimmer—and lips—layered with a complementary gloss—are equally mesmerizing, never competing with one another.

But back to the eyes. The Best Eyeshadow in Patina brings together brown, olive, and gold, which is topped with The Best Pencil in Ivy, an emerald green with a subtle shimmer. 

Sticking to the same color palette couldn’t be simpler, and yet beautifully effective.

Above, Arnelle is wearing:

• - What The Foundation in Medium Honey
• - The Face Pencil in Shade 13 (eye) and Shade 16 (face)
• - The Brow Pencil in Brunette 
• - The Brow Gel in Clear
• - Tinted Face Powder in Light (under eye) and Medium (face)
• - Miracle Balm in Tawny
• - Cool Gloss in Mocha Shimmer
• - The Best Eyeshadow in Patina
• - The Best Pencil in Ivy
• - The Mascara

Make Liner the Focus

A simple black liner is classic for several reasons: it’s easy to apply, easy to wear. It can go casual, it can veer formal, and it’s always sophisticated.

Here it’s paired with a light sweep of a coppery bronze shimmer shadow, Penny, that suits Elle’s skin tone beautifully, augmenting but not overpowering her natural complexion.

Elle is wearing

• - What The Foundation in Honey and Medium Honey
• - The Face Pencil in Shade 15 (eye) and Shade 16 (face)
• - The Best Eyeshadow in Penny
• - The Best Pencil in Black
• - The Mascara
• - The Brow Pencil in Brunette 
• - Gel Bronzer in Medium
• - Cool Gloss in Mocha Shimmer

Barely-There Eyes

The coupling of an ultra-light glitter (Sparkle Wash in Barely Pink) and a generous application of liner in navy serve to define the eyes and liven up the face. The effect is profound yet still completely subdued.

Add Shimmer Face Oil in a complementary pink and a clear gloss for an even dewier look that mesmerizes, no matter the hour.

Above, Gillean is wearing:

• - Sparkle Wash in Barely Pink
• - The Best Pencil in Navy
• - What The Foundation in Beige
• - The Face Pencil in Shade 09 and Shade 11
• - The Brow Gel in Ash
• - Shimmer Face Oil in Pink Opal
• - Cool Gloss in Original

Neutral and Luminous

This might be our simplest look to wrap things up but no less impactful.

A light wash of Just A Sec in Cool Brown lets Olivia’s eyes sparkle and her complexion shine for a lively and bright look.

A ruddy lip and cheek, thanks to our two-in-one Lip and Cheek Stick, ground the look with rich depth and sophisticated ease.

Above, Olivia is wearing:

• - Just A Sec in Cool Brown
• - The Mascara
• - What The Foundation in Cinnamon
• - The Face Pencil in Shade 19
• - Tinted Face Powder in Dark
• -Lip and Cheek Stick in Royal Plum

The Bottom Line

Whether you’ve never picked up an eyeshadow or it’s an integral part of your existing routines, creating simple and natural-looking eyeshadow looks is something anyone can master.

Depending on your whims of the day, you can dress it down, dial it up, and keep it somewhere in the middle. Once you decide on your preferred appearance, and learn which tools and products to use, there are plenty of options to experiment with. This is just a taste. 

There aren’t tried-and-true rules so just have fun with it and find what works for you.