Few makeup items are more mysterious than eyeshadow. All those colors, all those finishes, all those brushes! But this spring, it’s all about the eyes, and don’t worry, we’re keeping it simple. Take the guesswork out of all things eyeshadow, including finding your perfect shades, with this quick and handy guide.

Be Prepared

Shader brush: With its flat shape, this type of brush works beautifully for applying a base shade or all-over lid color.

Try: jane iredale Eye Shader Brush

Crease brush: The crease area can be tricky to blend out just right. This small dome brush with a gradual point hugs the crease area perfectly. Use windshield wiper motions without lifting for the best application.

Try: jane iredale Crease Brush

Detail brush: With its small, flat shape, this brush is ideal for tiny spaces, like the upper and lower lash lines and the inner corner of the eye. It blends and smudges beautifully for a soft, natural look.

Try: jane iredale Detail Brush

Left to right: Detail Brush, Crease Brush, Eye Shader Brush.

Opposite Colors Attract

If you happened to catch our Concealer Color Wheel video, you know all about how opposite colors on the spectrum have the power to camouflage one another. Green can mask redness, yellow can hide purple-toned under-eye circles, and so forth. Surprisingly, you can apply the same concept when it comes to finding the perfect complimentary shades for your eye color. Just locate your eye color on the wheel and then look at the opposite side for contrasting shades that will make it pop.

Blue or Gray Eyes: Choose rich coppers, golds, peaches and salmons

Green or Hazel Eyes: Choose purples, plums, burgundies and rosy pinks

Brown Eyes: You’re lucky! Any shade of eyeshadow will look stunning on you, particularly blues, pinks and purples

Build your Look

Step 1: Lay Down a Base (Lightest shade, Shader brush)

Use a shimmery shade to create a whisper-light wash of color from lid to brow bone. Laying down a base will make all the colors you use in the look easier to blend and it’ll also help add more depth and dimension to the overall effect. This shade will also highlight your brow bone, and you can always go back and add more to this area to deepen the pigment.

Step 2: Contour Your Crease (Deepest shade, crease brush)

Blend a deep matte shade into your crease to help contour your eye and give it shape and depth. A tiny bit of shimmer is A-OK, but we recommend steering clear of shades that tend to catch a lot of light. They’ll look heavy or choppy in the crease, but they’ll really “shine” on the lid.

Step 3: Enhance Your Lid (Medium or “statement” shade, Shader brush)

Apply a medium matte, shimmer or satin shade to your entire upper lid, blending it with the deeper crease color. Lids are a great opportunity to experiment with bold, daring or shimmery hues. Just a touch of this shade will show when your eyes are open, adding allure to your look.

Step 4: Define Your Lash Line (Deepest shade, Detail Brush)

Smudging a little of that same deep crease shade along your lower lash line and blending it well will help define your eyes. Just be careful not to blow it out too much by only using a touch of eyeshadow and keeping it tight against your lash line. You don’t want to look like a raccoon!

Blue or Gray Eyes: jane iredale PurePressed Eye Shadow Triple in Triple Cognac

Base: shimmery light peach

Lid: almond brown

Crease: deep matte brown

Lower Lash Line: deep matte brown

Green or Hazel Eyes: jane iredale PurePressed Eye Shadow Triple in Sundown

Base: matte pear white

Lid: light copper

Crease: shimmery grey

Lower Lash Line: shimmery grey

Brown Eyes: jane iredale PurePressed Eye Shadow Triple in Silver Lining

Base: matte pewter

Lid: shimmery heather plum

Crease: moonstone blue

Lower Lash Line: moonstone blue

Don’t forget to top your eyeshadow with a coat or two of mascara on the top and bottom lashes! We like jane iredale PureLash Lengthening Mascara, a formula that conditions lashes with wheat protein as it enhances them.

Which of these lovely little trios will you add to your collection? Let us know via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #LovelySkin!