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By Sophie Joaman • August 23, 2022 • 17 mins read
Just because something is neutral, doesn’t mean it is boring. Far from it actually. Neutral, at least in makeup, is one of the most stunning styles out there. In terms of eyeshadows, neutral shades make up some of the hottest trends right now. They’re also an absolute classic so you don’t have to worry about them going anywhere. Today, more and more people are embracing the beauty of natural tones- light browns, warm browns, pinks, taupes, and beiges. The list goes on.
While simple, neutrals don’t have to be used for minimal looks only. You sure can use them for subtle day-to-day eye makeup, but for 2022 and beyond, we’re all about going neutral for every occasion and every life moment. From day-to-day favourites to the go big night-out makeup look- you can stay in neutral and still amp up the power of your makeup. Looking for the ultimate eyeshadow inspo? We’ve got 12 of the best neutral eyeshadow looks for every moment and how you can get the look at home.
So grab your palette and let’s get started! Add some shimmery shades on the lid for that pop of glamour, and don’t forget to brush through your lashes with some voluminous mascara to make your eyes stand out even more. If you’re going for extra definition, line your eyes with eyeliner and use a primer before applying your concealer to perfect the base for a smooth finish. And remember, the right neutral tones can flatter any skin tone, making it a universally stunning look.
If you’re a smokey eye fan and want to soften your usual look, then the neutral smokey eye can be a real go-to makeup look for special occasions. This look requires 2-3 neutral shades from your palette and a couple of eyeshadow brushes. Think light pinks, or subtle browns for the base of the look and choose a deeper shade, such as a mocha, for the added smokiness. For this style, however, make sure to keep your eyeshadow matte. To begin with, take your lightest chosen colour and put the shadow onto your entire lid with a fluffy eyeshadow brush to amplify that softness.
Next, you can apply the second, slightly deeper, colour into your eyelid crease with an eyeshadow crease brush. Make sure to use your fluffy brush after to blend the two shades seamlessly together. After your neutral base is down, you can then begin to add that stunning smokiness to your look. This requires taking a darker neutral shade that will complement the rest of the neutral vibes going on.
Place the darker shade to the outer portion of your eye and up into your crease. Once you’ve applied the darker shade, it should look a lot harsher than the rest of your eyeshadow, so go in with a blender brush and soften it out. The final effect will be a darker outer eye, with the lighter shade hitting the rest of your eyes. Don’t forget to brush through your lashes with some voluminous mascara to make your eyes pop, and define them further with a swipe of eyeliner.
The fox eye is really having its moment right now, so why not give the neutral version of the trend a go? The fox eye in many ways looks similar to the cat eye in that it uses angular lines to extend the shape of the eye, but with an added emphasis of elongating the eye from the inner corner too. While many people achieve their fox eye with eyeliner, much more subtle versions are becoming huge too. You can therefore just use eyeshadow for a more delicate fox eye. With this look, neutral eyeshadow tones also work incredibly well.
To get the neutral version down to a T, take a light neutral shade and your small liner brush and map out where the wing on your outer eye will sit. At this point, you can also draw the line on the inner corner of your eye. Mapping out the wing in a lighter colour will help stop you from going in too harsh at first. Just in case of any mishaps. Once you’ve laid down the foundation lines, you can then go in with the same shade and draw on your sharp wing.
At this point, the lines may look quite harsh, so blending them in with a slightly darker shade will help you soften up the look. You can also add a shimmery shade to the lid to bring some light to your eye and flatter your skin tone. Don’t forget to finish the look by adding some mascara to your lashes for a voluminous effect!
The reverse cat eye is another hot trend right now and for good reason, it looks incredibly sultry. The reverse cat eye focuses on the bottom lash line, rather than the classic wing on top of the lid. Flipping the look upside down will make your eyes look exceptionally striking. After applying a light shade to your top lid, it’s time to take your darker shade and begin by placing it under your water line, taking the line outwards to form the wing. Take it slowly and focus on the outer portion of your eye, rather than the inner corners.
The best effect of this look focuses on the sharp wing. We recommend a deep neutral brown for this look. Once you have drawn on the wing, take your next neutral shade (we absolutely adore shimmer shades in neutral pinks for more party vibes) and a blending eyeshadow brush to soften up the harsh lines.
If your eyeshadow has given you more of a panda eye than you expected, now is a good time to clean up the excess with a little bit of concealer. Finish off the look by adding a coat of mascara to your lashes to complete your sultry makeup look. You can also add a bit of primer beforehand to ensure your look stays put all day.
Whether you’re a seasoned cut-crease pro or the thought of doing one sends fear to your soul, then it’s time to embrace the soft half-cut-crease. The best thing about this style is its ease of it for those who don’t want to attempt a full-on bold cut crease. It also makes a nice change for those who love their cut-crease but would like a simplified version for day-to-day wear. To start off, prime your eyelid with a small amount of eyeshadow base or primer and take your base eyeshadow shade in a beige or taupe. Apply the first shade to your entire eyelid with your blender brush, making sure to blend in well.
Then take a shade one or two tones up from your base shade, and apply well into the crease of your eye. Staying with the crease, go in with the next shade up and apply the product to just slightly above your crease. You will, at this point, begin to notice that your look has intensified quite a bit. Then, you can take your darker neutral tone and apply it to the outermost part of your eye, joining it up at the top with your crease.
You can also apply some of this darker shade to your lower lash line to connect the overall look together. To cut the crease, we usually go in with our concealer by now but to keep it soft and neutral, you can cut yours with the lightest eyeshadow shade you have. Apply the product from the inner corner of your eye crease and bring it into where your darker shade begins. Blend out and go back in with the deeper shade on the top of your crease for added definition.
You should notice a strong, yet refined crease. For a final touch, add some shimmery eyeshadow to your lid for a beautiful glow, and finish with a coat of mascara to emphasize your lashes.
Neutral glam is the perfect look for glamorous wear. Here, you can play around with shimmery neutral shades and rich pigments for a red-carpet vibe. To get your ideal neutral glam eye makeup look, think considerately about how much you apply and add soft touches of eyeshadow to your lids. Applying less is best as it can be built upon afterwards if you need more.
For this look take a richly toned neutral shade and apply a base shade to your entire lid. You can then take your shimmer shade and apply it on top for the perfect finish. Adding a touch of a light or shimmery shade to the inner corner of your eye can also make your eyes open up and pop. You can then get on with the rest of your eye makeup routine, including eyeliner and lashings of mascara.
Don’t forget to use a fluffy brush to blend seamlessly. The final touch will be a coat of mascara to your lashes for added drama and volume.
Halo eyes are a great technique for creating the illusion of rounded eyes- hence the halo shape. They work by adding depth and darkness to the outer and inner portion of the eyes and keeping the very centre of the lid light. The traditional smokey halo eyes use a lot of dark shades to create contrast, but this style also works incredibly well with neutral colours too. Starting off with your darker shades, apply the product onto the inner portion of your eye and the outer portion as well. You can also replicate this underneath your eyes for the same effect.
The next step in this routine is to make sure that the eyeshadow is blended out well before moving on. You can then go back into the same area with a slightly darker shade and apply a small amount to create some definition, being sure to blend once again with a fluffy brush. At this point, you also want to be blending the eyeshadow upwards to form the rounded shape. Ensure that you are not dragging the eyeshadow outwards either. The effect of this look is the height, rather than the elongation of the eye.
Go back into the same area of the eye with the next darker shade and add in a little more definition to really get that shape showing up. The final part of the smokey halo eye routine is to add a light or shimmery shade to the centre of your eye. Use shimmery neutral tones here to make the most out of the light and dark but keep it all soft. Finish off the look by applying mascara to your lashes for a dramatic effect, and if needed, use concealer to clean up any excess eyeshadow.
There’s matte. There’s shimmer. And then there’s glossy. If you’ve tried the former two but not the latter, then now is the time to give this top trend a go. The neutral colour scheme also helps to keep the look understated while letting the glossy finish do all the talking. The glossy eye appears like wet eyeshadow and works fantastically alongside dewy skin tone, for that holiday/sun-kissed vibe.
To get your eyes looking all glossy in no time, start by laying down your eyeshadow base. For this look, you want to keep your eyeshadow as simple and neutral as possible, so you will likely only work with a couple of colours. Apply the first shade to your entire lid and blend out well with a fluffy brush. You can then go in with a brighter shade within the same colour palette, to keep things uniform and apply it on top of the base to build up the intensity.
Beiges, browns and pinks are truly brought to life with the glossy trend, so don’t be afraid to experiment with colours to find your favourite. The final step is to apply the eye-gloss all over your lid to seal in the below colour and allow it to set in place for a few minutes. Finish off the makeup look by applying mascara to your lashes for extra drama, and don’t forget to use primer before applying the concealer to perfect the base.
Bronze eyeshadow will always be one of the most universally flattering styles because it suits all eye colours and skin tones. Bronze also happens to be a neutral shade and perfect for adding richness to your eye makeup. To get your bronze eyeshadow look right, begin by applying a matte eyeshadow base colour to your lids before moving on to shimmery/metallic eyeshadows. You can usually rely on browns and taupes to work best here. After blending in your base colour, you can next apply a deeper bronze eyeshadow and blend it in well to the rest of your eye.
If you want to take it up a notch, add in a metallic eyeshadow to the eyelid and blend in. This look works amazingly with a dramatic wing too, so after your eyeshadow, you can then go in with your eyeliner and mascara to complete the makeup look. Use a fluffy brush to blend everything seamlessly and ensure a smooth finish.
One of the best things about neutral eyeshadow is that you can really play around with pink shades, a firm favourite for many eyeshadow lovers out there. The pretty colour is popular in spring and summer makeup, but is also great for the colder months too. More autumnal, berry pinks are a great neutral alternative to brighter shades of the colour. Great, if you’re not too keen on barbie pink but want the girly look.
For a soft pretty-in-pink look, it is always a good ideFor a soft pretty-in-pink look, it is always a good idea to start off with a lighter beige or pink shade applied all over your eyelid and build up the intensity with a few coats of pink eyeshadow thereafter. Pink stands out, so don’t be afraid to add some subtle glittery neutral eyeshadows for a party feel. You can also apply a shimmery shade to the centre of your lid to add dimension, and finish the makeup look with a coat of mascara to your lashes.
Use a fluffy brush to blend the colours seamlessly, and don’t forget to apply primer before starting your eyeshadow for better longevity.
Source: Pinterest
The wing will always be a favourite in eye makeup, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be switched up a little. Turning the wing neutral and giving it that sultry smokey edge is the perfect way to spice up an old classic. For this look, the eyeliner will mostly take a back seat and will focus on the eyeshadow to create a striking wing. Beginning with the eyelid itself, apply a base layer and then a second layer of eyeshadow with 2 shades from your palette.
You can then introduce a shimmery tone on top or keep it matte. Next, take a darker brown shade of eyeshadow and draw your first line on to mark out the wing. Once you’re certain that it’s where you want it to be, draw a sharp wing and fill in the rest of the lash line. To smoke out the wing, take a similar shade and blend it into the wing and the lash line for a slightly blurred look using a fluffy brush.
If you want to add some definition back, you can always go in with a liner. Finish the makeup look by applying mascara to your lashes for a fuller, more dramatic effect, and use concealer to clean up the edges for a sharp finish.
The 90s have made a huge come-back recently, so it’s only right that we channel the power of Crawford, Campbell and co. from that era. The 90s supermodel eye makeup was all about boldness and going in heavy on the eyeshadow over other products. This makes changing it up to a neutral version quite an easy swap. Go in with your darker shade straight away and apply all over the lid, being sure to use little, to begin with and then blend it out for a softened look using a fluffy brush.
You can then build upon your base layer, but keep the colours you choose neutral as opposed to harsher blacks and blues that the look is so well known for. Opt for rich, earthy browns that complement your skin tone.
A lot of people also neglect their under-eye area, so using the same colour as you used on top, apply some shadow close to the water line for a completed look. Don’t forget to finish the makeup look with some mascara to your lashes for volume, and use concealer to clean up any edges and brighten up the under-eye area.
One for those who love a no-makeup look.- The barely-there eyeshadow- The perfect look for day-to-day wear. While there are few steps to this, it does still require some work to keep your eye makeup looking impeccable for longer. The best way to ace your barely-there eyeshadow is to prime your eyelids well. This is especially important because you are essentially using a lot less product, so adding an eyeshadow base will make lighter shades a little more vibrant.
The best tones for this look are shades that are close to your skin tone. So taupes, beiges, and browns work really well and help to give you that ‘barely there’ vibe you’re looking for. Apply the product evenly over the eyelid and blend out any harsh lines with a soft brush. All you have to do after this is to add a couple of coats of mascara to your lashes and go about your day. You can also add a little concealer to clean up around the eyes for a polished look, making sure your makeup look stays fresh throughout the day.
There you have it, 12 of the best neutral eyeshadow looks for every occasion and every moment. Believe us when we say that there are way more than just these 12. Neutral eyeshadow has taken off and we don’t think it will be coming to an end anytime soon. Which just makes this a great testimony to its adaptability. The only question left to ask is: Which one will you be trying out first? Will you go for a soft, shimmery look on the lid, or a bolder, deeper tone with some eyeliner to define your lash line?
Don’t forget to use a primer to prep your eyeshadows and help them last longer, and finish your makeup look with a coat of mascara to make your lashes pop. You can also add a little concealer to clean up the edges and give your eyes that extra definition.
