Am I the only one who gets that Q-tip song from 1999 stuck in my head every time I hear the word Vibrant? Now you’re going to too, haaa haa I’m not even sorry!

Everyone wants vibrant eyeshadow with perfect color payoff that looks just like it does in the pan. Sometimes though, that just ain’t how it works out. You need to help it a long or give it a bit of a nudge in the right direction.

1. Use primer - This one is a bit obvious, but a lot of people skip it. I like to use a primer with a bit of coverage so that it makes a more even canvas as well, but in general most primers whether they have coverage or not, will provide a more tacky surface for the eyeshadow to stick to. Therefore more pigment gets deposited, and it looks more vibrant. The added staying power of the primer will also ensure that the color stays vibrant as you wear it.
2. Use a white base - If you are using a bright pastel or neon color, you can get much better color payoff if you use a white base. There are white primers out there, but I like to use a white eye pencil like NYX jumbo pencil in Milk or really any white eyeshadow pencil, or even white eyeliner pencil will do the trick. Think of it as if you had two pieces of paper, and one was a nice white printer paper and one was a brown paper bag. If you took a pastel color and drew on both papers which would look brighter? The white one, obviously. it’s the same concept on your skin, the white background will make that color much brighter. I still use a primer under my white pencil though, for the staying power.
3. Use a similar color base - If you are working with jewel tones, dark colors or anything that you want to look vibrant rich and deep, try using a similar color cream eyeshadow, or eyeshadow pencil as your base. It will add depth and dimension to the color and it will also make it much more vibrant. Depending on the type of product you choose you can use it with primer or without. I prefer MAC paint pots, Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream or Maybelline Color Tattoo and they all work fine with or without a primer under them.
4. Pack it on - Applying shadow isn’t a one step process (unless you are doing a very sheer wash of color, in which case carry on) If you want a color to look vibrant then you need to apply the color by packing it onto the area where you want it to be the most prominent with a flat, dense brush. You can achieve this by patting it into the area instead of swiping it. Once it is vibrant you can use a fluffier brush to blend out the edges with all of the swiping motions that your heart desires…and then again go back in and pack more on if you need to. Which brings me to my final tip….
5. Layer Layer Layer - Layer powders over creams, layer shimmers over mattes, layer the same shadow over itself until you have enough intensity. The key to getting a shadow to look deep and vibrant is to layer. This isn’t so much an individual tip as it is a summary of the other ones, but layering really is the key. Makeup is like an oil painting, it looks really beautiful, dimensional and prismatic, and really just comes to life if you take your time and do it in layers.

So if you’ve been having trouble getting vibrant eyeshadow looks then give some of those tips a try, and let me know if you have any secret tips for getting the most vibrancy out of your shadows!