Be A Makeup Ninja! Kalina Isato Shows The Way

A ninja secret is a tidbit of knowledge or a technique that is a heavily guarded secret… until now. In this column, you will learn techniques for creating a look so perfect it’ll be considered razor sharp perfect. This month, we focus on eyeshadow on hooded eyes. Next month, we will focus on eyeshadow on deep-set eyes.

We will also study the crucial technique of restraint. In a world that emphasizes quantity over quality, it is easy to think that more is better, but the opposite is usually true in the world of beauty and makeup. We use makeup not to hide our features, but to accent and emphasize them. Knowing how to judiciously use restraint is an important tool in every makeup ninja’s arsenal. By continuing to study and apply the techniques that I present, I hope that by using your newfound knowledge on a regular basis, you will become a seriously good makeup ninja.

Ninja Beauty Secrets, part 4

“Shadow Warrior”

Before we begin, I asked you at the end of my last column to purchase a quad eyeshadow kit, such as this one. Please obtain one if you haven’t already because I always believe that having a tool in front of you always makes the learning process easier. I want you to get a quad eyeshadow kit rather than a trio or duo eyeshadow kit for the larger selection of colors.

Eyeshadow allows you to unleash your creative side and play with looks that you might not normally do. So many older transgenders stick to the “one good look” they’ve discovered just like the little old ladies I see walking around the park looking the same as they did thirty years ago. The look might’ve looked great on them and more appropriate thirty years ago, but techniques have been refined over the years to the point where if you’re not continuing to study the trends, you’ll look outdated.

Eyeshadow can be used to make eyes appear more deep-set, or give the illusion that close-together eyes look farther apart—or far apart eyes look closer together. Eyeshadow is often used to “dress up” the eyes, making them more prominent and more dazzling. There are pretty eyes of all shapes and sizes so do not be disenchanted if you do not possess a certain eye shape and size. Chances are there is a model, actress, or singer who has a similar eye shape and size.

Perhaps the single most important lesson you can take from this column is the use of restraint. You don’t need to use three or even two shades when all that’s called for is one. One of the basic rules of makeup is emphasizing either the eyes or lips, but never both. With evening looks, you can break this rule somewhat. I say somewhat because most transgendered women seem to think that an evening look is a drag queen look.

The first picture shows a three color eyeshadow look with iridescent (glitter) shadow Note that the majority of the eyelid, from the inner part of the eye to about three-quarters of the lid is colored with the primary shade, a medium iridescent lilac. The dark shade is confined to the outer one-quarter part of the eye. I also use a blue iridescent to emphasize the outer corners on my eyes. It’s a nice look if you’re a drag queen or attending the Night of a Thousand Gowns in a thousand-dollar evening gown, but makeup ninjas should just avoid it.

The second picture shows a three color eyeshadow look with a highlighting eyeshadow on the browbone only. A highlighting eyeshadow is usually an iridescent eyeshadow, but doesn’t need to be, as shown in the third picture where the highlighting color is simply a lighter shade than the other two shades on the eyelid.

Two colors, as shown in the fourth picture, are really more than you need for totally beautiful eyes. For hooded eyes, all you really need to do is cover the entire lid, including the browbone, with the lighter shade and use the darker shade to accent the outer part of the eyelid. You can fake a third shade, the browbone highlight shade, by applying the lighter of your two shades with a much gentler touch. Mastering the use of two colors will ultimately beuseful for all of your evening and special occasion looks. Your quad eyeshadow kit includes four colors from which you can choose two colors, or six different two-color combinations.

For daytime makeup, nothing beats the look of a single shade of color. All you need to do is cover your entire eyelid with the single shade. It’s simple, easy, and effective. You can concentrate a little more color on the outer parts of the eyelid to give the illusion of two colors.

After you apply eyeshadow, go over your eyelines with eyeliner if any eyeshadow fell on top of the original eyeline. This will keep your eyelines RSP (razor sharp perfect). Be sure to keep the ends of your eyelines looking razor sharp.

Remember that all of the techniques in this series of articles work in unison. You can’t skip the article on proper browshaping techniques, for example, and expect to achieve RSP results. Re-read my series of articles from the beginning and follow the techniques step-by-step until you reach this point again. Once you master the techniques in these four articles, and the fifth if you have deep-set eyes, then dressing up the lips and cheeks are just bonuses. In other words, you will already look quite awesome even without “hiding behind” the look of big red lips. In fact, my upcoming lip article will tell you why pink, lilac, or nude might be a better shade for you than red, burgundy, or chocolate.

Next month, we’re going to look at eyeshadow for deep-set eyes. The philosophies of restraint apply equally here, but the makeup ninja will have a lot more creative freedom to do really cool things. We’ll explore some of these artistic techniques in next month’s column.

For more ninja beauty secrets, purchase “Natural Makeup Techniques” or “Secrets to an Awesome Makeover” from my web site (will open in a new window).

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