The Key Tips To Prevent Your Eyeshadow From Creasing

If you're a fan of eyeshadow, you'll more than likely have run into the problem of eyeshadow creasing before. Unfortunately, it happens to the best of us, and it's to be expected when you put a product on your eyes where everyone naturally has folds (seriously, without them the eyelid wouldn't actually open and close properly). The main culprit of eyeshadow creasing though isn't actually the folds on your eyelids. It's caused by the eyelids' natural oil production. That oil (which is created to keep the skin properly moisturized) then starts to soak through the eyeshadow, breaking it down, and those lines we see on our lids are the result of the oil and product mixing and getting caught in the eyelid folds.

But while it may be an expected side effect of eyeshadow on the lid, that doesn't mean there aren't ways to limit how much creasing goes on. In fact, there are a number of hacks you can try to keep those pesky eyeshadow lines from ruining your look.

One of the first steps to take when it comes to making sure there's no eyeshadow creasing is to start with totally clean lids. As we already know, eyeshadow creasing is caused by excess oil around the eyes, so making sure your lids are clean and dry to start with will help to eliminate a lot of the oil causing the problem. You can even clean your lids with an oil-free eye makeup remover before getting started.

But they're not the only methods you can try to get rid of that extra oil that could potentially ruin your makeup look. "I prefer to then spray some toner all over the face for a clean canvas to remove any excess oil," celebrity makeup artist Anu Kaushik suggested to Vogue India. "For those with an extremely oily skin type, I'd go a step further by using blotting paper around the area."

One of the absolute most important steps for preventing eyeshadow creasing is using eyeshadow primer. Just like a primer you'd apply to your face, an eyeshadow primer does a similar job of preparing your lid for makeup. "Primers create a smooth, clean canvas that adheres eyeshadow to the skin for the highest vibrancy and payoff," Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Artist, Talia Cich, told Byrdie. "This helps to create a barrier between the skin and the eyeshadow," makeup artist Roseanna Velin added to Beauty Daily by Clarins. "There is constant skin-to-skin contact on the eyelid, and it can become quite oily throughout the day which makes the eyeshadow separate and crease."

There are multiple eyeshadow primers on the market, so it may take a little trial and error to find the right one for you. However, a primer with a little grip is best for keeping crease lines at bay. "It essentially grips the eyeshadow to skin and locks it in place for all-day wear," Cich explained.

Waterproof concealer or a foundation can be used as a primer if you don't have one to hand, though, celebrity makeup artist Renée Loiz confessed that primer is most likely to give you the best results as it's specifically designed for this specific issue. After all, concealer itself can easily crease if it's applied too heavily.

Powder products will be your best friend if you have oily lids that tend to crease. That's because powder makeup can help to keep a lid (pun intended) on all that excess oil that caused creasing. You have a couple of options here, which you can either use alone or combine for the best results. The first option is opting for only powder eyeshadows. "Powders are less likely to crease, as well as cream-to-powder formulas, but with just a straight-up cream eyeshadow product, you will definitely have creasing," Renée Loiz explained to Byrdie.

You can also try a translucent setting powder on the lid to really mattify the shadow and keep it in place. "The powder will set the cream or liquid products and lock them in place with a smooth, matte finish," Talia Cich explained, but they noted you're best to use this method after applying either a concealer or foundation to the eye before the shadow, as they're designed to work together. You'll then want to finish up with a setting spray that's safe for the eye, as this will also help keep everything in place.

Another pro-tip for keeping eyeshadow creasing at bay is to layer up your products. After all, it's only logical that the more powder or mattifying products that are on your lid, the more they'll help with excess oil production. Cassie Lomas, makeup artist and B.Makeup ambassador, explained her process to Glamour, sharing, "Apply light layers of a primer, a foundation, and then a few layers of eyeshadow to stop any movement." Equally, taking your time and applying your products slowly will allow each one to really settle into the skin — and it'll make your finished product that much more flawless, too!

Renée Loiz is also a fan of layering products for the best results, though she focuses more on stacking up eye-specific items. Plus, if you try Loiz's method, you can give eyeshadows that aren't powders a fair go. "Layering is great. I recommend using an eyeshadow crayon with liquid eyeshadow to prevent creasing. Eyeshadow crayons are creamy and glide on beautifully, and they set on the eyelid flawlessly, as do liquid eyeshadows," she told Byrdie.

There may be more in the application of your eye products than you might think. It turns out that the way in which you apply products to your eye can actually play a big part in creating (or not). When it comes to your primer, Renée Loiz explained to Byrdiethat the best way to stop those creases is, "Apply a thin layer across eyelids and blend in. Make sure the entire area [where] you're applying eyeshadow is covered with the eye primer," she shared.

Then, when it comes to your eyeshadow, you'll want to practice an application method that may be a little different from what you're used to. "I use a firm brush to apply eyeshadow and really press it onto the lid, and then blend it," Roseanna Velin told Vogue India. "This way, the eyeshadow is quite well compressed onto the eyeshadow base. This really helps it to stay put." If you're trying cream products though, Anu Kaushik recommended ditching the makeup brushes entirely. "Use your fingertips. Gentle padding motions will give you control and avoid creasing."