Sunrise Gradient Eyeshadow (Affordable Looks :)

You don't need to buy expensive makeup products to look good and I'm going to show you how.

I buy a lot of my makeup at the swapmeet because I can't afford to buy my products at Sephora or Mac, especially if your a college student you know what I mean. A lot of people look at swapmeet makeup and think it's cheap junk however there are certain products that are cost efficient and work even better than the real thing. You can also use tricks like using blush for eyeshadow to get certain desired looks.

To get this look however, I have used the following products:

1. Ponds/ Nivea facial creme $5-$7

2. NYC Primer $5

3. Italia liquid eyeliner $2

4. Italia deluxe earth toned eyeshadow palette $3 (only at the swapmeet) It will probably cost more online because of shipping

5.Black Radiance Ruby Treasure Blush $1.50 (only at swapmeet) elsewhere probably $5

6. Pencil Black Eyeliner $1.50

7. I also used a random individual deep purple shimmer eyeshadow( I will post a picture of an eyeshadow that looks similar in color to what I used) $3

8. 3 Makeup Brushes : blending brush, defining eye brush, eyeshadow brush - (If your on a budget like me I recommend elf brushes, they are cheap and work pretty good. It doesn't really matter what brand or type of brush you buy its all about how you use it! :) $4

9. 1 paper towel ( This is not intended to thoroughly clean the brushes simply to remove any excess color from them)

10. Maybelline Fit Me Foundation -$5 (find your shade)

11. Eyelash Curler

The photos have not been Photoshopped or tampered with.

Prep. Phase 1. Wash your face!

Prep. Phase 2. Apply facial creme to help hydrate skin (Ponds or Nivea creme work well)

Prep. Phase 3. Apply Primer on the eyelids (make sure to spread and cover the whole area of the eyelid) and also apply primer underneath your eye try no to get any on you bottom lashes. Make sure it is completely dry.

It is very important to always apply primer before using any eyeshadow makeup because it allows the color to stand out and stick. Not all cheap makeup needs primer to look vibrant however just be safe and always use primer you won't be disappointed! :)

Using your eyeshadow brush apply a thick coat of ruby treasure blush on the crease of your eyelid. Do this on both sides. Leave the lid area untouched because the next color will be placed there. Also make sure not to take the color to high up the crease because a third color will be placed right above it and you want to leave enough space. As you apply the eyeshadow create a round circular shape and make both eyes as even as possible when doing so. Even though this is blush I use it for eyeshadow a lot because the color is truly stunning and cost efficient :)

Using the blending brush apply the yellow and gold shimmer eyeshadow from the Italia palette on the lid and blend up to the crease. This eyeshadow may be a little chalky however because the lid was set with primer it should go on smoothly without hassle. Do not blend past or above the crease because another color will be placed above the pink eyeshadow.

Clean the blending brush by wiping it on a dry paper towel. Do this until most of the gold has come off. Then use the blending brush again and apply the purple shimmer (which ever you have decided to use) above the pink eye shadow and slowly blend down toward the crease. Make sure you don't completely blend both colors together. Keep the colors separate so you can see each color individually.This helps the colors fade into one another creating a beautiful gradient color scheme.

Using a fine brush apply pink eye shadow below the waterline.

Now you are going to highlight by applying the white shimmer from the Italia eyeshadow palette above the purple eye shadow. Clean the blending brush again by wiping it on a dry paper towel. Do this until most of the purple has come off and then use. Its okay if some of the purple stays on the brush it will help the colors fade into one another. Don't apply to much white shimmer otherwise it will wash out the purple.

Apply pencil black eyeliner on the waterline. Now apply liquid eyeliner along the bottom of the eyelid. You can adjust the size or shape, but I personally prefer a thinner line. In this case a finer line is preferable because if the line is too thick it can take away from the gold shimmer eyeshadow. If you have difficulty applying liquid eyeliner you can substitute it for a smudge pot eyeliner.The liquid liner gives a more slick look and a smudge pot gives more of a matte, smokey eye look. Whatever you decided to use, they all get the job done.

After you apply the eyeliner, curl your lashes and apply mascara. Some people like to curl the lashes before applying the eyeliner. Once again whatever your preference or habit is its all good. I did not apply false eyelashes however it most certainty can be done! :)

To complete the look I filled in my eyebrows with the black eyeshadow in the Italia eyeshadow palette. My eyebrows are naturally black but that may not be the case for you. If so find a natural color like a light brown or dark brown depending on your hair color that may work for you. Use the defining brush to outline eyebrows with foundation. Once you fill in your eyebrows outline them with foundation or concealer to get a sharp sexy look. ;)

Hope you enjoyed this Instructable :D