WARNING! - Shading has been exaggerated for illustrative purposes! Only drag queens and Tammy Faye dig wearing this much war paint! FIRST, THE EYESHADOW... I usually use four shades of eyeshadow: a nearly-white highlighting color, a medium and dark color that compliment each other, and black. (I use MAC eyeshadows, but I've also used Revlon, Cover Girl, and even generic brands - it's all good!) (I do have several different eyeshadow brushes: I use one medium-sized MAC brush each for light, medium, and dark colors, because I don't want to mix my colors, but I'm too lazy to clean my brushes between every application. DOH! I also use a thin, flat brush to apply shadow under the eyes, for cleaner, sharper lines) Before applying eyeshadow, dust heavily under each eye with translucent or neutral face powder to protect your face. Now if any eyeshadow falls onto your face, just get a blush brush and gently dust all the powder away, and your face won't be mussed up! You can dust off and reapply powder as often as necessary while doing your eyeshadow. Start off with the super-light highlighting color, brushing on upper lids from eyelashes all the way up to the eyebrows. (see #1) Next, brush medium color on upper lids, starting from eyelashes, but only going about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up to your eyebrows. Also brush this shade under the eyes as well, all the way across under each eye. (see #2) Now add darker color on upper lids, starting from the crease in your eyelid and down to the lashes. Color should be slightly heavier towards the outer corners of each eye. On your lower lids, add color from the outer corners of each eye and inward towards your nose, using most of the color on the outer corners and fading away as you go. (see #3) Finally, add some black to the upper lids, just barely above the lashline, with a little extra 'oomph' at the outer corners of each eye. On the lower lids, just add black to the outer corners of each eye. Don't go all the way across, because that 'locks in the eye' and makes it look smaller, which is BAD! NOW EYELINER, MASCARA, & LASHES Draw eyeliner along lashline of upper lids, all the way across and continuing slightly past the outer corner of the eye. (see #5) (I use black liquid liners by Revlon or Cover Girl, the ones that kinda look like a pointy little magic marker) Add a coat of mascara to the top and bottom lashes of each eye, and then a second coat to each. (some makeup artists like to use an eyelash curler on upper lashes first, but honestly, I don't think they make a big difference, especially not if I'm adding false lashes anyway!) OK, now the bitch - applying false eyelashes. (I use Ardell #117's and clear eyelash glue, both of which you can find at any drugstore) Gently pull the false lashes from their container and apply eyelash glue to each (you can use tweezers if it helps, but I find it easier to do it all with my fingers) Just as the glue starts drying and getting tacky, apply the lash to your upper eyelid, barely above your own natural lashline, and extending a bit past the outer corner of your eye. If you try to apply the lash when the glue is too wet or too dry, it won't stick, so getting that timing just right will take some practice. Properly applied eyelashes do feel a little funny at first, but THEY SHOULD NOT HURT, so if you feel anything poking into your eye, or pulling awkwardly when you blink, simply pull the lash off and try again. This is probably the hardest part of basic glamour makeup application, even for professionals, so don't feel bad if it takes a couple tries before you get it right. Once you've got the lash-applying down pat, here's an 'experts-only' secret trick for looking 'super-glam' - First, I apply one set of lashes normally, as explained above. Then, I take a second set of lashes, and cut each of them in half. Since lashes are always longer on the outer edges, one half will be slightly longer than the other - throw the bigger halves away, and keep the two halves with shorter lashes. Now, carefully apply one half to the outermost part of each eye, directly above the first lashes. This "one-and-a-half lashes" trick gives you extra-sexy, super-exotic 'cat's eyes', which looks strikingly glamorous in person and in pictures! (see #6) OK, almost done with the eyes now... just gotta do the EYEBROWS...