Contributed by Rita Davis, Catalogs.com Info Guru

Eye makeup can transform your face, taking you from day to evening looks with strategic placement of colors and a sweep of the brush.

Distinctive styles and fashion statements are accomplished with basic eye shadow application techniques. Dramatic or mysterious, retro or mod, eyeshadow can set the tone for your entire look. Eyes are the windows to the soul, and eye shadow is their frame.

Here are easy tips to achieve the top ten eye shadow looks:

10. Minimalist

For this eyeshadow look, focus on flesh toned colors, especially light browns. Apply over the eyelid and blend out towards the edge. Gently brush a lighter color into the tear duct for added glamour. As a finishing touch, line the eye with eye pencil or liner and add mascara to top lashes.

9. Upturned Cat Eye

This is quite beautiful. Apply flesh-toned colors on the eyelid. Next, use a white eye and draw around the tear ducts and on the waterline of each eye. This brightens the eye. Next, apply a black eye pencil to the upper waterline and below the lower eye line. Then, extend it out to make a wing.

8. Custom designs

Great for parties, performing and photographs. In this eye shadow look, brush on the colors desired. Brush the lighter colors around the tear duct and beneath it, and mimic the colors on the lower eyelid as well. After that, take an eye pencil or eyeliner and draw from the eye shadow onto the side of the face. For a more seamless look pick a pencil or eyeliner that matches the eye shadows. Finally, apply eyeliner and mascara for the finishing touch.

7. Dark and Classic

This is another favorite for nice evenings or outings with friends. To achieve this look, pick the base shade. Brush it all over the eyelid. Next, take a slanted eyebrow brush, and concentrate it in the tear ducts. Then, take the brush and apply to the outer edge of the eye and blend. Next, take an eye pencil and draw on the waterline, connecting from the outer edge to the tear duct. After that, take a subtle white and gently brush it over the brow brown and under the eye.

6. Barbie

For the Barbie look, the woman sticks closer to flesh-toned colors, and adds a slightly darker color of the same palette to the outer edge of the eye. For additional girliness, apply false eyelashes and pink or red lipstick.

5. Animal-inspired

For big – BIG – drama, try imitating cheetahs and other spotted cats on the eyes, like this model shown. Other favorites are tigers, zebras, and peacocks. Unlike the other eye shadow looks, the application and shade of colors is less important. To apply spots, take an eyeliner brush and quickly draw circular G’s and O’s across the eye. For more fun, color in the spots in with a lighter eyeliner after the spots dry.

4. Artistic

With this, she basically chooses very noticeable colors to brush on her eyelid. In this example, the woman chose a rainbow-like look. Others may choose, yellow and blue, or orange, white, and purple, for example. For this look, the person brushes the lightest color at and above the tear duct and eyelid. Then, she brushes the medium shade in the center of the eyelid, and applies upward, close to the brow bone. Finally, she applies the darkest shade on the last third of the eye, applying upward. Then she blends between each color for a seamless finish.

3. Mysterious

The application of this look is similar to the dramatic look. The difference is the person switches between dark gray and pink, as shown in this picture. Ladies like this look for romantic evenings. When brushed as black instead of dark gray, this can easily be adjusted for a more gothic look.

2. Dramatic

This look is often done within a mono-color palette; in this case, blue. The person brushes the lightest shade outside the tear ducts. After that, she applies the darkest shade to the crease and outer edges. This looks best with false lashes.

1. Smokey Eye

This is a classic look when done with precision. To get the smokey look, some apply either eyeliner or eye shadow and smudge it with cosmetic brush or spongetip applicator.

Remember that eye makeup should be gently removed with an eyeshadow remover. Don’t ever sleep in your eyeshadow, or you risk both soiled bed linens and eye infections.