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Black and white eyeshadow looks are the perfect blend of darkness and light as it makes the eyes pop without putting too much emphasis on the same color scheme. Opposites attract. This is the universal rule of everything, but when black and white are mixed, they look grey.
If you’re going for a black-and-white look, it must coexist in harmony rather than as a blend of two colors. And this is where a zebra inspire the black and white eyeshadow looks! It is not motivated by a zebra; instead, the black and white patterns exist almost everywhere, making it a unique feature in the makeup looks.
If we consider a black smokey eye, we mostly go for brown or any other dark color, like green or blue, as dark shades tend to compliment the look. But if you want the lightest of all shades, pure white with black, you must ensure that the colors are not smoked or blended. And this is all we are going to discuss further in the article.
The inspo: black and white eyeshadow looks
Black and white eyeshadow looks to go back to the black and white screen times when there was no color. Everything was distinguished by the darkness and depth of the color, and light colors were differentiated by their small presence on the screen.
With black and white makeup looks, what was more likely was the winged liners for the actresses. They always wore solid liners and kohl to compliment their eye shape, and they could easily pull it off with a fancy gown or a casual fit.
Besides that, the black and white eyeshadow looks somewhat different from your usual style. If you remember Disney movies like Cruella in the 101 Dalmeshiuns, then you know how much she loved all the black and white makeup looks.
If you leave her character alone and just focus on Cruella De Vil’s iconic black and white eyeshadow looks or even her dresses and wigs, you’ll know why she might serve as an inspiration. Emma Stone played Cruella de Vil beautifully as she evolved and adopted her black and white looks.
MAC Cosmetics even named a segment of their makeup line after Cruella. The black and white eyeshadow looks with a very bold red lip will be the ultimate inspiration for the look. If you ask us, Cruella’s take on the black and white eyeshadow looks and clothes is a cheerleader of how elevated her tastes were from the rest and how aristocratic she was by nature. And about that black and white eyeshadow look, we’ll circle back to that later on.
Choosing the perfect black and white eyeshadow look
If you want to go for the vintage or b&w vibe with your eyes, then choose something that goes well with the fit. And for beginners, we suggest starting with very simple graphic liners instead of going for eyeshadow palettes.
But if you’re confident with the black and white eyeshadow looks, then you’ll be just fine. For starters, you can try a black and white eyeshadow look on a night out or at a glamorous party or event. Attend the reception instead of the wedding with black and white eyeshadow.
To apply the black and white eyeshadow, use a proper foundation, concealer, and highlighter. If you’re going for the black and white eyeshadow looks for Halloween or a get-up day, use a foundation lighter than your skin tone and go with a very heavy contour. Avoid using blush too. And for a very daring look, try and use a bold red or plum lip.
Black and white eyeshadow looks
Here we include some of the legendary and more accessible black and white eyeshadow looks you can do just at home. You might want to go for different products, and you can even use face paint, but all of these looks are very easy to pull off, as we’ll be including a step-by-step guide for the looks.
We even include a precaution list beforehand, so you won’t mess up the look just by starting it. And one of the biggest things to remember is that practicing the art of black and white eyeshadow looks will only make it perfect, and you will land upon a look that you love and might do regularly.
Precautions before you proceed
- Use different brushes when you’re applying light and dark colors. The blending and packing brushes for both black and white should be other. Otherwise, the appearance will be patchy and grey.
- Use the lighter or white eyeshadow first; otherwise, the black shadow might create a base, which will be seen through the white part.
- Black eyeshadow tends to have more fallout than usual. So use an eye base that is on the creamier side to avoid creating a mess.
- Use other colors like brown or tan to avoid the look being only concentrated on B&W. Certainly, the entire black and white eyeshadow looks are based on those colors, but adding more colors gives the eyes depth.
- If you’re using two black and white graphic liners, let one of the eyeliners you applied first completely dry. Otherwise, they might bleed and create a mess.
- Use an eyeshadow base or a primer. We recommend using two different eyeshadow bases if you’re going for the black and white eyeshadow look. The following eyeshadow should go on the places you are going to put your black and white eyeshadow on.
- For black and white eyeshadow looks, try and do the eyes first rather than going for the whole foundation and base and, later on, the eyes. This way, you can eliminate the mess without ruining the makeup.
Now let us jump to the parts where we get to present you with the black, and white eyeshadow looks on the trend list.
- Eyeliner Stripped
- Create a crease in both black and white
- Smokey eyes in black and white
- Geometric black and white
- Cruell DeVil
Look 1: Eyeliner Stripped
What could be better than a direct inspiration from the zebras? And this is why the stripped eyeliner look with black and white is the perfect starting point for all the looks. This eye makeup look is one of the cool girl makeup tutorials that you’ll see on your Instagram feed and even when you are at Coachella. The stripped eyeliner look is easy to pull off; it just needs time and patience. This eyeliner look will surely help to turn heads, and you can do it at home.
Here we’ll be including a step-by-step tutorial on how to do a black and white striped liner look.
- Draw a shape: the first thing to do while doing a stripped liner is first to sketch out the outlines of the eyes. You can use a nude pencil or a pencil one shade lighter than your skin tone to get the shape of the liner. Sketch and draw on the shape the way you usually put your liner, and do not fill in the liner or the winged part. Use a lining pencil that is creamy and sharp for precision.
- Diagonal liner strokes: next up, you will require a black and white pigmented liner for the black and white eyeshadow looks. You can go for a gel liner or liquid, but avoid using pencil liners. Precise and diagonal lines are the keys here. Start from the inner corners of the eyes. The starting lines have to be short, and the middle has to be the longest. And as you reach the outer corners of the eyes, it’ll turn into shorter strokes and, lastly, a dot in the wing.
- One at a time: if you’re using two different liners of the opposite color, then start with a liner and let it dry completely. Otherwise, they might bleed and ruin the shape.
Spray: Finish the look with the setting spray, enhancing the time period of the black and white eyeshadow looks.
Look 2: Create a crease in both Black and White
If you want a perfect combination of black and white eyeshadow looks, then the cut crease version is perfect for a very bold shadow look. The overall look is more precise here, and as with any cut crease look, you can keep it all black and white or add glitter and splatters around it. Also, add bold lashes to compliment the look.
Here we introducing a step-by-step guide on how to do a black and white eyeshadow look with a cat eye cut crease.
- White Base: first, you need to apply a white base on the eyes to make the shadow pigments pop. You can use a white primer, a white pencil liner, or a white concealer for the base.
- Black and grey on the outer part: next, you need to put grey eyeshadow on the outer part of the eyes. Make the shadow in the shape of a V, and you can use a shadow stencil for the perfect look. The grey color should be there to give depth to the outer parts of the eyes, and then apply black shadow over it. At first, start by packing the shadow and then blending it.
- Micellar water: use a cue tip to clean out the first part of the eye. Don’t go deep with the water; just make sure you have enough space to place the white eyeshadow. Gently pack the white eyeshadow and blend that color with a peachy brown color.
- Silver glitter: use a silver glitter liner to draw a shape on the eyeshadow portion.
- Line the top and bottom: use black eyeliner on the bottom of the lid to bind the whole look together. Use a white liner on the bottom to draw out the eyes.
Look 3: Smokey eyes in black and white
This is the ultimate take on the black and white eyeshadow look. Smokey eyes are something that goes with everything you wear, and this is why these sorts of looks are perfect for every event. Brown and black smokey eyes are very common, but when you put a black and white eyeshadow look on smokey eyes, it will definitely stand out. Black will give depth to the eyes, and white will give light to the eyes.
Here we include a step-by-step guide for the perfect black, and white eyeshadow looks with smokey effects.
- Prime the lids: if you’re using black and white eyeshadow, you’ll need a gripping eye primer first. You can use a concealer that matches your skin tone or simply dab the foundation on your eyes with a sponge. This will even out the eyes and will give you a proper way to put the shadows on.
- Start with White: Start with a very light shadow, and in this case, start with the white eyeshadow first. Start packing the shade on the inner part of the eyes and placing it. Use a blending brush and feather the eyeshadow.
- Grey part: in smokey eye makeup looks, all we are doing is a transition of colors, and for the black and white eyeshadow looks with a smokey look, you’d want a transition of white to grey and then to black. The grey or silver is there to give depth to the black part.
- Darker grey: to make it more fluent, use a darker grey eyeshadow and apply it to the outer part of the lid. Make sure to blend the eyeshadow properly.
- Black shades: then use a flat brush and apply it to the outer part of the eyes and make a V shape. Oh, and try to go for a metallic black shade on top of it.
Clean-up: use a cleaning bush to give the shape of the wing. You can use a black liquid liner on top or just leave the eyes as is. Pair the whole look with a very nude lip and a black dress, and you are off to a tremendous start for the night.
Look 4: Geometric black and white
If you want to avoid evolving the eyeshadow on the way, then you’ll love the geometric black and white looks. These looks are easy, and you won’t need a whole new palette to put on the look. You can just buy a black and white liquid or gel liner and get the perfect black and white eyeshadow look just fine. This look is a total inspiration from Sofia Loren, who loved her bold and dramatic eye looks. The look is super defined, and you can easily change the outcomes by putting your take on them. This is the perfect skillful mix of black, and white eyeshadow looks on the page.
Here we include a guide on how to do a black and white graphic liner with some easy steps.
- Define: first, start with a nude or white eye pencil and draw a sketch of the wing and sharpness you’re going for. The line should be extended towards the outer part, and it should be on the flick. Draw two lines just above the upper lash line and blend them into one. The white and black liquid liners will go on top of these two lines.
- Start with black: use a fluid or liquid liner to draw on top of the first line of the lining pencil and feel the space. You can keep the lines thick or thin according to your choice. Just make sure that you’re following the lines. If you mess up, clean up with a cue tip.
- White Liner: The white liner goes on top of the black liner. The curve and the followup of the white liner are the same as the black liner, and both wings are blended into one.
- Black Eye Pencil: you can use a black eye pencil on the lower lash line and make a very bold line, which will then ally with the upper black eyeliner. Do not smoke the lower lash line and extend the inner corners of the eyes.
- Finishing touches: for an elevated look, apply a metallic liner on top of the white liner.
Look 5: Cruell De Vil
This is the most iconic look with black and white eyeshadow that leaves rent-free in my mind. This is the OG of all the monochrome looks. The idea is to create a very pale look and still make it bold. It’s more like a white corpse with a very bold red lip. The look itself is perfect for a Gothic term, and in our case, it works best with Halloween costumes. You might want to add a little dot with black liner on the face for the perfect attire.
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Here we include a step-by-step instruction on how to get the perfect Cruella de Vil with black and white eyeshadow looks.
- Pale foundation: you need to start by applying a pale foundation on your face, and you can use two to three tones of brighter foundation to start the look.
- The eyes: eyeshadow consists of mainly three colors: black on the outer part of the eyes and smoked out, white on the lid, and red on the inner corner of the eyes.
- White eyeshadow: start with the white eyeshadow and first use a white base for the shadow to pop. Use a shimmering white shadow on top to make it pop.
- A black eyeshadow: Smokey V-shaped shadow is applied to the outer corner of the eyes. The black reaches the inner brow bone, creating a shadow on the nose. Smoke the lower lash line with black shadow, and the lower lid should be lined with a white liner.
- Individual lashes: one of the keys to Cruella’s look is her defined and slim brow. Apply individual lashes to the outer corners of the eyes and a thick coat of mascara. Finish the look with a black and thin liner. Tightline the eyes with a black pencil.
- Red lip: use matte lipstick to do a very fiery red lip. Top it up with some gloss.
Products we recommend for the perfect black and white eyeshadow looks
Here we are including some of the products that you can use for the B&W monochrome looks:
- Colorpop-blowin’ Smoke Grey Eyeshadow Palate
- Lorac-pro Matte Eyeshadow Palette
- Rimmel-magnif’eyes Palette
- NYX Professional Makeup-jumbo Pencil
- Revlon Illuminance-black Magic Cream Shadow
- Maybelline New York-the City Mini Eyeshadow Palette
- Covergirl-trunaked Eyeshadow Palate
- Surratt Beauty-les Etoiles Pallate-supernova
- Pat Mcgrath Labs-bronze Seduction
- Charlotte Tilbury-round The Chic
- Johny’s Concert Mystique-amplified Eyeshadow Palette
FAQs
To blend black and white eyeshadow, you need to choose a transition color between these two, and that will be grey. You need to pack both black and white eyeshadow and use the tiniest bit of grey in between. But make sure that you change the brushes in between.
If you’re wearing a black or white casual or coctail dress, you can do a black smokey or cat eye. Use white on the inner corners and any lighter shade of metallic eyeshadow on top to make the eyes pop.
To Sum Up…
If you think of the 90s, the most significant roles for black and white eyeshadow were played when celebs only wore shimmer or did a straight-up black look. All of our today’s makeup evolution was somewhat controlled by the past eras, and now that we are moving on to the black and white eyeshadow looks, they still play a part. This very bold black eyeliner with a top white crease is certainly a reminder of the 90s, and these black and white eyeshadow looks are our ode to the 90s.
Key Points
- How to do the perfect graphic eyeshadow look with black and white and how to avoid being grey.
- Learn how to incorporate black, and white eyeshadow looks into a regular makeup routine.
- The best black and white eyeshadow look on trend and products that will help you achieve the look.
- How to complement the black and white eyeshadow looks with perfect lip makeup?
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