How to multiply your eyeshadows

Have you ever wished you could multiply your entire eyeshadow collection by only buying a few new products? Wished you could find a different finish of a shade you already own? Tried to find a color that doesn't seem to exist? Wished a shade you own could be slightly different than it is? There is a super easy way to make all of these happen. This is one of my favorite tricks.


I know using an eyeshadow base isn't exactly revolutionary, but using one that isn't nude or clear can be pretty game changing. You can instantly transform a shade you already own into one you've always wanted, one that doesn't exist, or one with a totally different finish. And if you buy a few different shades of bases, you can multiply your entire eyeshadow collection in seconds. Again, it's not revolutionary, but I do think it's a pretty exciting trick.

Here, I turned one eyeshadow into six. I made it lighter, darker, more shimmer, more matte, and different shades, just by changing what I put under it. I used MAC Coppering to demonstrate. On the left, is a swatch of just the pure eyeshadow. The next five swatches are Coppering over different bases. You can see how much it changes the shade and the finish. Below are the bases I used, in the same order.

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Pure White
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese
NYX Eyeshadow Base in Black
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean
Benefit BADgal Liner -I have the old version, but the new one is practically the same thing

All of the bases have a slightly creamy texture, which really grabs onto the shadow and changes it so much more than if you just layered shadows.

I used:
Matte white which made the color brighter
Shimmery white which made the shade brighter and more metallic
Sheer matte black which deepened the shade
Pure black which deepened the shade even more to make it much darker and slightly more matte
Matte black which deepened and really mattified the shade

I realize those descriptions don't sound too different from one another, but in the picture, you can really see how much it changed the shadow and how different they look.