This game-changing TikTok eyeshadow hack will make you feel like a MUA

Our everyday makeup look just got a big upgrade

A woman with glowing skin and bright orange eyeshadow is pictured against a blue background to really make the contrasting eyeshadow pop
(Image credit: Getty Images / Junior Asiama)

For many of us mere mortals, a cut crease or any kind of elaborate eyeshadow look is out of the question—let's be honest, we're not Pat McGrath. Even if you treat yourself to the best eyeshadow palettes, achieving those celebrity-approved eyeshadow looks can feel impossible, and our beloved palettes will end up untouched—until now that is, thanks to this simple TikTok eyeshadow hack.

Tarte has thrown us a bone and given us the ultimate trick to create a flawlessly blended—and stunning—eyeshadow look. 

As shown in this very helpful video, all you need to do is pick four or five complementary shades, like browns and golds—which are some of the best eyeshadows for dark skin. Then you take a flat eyeshadow brush and draw a line down your eyelid, at a slight angle, following your eyelid shape.

@tartecosmetics

would you try this? ##selftaught ##beginnermakeup ##hiddengem ##summer ##eyemakeupturorial ##beautyhacks ##muatips ##easymakeup ##makeuphacks

♬ original sound - tarte cosmetics

It's recommended to start with the darkest shade on the outer corner and then create a gradient with the mid-tones in the middle, and the lightest shade in your inner corner. At this point your eyelid should look like a multi-colored bee—that’s okay and all part of the plan. 

Next, you want to take a softer, bigger brush and just gently blend those colors out until you’re left with a soft smokey eye. Finish it off with a lick of mascara and you’re all done.

Browns and neutral shades are used in this video but the technique will work with any color combo, from bright pink to green, you can go as bold or as subtle as you want.

Tarte also showed a video to do the same hack, but horizontally for a more sultry, smokey look. You just need to simply draw the eyeshadow lines across your eyelid rather than down it, and then blend! 

@tartecosmetics

Reply to @mexicaqueen7 Try this next time 🙌 ##nobodysgonnaknow ##eyeshadowhack ##eyetutorial ##makeuphacks ##muatips ##beautyhacks ##easymakeup

♬ original sound - tarte cosmetics

TikTok fans have tried and tested it, and it really does work like a charm, both videos have thousands of likes. One user wrote: “OMG! Thank you, I am horrible at applying eyeshadow!”

Another TikToker said: “I just ran to try this. Amazing!!” 

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.


Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.