Cloud Eyeshadow Makeup Is the Summer Accessory You Didn’t Know You Needed

The most important part of any eyeshadow look is to prep the eyelid. An eye primer will ensure that your shadow stays crease-free and lasts all day long. Williamson recommends using the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and covering your eyelid from lash line to brow bone. 

While you can use any color across your lid and under your lash line, we’re loving this red and blue combination. To get this look, Williamson used the NYX Professional Makeup Escape Artist Shadow Palette. Using a fluffy shadow brush, she dipped into the red shade and washed the pigment across her entire lid, from lash line to brow bone. “Just softly diffuse it out to the edge of the eye and into the inner corner as well — you’re going to want the color to surround the cloud,” she says.  

To create dimension (and a little July 4th spirit) Williamson used the sparkly blue shade in the NYX Escape Artist Palette. “Wet a detailed smudger brush, dip it into the shade, and apply it across the lower lash line,” she says. “Make sure to leave the inner tear duct area open because a different shade will go there.” 

Now it’s time to create the star of this makeup look, the cloud accent. To draw the cloud on your eyelid, reach for a while gel liner or paint, like the NYX Professional Makeup Gel Liner and Smudger. “Use a brush that has a rounded edge and dip the brush into the liner on both sides — you’ll use the rounded edge as a guide for the shape of the cloud,” says Williamson. Look straight ahead and find the spot where your eyelid folds into the crease. Move to the inner corner of your eye and hold your brush at a 45-degree angle. “At the inner corner, place the brush down and wiggle it back and forth in windshield wiper motions. This creates a semi-circle.” Once your semi circle is outlined, go back and fill in the empty space with the liner and connect the edge of the semi circle to the tear duct. 

Once the first semi-circle is complete, repeat the process for the second portion of the cloud. Instead of holding your brush at an angle, however, hold your brush vertically. “Repeat the windshield-wiper motion until the second semi-circle connects to the first one,” says Williamson. “To finish the far edge of the cloud, tilt your head back and draw the bottom portion of the cloud, so the cloud folds slightly into the crease.” 

To make this look really pop, Williamson added some sparkle to the tear duct using the gold shade in the NYX Escape Artist Palette. “Wet your brush a little so the shadow doesn’t fall out all over the place,” she says. “You can also use the shimmery pink color to blend and diffuse the eyeshadow between the white cloud and the red lid.” Once your eyeshadow is complete (congrats, you did it!), follow up with a bit of mascara and you’re good to go.