At long last, we have come to the fifth installment of the Eyeshadow Tutorial for Asian Eyes series. Here, we will discuss the Horizontal Gradient Method of eyeshadow application.

(Ah yes, if you’re confused why this is the ‘Horizontal Method’, especially since this term was already used in Part 2, then you ought to read this post!)

Lest you get lost in the sea of information in this tutorial, you might want to first check out the other episodes in this series:

Part 1: Where to Apply Eyeshadow

Part 2: Vertical Gradient Method

Part 3: Defining the Outer V

Part 4: Defining the Contour Area

Part 5: Horizontal Gradient Method

The difference between the Horizontal Gradient Method and Vertical Gradient Method is, quite obviously, the way in which the gradient flows.

From my observations and research, the Horizontal Gradient Method is more well-known and commonly practised in the Caucasian makeup world because their larger lid space allows for more colors to be placed and, unlike many Asians, do not have as heavily hooded eyelids. Most Caucasians only experience hooded lids when they age.

Half of the world’s Asians do not have a Fold in the Lid at all; they have monolids and can be referred to as Mongoloids (Wikipedia). (It has been brought to my attention by some concerned readers that this term has negative connotations. I used the term in an anthropological context and hope no offense is taken.)

The Horizontal Gradient Method of eyeshadow application is also one of the ways to shape the eye and adjust the distance between eyes.

In my post on the types of eye makeup for different types of eyes, I wrote about manipulating the Outer 1/3 of the Lid to create the illusion of a wider or narrower gap between the eyes. You can also manipulate the Outer-V (Where is the Outer V?) to widen or bridge the gap.

Having horizontal gradients on the Lid requires blending – you really have to blend well – otherwise the eye makeup look will look block-ish. What we want is a smooth transition of one color to the next – left to right to left.

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