How to Find Your Perfect Medium Eyeshadow Shade
- info140039
- Oct 31
- 2 min read
Blog by Dawn Maloney
One of the most frequent questions I get from both makeup artists and clients is:“How do I know what my medium color is?”
When you’re working with the classic three-eyeshadow method — light, medium, and dark — the medium shade is often the trickiest to figure out. It’s easy to identify your light and dark shades:
Light is lighter than your skin tone — think of your highlight shade that brightens and opens up the eye.
Dark is deeper than your skin tone — your defining or contour shade that adds depth and drama.
But Medium? That’s the one that tends to confuse people.
Here’s the secret: Your medium eyeshadow should be the closest to your skin tone.
This shade acts as your transition color. It’s what helps all the other colors blend together seamlessly. When applied in the crease or just above it, the medium tone creates that soft gradient that makes your eye makeup look professional and polished — never harsh or patchy. It is the perfect corrector when your eye shadow design looks stripy.
How to Choose Your Medium Shade
Swatch it next to your skin. Your perfect medium should almost melt into your skin — you should see it, but just barely. It shouldn’t look chalky or overly dark.
Test it in your crease.Apply a little in your crease and blend it upward. If it looks like a natural shadow that softly defines your eye shape, you’ve nailed it.
The Bottom Line
Your medium eyeshadow isn’t meant to stand out — it’s the quiet hero that makes every look come together. Once you find that perfect tone that matches (or nearly matches) your skin, blending becomes effortless and every eyeshadow look instantly looks more seamless and professional.
Want to learn how to place your eye shadow according to your eye combination? Learn with us at our upcoming events!
Shop our go-to eyeshadow palettes! Designed with Light, Medium, and Dark shadows.
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