I cannot do eyeshadow or eyeliner! Any tips?

[ShinyBauble]

With liquid eyeliner, however careful I am I can rarely get a smooth line, and pencil looks messy. Plus I hate doing the waterline so there is usually a bit of a gap.

Eyeshadow always looks muddy or grainy on me. I either apply it so subtly that you can't tell it's there, or I end up with obvious lines, smudginess, or eyes that don't match.

My usual eye make-up look is Painterly paintpot on my eyelid and mascara. I'm 36 and I feel I should be making more of an effort, but my efforts are all decidedly amateur looking!

I too am rubbish at liquid eyeliner. I rarely wear it but if I do, I tend to use pencil then go over it with liquid. Or make lots of dots and "join the dots" if that makes sense?!

I use grey or black eye shadow and a small, hard brush (instead of liquid or pencil) and push the colour right into the root line. I think it's called tight lining or push lining.

I had a lesson at Space NK with Laura Mercier. Of course any of the make up places would show you.
I can't use liquid but with a pencil she told me to pull my eye lid to one side & do tiny strokes from the inside out, getting a bit thicker towards the edge.
HTH.

Use a slanted or squared off brush to push shadow into lashes or dot along lashline with a smudgy pencil. Look up you tube videos of how to from Wayne Goss, Pixiwoo, Charlotte Tilbury, Pat Mcgrath ora real favourie of mine (though may be a but far out for you as she often does quite colourful stuff) Vintage or Tacky -she is one of the only American ones I view as the rest are screechy and talk a mile a minute and you end up with mostly crap but 1 minute on actual make up!

Me too... Same age, same problem.

Try I liner pen too much easier than a brush. Mac do a great one.

When applying use a desk or hard surface to steady your arm on.

As for shadow I always apply with a sponge applicator and blend with a brush after. I always start lightly then add more if I need too.

The muddy or grainyness sounds like you arent setting a base on your lids first with a primer or foundation then powder. This will cause the oils on your lids to soak up the shadow in lumps.

Practice makes perfect too, take time out when your not going anywhere to play around with your make up, it takes the pressure off.

Have fun