White eye shadows

Just like with black eye shadows, I think that everyone should consider purchasing a white eye shadow.  It may seem counterintuitive that someone who is as fair skinned as I am would be talking about purchasing white eye shadow but there are a few key applications that make it a must-have.

First off, this is pretty much THE color that I apply on my brow bone when I do stage makeup. I will sometimes apply a beige but 99.8% of the time, it's white. It will provide good contrast that will work great with distance .

If I'm doing regular makeup, I like to apply white at the arch of the brow on the brow bone: it gives a nice pop of light.

One of my trick to appear to have bigger eyes (believe me, my eyes are normal size... it's all smoke and mirror [and makeup application]) is to apply some white eye shadow at the inner corner of the eye. I do that especially if I've used dark colors but I may do it whichever color I used. It totally re-opens your eyes to do that.  So if you've shied from using dark colors because it makes your eyes look smaller, try this trick: it works, believe me!

Another option with white is to us it if you're wanting a vintage makeup look. I typically will go for a beige instead but white is another option.

Contrary to the black eye shadows, the finish of a white eye shadow will not make nearly as much of a difference. What will, though, is the exact shade.

• I have a blueish shimmery white pigment from MAC that I've worn only a handful of times. I can wear it on my eyelid paired with something else but I can't use it alone nor on my brow bone. The issue is that the blueish tint is making it appear as if I have a black eye. NOT the look that I'm going for.
• I have a very matte white shadow from MAC (Gesso) that I use mainly for the arch of the brow and inner corner of the eye for regular makeup. I tend to prefer something matte for regular makeup.
• I have a frosty white that I had received from Sephora (Aspen Summit) in my birthday kit a couple of years ago. (When you're a Sephora rewards member, you get a freebie each year on your birthday.) I like the shine of it for stage makeup and apply it all over my brow bone and at the inner corner.

The point here is trial and errors and finding which one you prefer. If you want to purchase only one white (and I wouldn't recommend buying more than one or two), what will matter the most is the exact shade. Stay clear of blueish tints (as evidenced by my own bad experience).  You can assess what the shade is and how it will behave by applying a little on your hand and moving the hand around under light: it will reveal what other tint is in that white. That is, of course, if you are at a makeup store like MAC or Sephora.  If you are purchasing online, then it's a little bit more hit and miss but they generally will take a portion of the product and spread it to showcase the exact color.

And as an FYI, what you're aiming for when you're applying the white eye shadow to light up your eyes is NOT the clown white effect (unless that's what you're going for, of course) but a pale dusting. Whereas I apply multiple layers of eye shadow on the eyelids and at the crease, generally just one swipe will be enough with the white.