Some of us overdo it. Others don’t even bother. But are you missing a key element in your look that could literally change the game?

Me with no eye make up.

And now…I’m wearing Urban Decay’s new fall palette, Vice 2.

Presenting Vice 2 (BTW I know that some of you have been talking about this palette, and I kept mum because I knew I was going to do something). Granted, the Vice 2 look took about 35 minutes to do and is DEFINITELY not an everyday look, but think about how AMAZEBALLS you’ll look at those upcoming holiday parties.

I’m just learning about the art of applying eye shadows, so I employed the assistance of professional make up artist and blogger, Monae Everett (HairandMakeupBlog.com) to give some general tips on make up application for darker-skinned chicas like myself.

Why Dark Girls Are Afraid of Eye Shadow

The most common reason is that little colors like pink and lighter hues of brown end up looking white, chalky, or some shade of gray, and bolder colors can sometimes make us look like $20 street women. Everett says that shadows with silver shimmers, regardless of the overall colors, can have the same effect, and she recommends brown-skinned women opt for colors with colors with golden shimmers. Her favorite colors in the Vice 2 palette are:

Radar

Damaged

Ambushed

Toxic

Smokeout

Before you start…

Be sure to set up right. Fill in your eyebrows and apply a primer. I strayed from Urban Decay’s anti-aging primer that I usually use, and opted for a Paula Dorf primer in “DEEP.” I set up my eyebrows with the Brow Pro Palette by Anatasia Beverly Hills. It come with eyebrow wax, concealer, and brow shadows.

In the following, I used “Ambush” on the lid above the crease, “Toxic” on the lid, “Damaged” on the “V” of the outer eye and blended it into the crease. I ended with “Radar” right below the brow bone.

I completed the look with Urban Decay’s green 24/7 eyeliner and framed it with with their black 24/7 liner, both in OCHO LOCO 2 kit…

As usual, the lighter color, “Ambush,” (the pink color on the lid) came on really light and didn’t look pink until I continued to apply several coats and filled in with a flat shadow brush. But once those pigments were there, the pink became more visible. “Radar” (the green) came on well right away, but it’s important to use a blending brush with those darker color least you look like a raccoon who has just lost a 12-round fight with Tyson.

Helpful Videos of African America women wearing eyeshadow looks…