Often, this causes colors to turn muddy or patchy and shapes to look like they’ve spread farther than intended. Blending is not about moving the brush endlessly. Blending is about moving the brush in a controlled way with a specific goal in mind. The first time you’re starting out, the easiest thing to understand about blending is that blending means you’re softening an edge while keeping your shape intact. Instead of looking for blurred edges, look for smooth edges between two colors. Start with fewer colors than you probably need. In eyes, for instance, use two colors: one mid-tone and one darker.

Place the lighter color first in your crease and blend in a few tiny circles and a few short back-and-forth strokes wherever you want that edge to soften. Use the darker color next closer to the lash line or at the outer corner and only blend the outer edge of that color to keep its center richer. A common mistake is putting dark shadow too high on the eye then trying to blend it all the way across the lid. Instead of doing that, go back to that dark shade and brush only the very outside edge slightly upward, then add a transition shade to the outer perimeter instead of smearing the dark shadow over more of the eye.

Face products also benefit from a careful approach. You’ll see much better results blending face makeup in thin layers. When your base looks streaky and thick, use less product and let the layer you applied settle a bit before adding more. Pressing motions work better for blending than brushing around the nose, under the eyes, and over rougher skin. Apply color first, then diffuse the outer edge so that the intensity of color remains in the area you intended to color. Sometimes the color disappears when you blend. This means your tool is actually pulling the product up rather than softening it out, so you may try blending with a smaller amount of pressure and a smaller motion size.

Tap the color onto that area again and try to blend just the outer edge. A short fifteen-minute practice window can go a long way to developing your blending skill. Do just one side of your eyes with two shades for five minutes and focus on where the shadow is placed before you do any blending. Do it again on the other side with the same two shades for five minutes. Finally, look at both sides in the mirror from a couple feet away then come closer and look for where one side looks smoother, where one looks like it moved farther, or where the shape feels off. On another day, use the same structure for blush and bronzer on each side of the face.

Doing small sections like this repeatedly is a great way to build your blending skills as it keeps things focused rather than adding up to a whole face of makeup. Every time you practice this way, you can try to do it better than before. The problem with blending isn’t always you or your tool, sometimes it’s where you’re standing. Sometimes your brush is too large and you’re smearing product beyond where you mean to. Sometimes the lighting is too harsh and you miss a patchy area. Dry skin or unset cream products can also make everything drag. When your blending isn’t getting better, try taking a picture and look in it for where you need to blend.

Sometimes it’s easier to see in photos than it is while still wearing the makeup. Another helpful practice for blending is trying to perfect your skills with the same products over a couple days. Every time you use a new makeup product, your skin or makeup may react in a different way which can be harder to understand. Your goal is to be able to blend colors into smooth edges while keeping them visible and on the parts you want them to stay. Once you get the idea, your makeup can feel less haphazard and you may start to notice which tool you want, how much to apply, and when to stop moving the makeup. These simple steps will help blend your makeup so it looks clean rather than muddy as you learn them better each time.