No makeup regimen is complete without eye makeup, and if you know how to apply eyeliner and eyeshadow, you’ve got a great head start at looking great.

Even though the eyes are commonly just one aspect of a person’s makeup regimen, how to apply eyeliner and eyeshadow can define your look completely. There are a lot of different ways to put on your eye makeup; you can go for a low maintenance, barely-there look, the ever-popular smoky eyes look, or any number of looks.

Before you start though, you’ll need supplies, of course. First of all, you have to have your eyeliner and eyeshadow. The colors you might choose for eyeshadow will depend on your skin tone and the look you want to create.

For eyeliner, while there are a lot of different shades and tones; ranging from barely there to over-the-top, black and dark brown are two of the most absolutely essential eyeliner colors that a person should have. They can come in pressed or loose powder forms, although eyeliners will most commonly be in pencil form or in liquid form.

For eyeshadow, while you get a little leeway with eyeliner -since, as the name might suggest, you’ll probably only need to draw in a line around your eye- the colors you choose for your eyeshadow on the other hand, will have to take your skintone into consideration. For example, extremely dark colors can make very pale-skinned individuals look washed out, and blues and purples can be unflattering to people with yellowish undertones in their skin color.

Whatever eyeshadow palette you might choose though, it’s always good to have a light color, and a darker color. They’re great for blending and creating the illusion of wider, deeper-set eyes.

Usually, it’s good to start with the eyeliner; especially if you’re using an eyeliner pencil and are trying to go for a subtler effect. For a really natural look that can still open up your eyes and make them “pop,” try applying a brown or lighter-colored eyeliner to the outside corner of the top of your eye, near your lashes. Draw in the line lightly; if you’re using an eyebrow pencil or liquid eyeliner, use short strokes and stop two-thirds or three-fourths of the way.

Afterwards, to make sure that your eyeliner doesn’t smudge, “set” it with powder eyeshadow by applying it over the eyeliner. When that’s done, pick out two eyeshadow colors that are close to or complement your natural skin tone; one light, and one deeper hue.

Start with the lighter tone eyeshadow; applying it to your brow-bone and around the top part of your socket. Then, take the deeper color and brush it onto your eyelid; working from the lash-line up and from outside to inside; blending it with the lighter color. Give your eyes a little emphasis by also applying a bit of shadow to your lower lashes. Don’t line the whole thing though; stop halfway, and apply this very lightly as well for a more natural look.

While this might be just particular look to try with your eye makeup, the basic idea of how to apply it can easily be translated by simply varying the colors and the intensity of your application. After all, the question of how to apply eyeliner and eyeshadow doesn’t have to be a tough one to answer.