Eyeshadow

Women in anime have clean, simple faces, and most people focus on their iris size and color. Putting visible eyeshadow on an anime character is a deliberate design choice that changes their mood. By coloring the upper or lower eyelids, a character can appear older, more mature, glamorous, or rebellious. It shows that this character cares about their appearance and is not afraid to stand out.

Eyeshadow is most common on "gyaru" (gal) anime characters. Japanese street styles from Shibuya and Harajuku use heavy eye makeup, dramatic false lashes, and bright eyeshadows (usually pinks, whites, or earthy browns) to make eyes look huge and doll-like, influencing gyaru fashion. To look sultry, dangerous, or "droopy-eyed" and naturally sexy, villains, femme fatales, and goths wear dark, smoky eyeshadow.

As an illustrator, I love using eyeshadow to add another color palette to a character's face. A portrait is hair and eye color usually take center stage, but bright red eyeshadow on a black-haired character makes it stand out. This tag has wallpapers for fans of detailed, stylish character art and glamorous, expressive anime makeup.