Eye makeup helps draw attention to your eyes when you want to take the attention away from something else—that’s why what products you choose to put on your eyes are so crucial.

The first thing you’ll need when you’re doing your eye makeup is an eyelid primer. Benefit’s “Stay Don’t Stray” eye shadow primer is great for this. This product comes in shades ranging from light to deep and you only have to apply a few dabs around your eye to ensure maximum coverage.

This primer can be worn with or without makeup, and still help your overall look.

According to Benefitcosmetics.com you can, “Wear it alone to help even out eyelid discoloration & under eye circles…it’s perfect for the no-makeup look.”

This is slightly different from primer for your foundation because they have different functions. Foundation primer is intended to smooth out your face in order to make application easier, while eye shadow primer helps the color stay in place and stick onto your eyelids without having to worry about creasing. If you notice you have very oily skin, try using your face powder over your applied eye makeup to set it.

After your primer is dry, the next step would be to apply eye shadow. The Real Techniques shading brush allows you to control the amount of eye shadow you are applying. This also helps when you want to blend different eye shadows together. Sometimes the simplest eye shadow colors are the best, and that’s the case with the Lorac Pocket Pro eye palette.

Beauty.com says it is, “the perfect trio to keep your eyes looking glamorous on the go.”

I find that the three colors the pocket palette offers are enough to keep your look simple while also giving you a little shimmer. This look is just safe enough for those who aren’t ready to rock brighter colors, but still want to make a statement.

I have always found mascara to be an essential part of my look. Even if you don’t have enough time to do your full eye makeup, mascara is the shortest step and will make a significant difference, especially for those with light eye lashes.

Benefit’s Bad Gal Lash mascara is great because it won’t come off on your eye shadow and it ensures maximum coverage in just a stroke of the wand. This product will last you the entire day leaving you to not have to worry about constantly re-applying it.

Eyeliner is the last step to your eye makeup look, and arguably the hardest. I’ve found felt tips to be the easiest to apply, but there are times when it was hard to get the color out of the tip. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in intense black goes on perfectly.

According to Stilacosmetics.com, “The thin marker-like tip is easy to use even for the least experienced, and delivers a defined thin line to a dramatic bold line with precision.”

The nice thing about eye makeup is that any combination of them works. Even if you only use one type of product your eyes will always stand out.