Begin with a fresh, clean face. You should remove all makeup, including any mascara.
Remember that when you highlight a feature, it will seem to protrude and when you shade a feature it will seem to recede. You'll need to apply a heavier layer of makeup if the performance is in a large theater. In smaller theaters, less makeup is necessary.
Use dark colors to shade the eyes, including brown, gray, purple or dark red. To highlight, choose creamy white, white with a pink tint or tan. It's important to select a color that you can blend well with your skin.
Apply highlight makeup on the outer half of the brow bone, which is right above the eye socket and below the eyebrow. Blend the makeup in so it matches your skin.
Create natural shading by applying dark makeup to the inner half of the eyelid, below the brow bone. Blend the shading toward the side of the nose.
Make your eyes stand out by applying highlight makeup to the inside half of both eyes. Another method for opening up the eye is to apply a small amount of yellow makeup across the eye lid. These techniques are especially useful if the audience needs to see the actor's eye movements.