Beautiful eyes
come in all shapes and sizes – don’t get me wrong. However, there’s something
about the eyes of celebrities Mila Kunis, Katy Perry, and Amy Adams that make
us envious – they’re huge, bright, and expressive.
The good thing
is almost everything can be solved with makeup. Whether you’re born with small
eyes or you currently have barely-open peepers due to tiredness and missed
sleep, here are 10 makeup tricks to create bigger and more awake-looking eyes.
1.
Prep, prep, prep
Before
everything else, make sure you start out on a clean, flawless canvas – and
we’re talking about addressing bloodshot eyes, getting rid of your dark circles
and depuffing swollen, wrinkly peepers.
Next to
putting eyedrops for clearer eyes, depuff by dabbing on some lightweight eye
cream to hydrate the area underneath. You can also use under-eye patches and
masks to calm inflammation and reduce swelling in 5-10 minutes. If you don’t
have any of these, a cold compress courtesy of your pantry, like cold tea bags
and or bag of ice, would do.
Don’t forget
to dab some primer to prevent creases and make your makeup efforts last longer.
2.
Neutralize and conceal your dark
circles
The dark
circles from last night’s missed sleep not only make your eyes look small and
tired – they can make you look older too. Brighten up and even out with a color
corrector and concealer combo.
Neutralize
dark circles and visible veins with a color corrector. Pick a peach or
orange-based corrector to correct blue or purple undertones. Apply it using a
small brush and let the corrector sit.
Then, pat your
favorite concealer on top of the corrector and use your ring finger to blend it
carefully. This will visibly erase any darkness and hyperpigmentation and
create a clean palette for your eye makeup. Subtly dust with a translucent
powder to set.
3.
Get your best brows
Your eyebrows
create a flattering frame for your eyes, so make sure to groom and define them.
Clean up the
areas above and below the brows and get rid of stray hairs. Fill in any gaps
with a good eyebrow pencil, powders, and pomades, and blend out any harsh
lines. Brush the brows with a spoolie for a neat, defined shape, and don’t
forget to set everything with a brow gel.
4.
Fill in the lids with light, neutral
shades
Rule of thumb:
Avoid dark colors, for they recede, and stick to neutral and light eyeshadows
for your lids. Follow the rule of contouring: use light shades for areas you
want to bring forward and dark yet soft shades (like soft brows) for areas you
want to push backward.
5.
Define your crease
If you want to
create the illusion of a deeper, larger set of eyes, contouring the crease is
the key. A matte, warm brown shade or even a soft rose tone can create
dimension. Use a fluffy blending brush to sweep the eyeshadow in an arc shape,
from the outer corners of the eyes to the middle parts.
6.
Shimmer the inner corners
Using a small
eyeshadow brush, dab a highlighter or a light, shimmery eyeshadow in the inner
corners of the eyes. Aside from your tear ducts, put some shimmer right under
the brows too. This magic trick will create the illusion that light is bouncing
off your eyes, thus result in more awake-looking peepers.
7.
Make your black eyeliner work for you
Black eyeliner
helps open your eyes and make them pop – if and only if you’re lining them
right. Overloading on the eyeliner, especially on the lower lids, do the
opposite. Remember: less is more.
Apply an
ultra-thin strip of black liquid eyeliner along the base of your upper lashes.
When using liner on the lower lashline, stick to the outer corners. Avoid harsh
lines by using a smudger to soften it out.
8.
Tightline the upper water line
This
professional black eyeliner move makes a big difference. Look upwards and use a
black eyeliner pencil to tightline the upper waterline. It will help open the
eyes and give the appearance of fuller lashes.
Disclaimer:
Take your time to avoid poking your eyes.
9.
Lighten your lower lash line
Use a
flesh-toned eyeliner to line the inner rim of your lower lid. The nude effect
on your lash line creates the illusion that the whites of your eyes extend
farther. You may use white eyeliner for this purpose, but nude tones look more
natural.
10.Add volume to your lashes
Get your
eyelash curler ready. Flip your lashes upwards to open the shutters on your
eyes.
Once your
lashes are all curled up, grab your mascara for fuller-looking lashes and
wider-looking peepers. Don’t forget your lower lashes. For a more voluminous,
doll-like pair of eyes, consider false eyelashes.
Author Bio: Mina Natividad is a resident writer
for Napoleon Perdis Makeup Courses, a leading luxury makeup brand in
Australia, which prides itself in delivering top of the line cosmetics and
makeup courses. Sticking to the heart of the cosmetics brand, she aims to
empower women with articles about style and beauty.