Eye makeup can define how natural or dramatic your look is. Whether you want to learn a process you can use every day or look stunning for a special occasion, here's how to get it right.
Start with a clean slate.:
Wash your whole face with a gentle cleanser before you begin, paying particular attention to any leftover mascara or eyeliner. If you're having trouble removing residual eye makeup, try using cold water or regular lotion on a cotton swab. If you have dry skin around your eyes or suffer from eczema, rub a little moisturizer underneath your eyes, as well as between the outer corners of your eyes and your temples. Don't put moisturizer on your eyelids - this will make them greasy, and the makeup you apply will run off.
Prep your eyes with concealer
Concealer can be used to cover up under-eye circles or just the bluish discoloration just under your inner eye. To cover dark undereye circles, apply three dots of concealer under each eye. Start at the inner corner where skin tends to be darkest, then under the pupil and the third on the outer edge. Pat, never rub with your ring finger (this finger tends to have the softest pad) until it disappears.
Apply eye base to your lid Eye base is the secret to keeping your shadow in place for hours. Without properly priming your lid first, your eyeshadow will likely end up a greasy line in your crease.
Follow with eyeliner
Dark eyeshadows work great as eyeliners. Wet a slanted brush, then dip in a dark eyeshadow. Line eyes as close to the upper lashes as possible from the inner corner to the outer corner. Follow with liner on bottom eyes, but only line from the middle of the eye out. Smudge the bottom line with a Q-tip or your finger. You don't want a prominent line. For a smokey eye, use a brush to pat in a dark eyeshadow along the upper lid and below the lid. You don't want a stark line, instead you want to blend it so it's "smudge-y."Apply eyeshadow.
You can use one color, or several. Here's a basic three-color plan.
- Apply a medium color on your eyelid. Your eyelid is the area running from your eyelashes to your crease (the slight dip between your eyelid and your brow bone). Pick a medium pink, light brown or any other middle-of-the-road hue for this area.
- Apply a light color on your brow bone. Most people have an area of their brow bone that sits beneath the eyebrows proper. Highlight this area and make more light bounce off of it by brushing on a pearly off-white, light gold or other delicate color that matches your eyelid color in tone.
- Apply a dark color on your crease. Use light, little strokes to deposit little bits of darker powder on the crease of your eye. Go from the outer corner of your crease and follow the arch about 2/3 of the way in toward the inner corner of the eye. Try a violet, brown or other dark color that matches up with the first two colors you used.
Brighten your eyes with a highlighter
This step involves only the inside part of the eye. Putting a bit of your lightest eyeshadow in the inner corner of your eye will brighten it significantly (this is the makeup artist's secret and I use this trick all the time). I usually dab a finger into my lightest eyeshadow and then I press it into the inner corner of my eye where the upper lid meets the bottom lid. This totally makes eyes "pop."Highlight your brow
Take the same light eyeshadow and dab it on your browbone, concentrating on your mid-brow outward. Blend with your finger. I like to use Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat just below my brow and just above it, but a super light shadow will do you.Curl your lashes.
Use an eyelash curler to grip your upper lashes. Hold the clamp for about five seconds. Accessing your lashes is easiest if you half-close your eyes. Remember, always curl before you apply mascara, never after.
Apply mascara.
You can apply a little or a lot, and there are many different brands and formulas for volume, length and definition. Find a product you're happy with. Start at the base of your upper lashes and slowly sweep upward. For a more dramatic effect, apply mascara to the lower lashes as well. If you want to apply multiple coats, do it while the first coats of mascara are still wet - applying a new coat to dry mascara will result in clumps.Follow these tips to keep your eyes healthy as well as beautiful:
- Throw away eye makeup after three months. Infection-causing bacteria grow easily in creamy or liquid eye makeup. If you develop an eye infection, immediately toss all of your eye makeup.
- Never share eye makeup, and when sampling makeup in stores use only fresh applicators and samples that have not been contaminated by multiple users. (The safest choice is to avoid store samples altogether.)
- If you tend to be allergic, introduce only one new eye makeup or care product at a time. If there is no reaction, add another new product, and so on. If you notice an allergic reaction, find out what the ingredients are and let your doctor know. Avoid products that contain untested or harmful chemicals.
- Before applying makeup, be sure your face and eyelids are very clean. Always apply makeup outside the lash line, away from the eye, to avoid blocking the oil glands of the upper or lower eyelid. These glands secrete oil that protects the eye’s surface. Never apply makeup while in a moving vehicle.
- Do not separate your mascara-clumped lashes with sharp items.
- If you tend to have dry eyes, avoid metallic/glitter, powder or other makeup that flakes. Flakes can get into the tear film and increase your eyes’ irritation. Glitter eye makeup is a common cause of corneal irritation or infection, especially in contact lens users.
- Remove all eye makeup at night before sleeping, especially mascara that can stick to the lashes. Brush a clean cotton swab along the base of the eyelashes to remove all makeup remnants. If you use eye makeup remover, avoid getting it in your eyes and thoroughly rinse remover off your eyelids.
- If you have eye surgery, do not wear makeup around the eye until your ophthalmologist tells you it is safe to do so, and then use only fresh, new makeup.
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