EASY ON THE EYES

Applying eye make up can be a tricky task. Not only do you want to make your eyes pop but you need to make them up in a way so that they would compliment your overall personality. For years bright, sparkling eyes have been the ultimate beauty prize. So many myths surround the crusade for perfect peepers that women find themselves seduced by endless products. Here are some tricks to bring out the best of the windows to your soul.

Determine your eye shape

To get the best results or look, eye makeup should be applied according to one’s eye shape. Look at your eyes in a well-lit location with a mirror. Bring the mirror as close to you as possible so that you have a clear view of at least one of your eyes.

Look at your upper eyelid. If this eyelid does not have a crease, you have "monolid" eyes. Note the position of the outer corners. Imagine that there is a straight, horizontal line extending through the centers of both eyes. Note if the outer corners of your eyes lie above or below this center line. If the corners are above this line, you have "upturned" eyes. Similarly, if the corners are below this line, you have "downturned" eyes.

Check if the crease of your eyelid is visible or hidden with your eyes wide open. If the crease is hidden underneath the upper part of your lid or your brow bone, you have a "hooded" eye shape.

Examine the whites of your eyes, specifically, around the iris—the coloured portion of the eye. If you can see any white around the top or bottom of your iris, you have "round" eyes. If you cannot see any white above or below the iris, you have "almond" eyes.

Examine the inside corners of your eyes. More precisely, examine the gap lying in between the inside corners of both eyes. If this gap is less than one eye length in size, you have close set eyes. If this gap is larger than one eye length, you have wide set eyes.

Consider the depth of your eyes, Deep set eyes appear as though they are tucked further back into the socket, causing the upper eyelid to appear short and small. Protruding eyes, on the other hand, literally bulge outward from the socket and toward the upper lash line.

Compare your eyes with the rest of your face. Compare your eyes with your mouth and nose. The average eye size will be similar to that of your mouth or nose, if not a little smaller. If your eyes are significantly smaller, then you have small eyes. If they are larger than your other features, you have large eyes.

Make up tips for close set eyes

For those with close-set eyes, you have to start off with highlighting below the brow bone and the inner lid. Once done, use a medium shade eye shadow and apply on the lids going a little farther than the width of your eye. Now use a darker shade and apply on the lids starting from the outside and on top of the crease. As for applying eyeliner, start in the center of the lid and work your way outside the eye forming a straight line.

Make up tips for wide set eyes

It is incredibly easy to work with wide-set eyes. You need to keep these points in mind. First, you must contour the bridge of your nose to add definition in the space between the eyes. Next, avoid shimmery eye shadow because this emphasizes the space. Third, using darker eye shadow in the inner corners of the eye helps reduce the space. Fourth, elongate your brows at the inner corners as this can make your eyes look narrower.

Make up tips for hooded eyes

Hooded eyes make the eyes appear smaller because of the extra layer of skin that covers the crease. For this eye shape, use medium to dark matte colours and apply as little as possible to avoid overwhelming the eye. Do away with highlighting and focus on achieving a rounder eye instead. Start by applying light eye shadow on the inner corners of the eyes, and then apply a medium shade on the hooded lid. Next, apply a dark shade to the crease to create the appearance of rounder eyes. Finish off with eyeliner and make sure to extend the line further out.

Make up tips for deep set eyes

Applying eye makeup on deep set eyes is the same as the technique used for round eyes. Apply eyeliner starting from the inner corners of the eyes working your way out. The edge of the line can be straight. It is important that you highlight the brow bone as well as apply light eye shadow on the inner corners of the eye. Now add a medium shade eye shadow above the lid to add contrast. Finish off with a darker shade of eye shadow applied along the crease. Make sure to blend from the outside to the middle of the eyes. However, for this eye shape, you will have to go easy on the dark eye shadow. Apply it lightly as you want the highlight to brighten up the eyes and create the appearance of rounder eyes.

Make up tips for protruding eyes

When applying makeup on protruding eyes you don’t want the eyes to look too bright or awake as it is. Hence, the key to this look is keeping it minimal. Just apply a nude eye shadow on the entire lid to drown out the redness and shadows. Always pick a matte shadow over a shimmer one. Tight lining is the best where the eyeliner is concerned. Apply eyeliner on the bottom lash line to balance out the bulge from the eyes. Another good tip is to make the eyes appear brighter by applying a flesh-tone eye pencil along the waterline. Go easy on the mascara always.

Make up tips for monolid eyes

Create a gradient of eye shadows to add dimension for monolid eyes. Apply dark colours close to the lash line, soft neutral colours toward the middle, and a shiny colour near the brow. You have to make your eyes appear bigger and brighter. Start by highlighting the inner corners of your eye and extend the highlight to the center of the lid. Use a medium eye shadow above the crease starting from the outer corner of the eye. This should create an illusion of rounder eyes. Next, use dark eye shadow lightly to define the round shape but don’t go beyond the center of the lid. Eyeliner and mascara is a must. Apply a thin line of eyeliner but go thicker towards the outer corners of the eye.

Make up tips for upturned eyes

The lower lid appears larger than the upper lid with upturned eyes. Use your eye shadow to make the upper and lower lid more proportional. You need to apply a thin line of dark shadow or liner along the outer lower corner of the eye, thereby making the outer corner look lower.

Make up tips for downturned eyes

If you have down turned eyes, apply liner close to the upper lash line and blend the shadow across the socket, but only on the outer two-thirds of the eye. This "lifts" the overall appearance of the eye. Curling your lashes and applying mascara will also add that extra eye lift you need.

Make up tips for almond eyes

If you have almond eyes, you have what many consider to be the “ideal” shape. Almond eyes are the most symmetrical of all eye shapes. You can put less effort in achieving symmetry on the eyes, which is actually the goal of eye makeup. You can try just about any look with your eye makeup. It is hard to make a mistake with this pair of eyes

Change your eye shape with make up

Contouring the face and nose to change ones features is common, but contouring and enhancing eye-shapes is a bit harder. The three of the most common eye shapes that you can change is just to make them look bigger, smaller, or just more defined.

Make your eyes appear bigger

If you have small eyes, you need to draw attention to the center of your eyes to make them appear larger. Use a thicker gel or liquid liner on the top of the lid but apply less underneath. Instead, opt for bronze or light coloured eyeliner on the lower waterline. Apply false eyelashes that are fuller in the center and when applying mascara to the bottom lashes, concentrate on the volume in the middle. You don’t want to draw too much attention to the outer corner of your eye as it will elongate your shape rather than lift it.

Make your eyes appear smaller

Women with smaller eyes can also try applying a lighter shadow as a liner on the bottom lash line which will open the eyes and add extra colour. If you have small eyes, never apply eyeliner all the way around your eye as it will accentuate the smallness.

Compiled by Ruwini Jayawardana