It is a reality of getting older that our eyes tend to become more deep-set, and thus causing some troubles in our makeup routine. How do you bring out deep-set eyes? How can you make-up your deep-set eyes in a way that is straightforward, cost-effective, and works? Here are my four strategies to achieve all of this in one fell swoop.
Clean It Up, Baby
Most of us, to a greater or lesser degree, have discoloration on and around the eye area. To make your eyes pop out, you are, in essence, removing any red, blue, purple, or grey undertones in order to create your own distinct colors and shaping. Just remember; light bring out, and dark recedes. This phrase is key to understanding how to create any makeup look you desire!
Start with using your concealer both under your eye, and if you don’t have oily lids, above your eye as well. Be sure to take the concealer right up to the lash-line in order to remove any redness. If you have oily lids, or discoloration that isn’t covered by the concealer, I recommend using an eye-base or eye-primer that is one to two shades lighter than your skin. Keep the eye-base on your lid area and up into the crease in order to bring that part of your eye forward. (Light brings out, dark recedes.)
Fill in Those Brows, Baby!
Filling in your eyebrows is the single most effective way to bring out your eye area. Do you need help getting the right eyebrow shape? Check out this blog/video I created on how to shape them yourself. You can also visit your local esthetician and they can do it for you. With that in mind, take an eyebrow pencil or shadow, and fill in your brows so that they properly frame your face, allowing your brow bone to become more noticeable. It’s easy to add a little highlight to the brow bone to further pop your eyes, but I’m getting ahead of myself. The idea here is to lighten and clean up the eye area, shape the brows, and create your own shape and color with shadow. Which leads us to:
Eyeshadow, Baby
In this video, I used the Jane Iredale eyeshadow palette, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, to create a fresh, glowing look. Start by using the lightest shade all over your lid, then the next darkest shade to the outer edge of your eye. This has the effect of adding density and shape to the eye area. Avoid putting a darker shade in the crease, since deep-set eyes already have a substantial crease and don’t need any more depth.
Next, I use Jane Iredale Smoky Quartz gel eyeliner just between the lashes to make the focal point the one closest to the eye. I like to use a slanted brush to apply and blend the liner so that it has a soft appearance. After that, use the medium dark shade under your eye to further shade the area, being careful to not add too much and thus look like an owl. Take the darkest shade and add to the outer edge of the eye and liner area to add as much depth as you are comfortable with. The darker you go on the outer edge, the more dramatic the look. (Light brings out, dark recedes.)
Mascara on the Top Lashes, Baby
As usual, apply mascara to the top lashes using several coats to make them thick and dense. If you want to add to the lower lashes, just be sure it won’t smudge and that it doesn’t look too pronounced (think Tammy Faye Baker’s spider lash look). You can also use an eyelash curler to create an even greater thick lash area as well! The idea here is to make the area next to the eyes the main focal point.
Using these strategies, you will be able to maximize on creating an eye that pops, is defined, and draws all the attention. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Have fun!
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