That’s right, folks! Your eyes do not deceive you. This is indeed a beauty post, written by yours truly. Hide your kids, hide your wife.
To be honest, I’m actually not so dreadful in the beauty department. I’ve had some blunders in the past (who needed eyebrows in their teen years, anyway?) but I safely say I have a better grasp on making myself look fairly presentable these days. Since there are so many beauty bloggers and Youtubers out there, I tend to leave this area to the pros. Those ladies still wow me with their ability to wield all the different kind of brushes so effortlessly, and some of the blending I have witnessed is a serious work of art. Much props, ladies.
Although this isn’t my usual type of post, it’s nice to shake things up and play around with content a bit. So without further ado, here are my tips to achieve brighter eyes and the appearance of fuller lashes. You probably already know (and use) some of these tricks, but perhaps you ladies (and gents) out there may pick up something new. Let’s SEE, shall we? Ha. You use your eyes to see things…this is an eye post! Geddit?! Hah.
1. Eye Cream
Obviously you want to start by ensuring the delicate eye area in the best shape possible. Cheesecake need a good base! Eye makeup is no different. Keeping this area moisturised will stop puffiness and lines which don’t look great when covered in makeup. I use Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, which in my opinion is the best eye cream money can buy. It’s not anti-ageing, but I would describe it as more of a prevention product. It hydrates and brightens, even when you’ve had a late night. I’ve been using it twice daily for close to a year and a half now, and it still impresses me. It’s creamy but sinks in fast and makes everything smooth and perfectly primed.
2. Eyelash Curlers
A good pair makes life easier for you. I use Shu Uemura eyelash curlers. Although a little pricey, they’re worth it and last a long time. The Mr. Mascara ones are excellent too, and a bit more afforable. I heat the curlers up for a few seconds using my hairdryer, tilt my head back, get as close to the root as possible and pulse from root to tip twenty times on each side, and follow with mascara. I have found that such a ritual makes the curl stay better. I often do this process on days where I prefer to go natural and skip the mascara. It works just as well at widening the eyes.
3. Filling in
Line your upper waterline and your lashes will look fuller instantly. I usually pair this with an invaluable tip I saw on Cupcakes & Cashmere over the summer. Using black (or brown) liquid eyeliner, create tiny little dots between each top lash (as shown in the header image) before applying mascara. This helps lashes appear fuller but natural. This combination is wonderfully effective for lighter makeup days. You don’t need to do a cat-eye for definition and it makes such a noticeable difference.
On a side note, dotting in between lashes can be tough to remove. I use Micellar water and Q-tips gently between lashes before cleaning the entire eye area.
4. Mascara Application
This is probably silly to mention but I always apply mascara (in my case Benefit They’re Real!) looking down on a mirror, to get as close to the root as possible. I also blink slowly to add pressure to the wand and fan the middle lashes upward, and left and right to their respective sides.
5. Fake Lash Fibres
I bought this Essence Volumising Lash Powder in Penneys/Primark for €3.49 on a whim and have never looked back. I’ve used false lashes a couple of times but I prefer this method; you have more control and the little container lasts forever. It still looks full despite the fact that I’ve used it every weekend for the past six months. I apply mascara using the methods above, dip a clean ring finger into the pot of fibres and press it on the lashes with a bit of pressure, taking this opportunity to manipulate lash shape again if required; fan some up, some right and some left. Forget the wand that comes with it, that makes things messy and will only turn you off.
Of course after this you’ll look crazy with fuzzy white lashes, but when you add another coat of mascara, lashes will look thicker, longer and fuller. Just make sure to clean your mascara wand every now and again, as the fluff can gather in lumps in the tube. Gross.
6. Shimmer
Ah, shimmery things! And their wonderful, wonderful powers to make everyone look like a superstar. More common sense here; I always use a highlighter on the inner and outer corners of my eyes and along the brow bone. I’ve tried a serious amount of brands when it comes to highlighters, and my favourite is Topshop’s Crescent Moon. It’s such a beautiful colour, the texture is so silky and it lasts forever. Everything about it is so luxurious. I was sorry when writing this to find out it was discontinued. ‘Horizon‘ is the latest highlighter available from Topshop, if you like the sound of their wares.
Keeping on the subject of shimmery things, tapping a dash of gold toned eyeshadow to the centre of the lid also helps to brighten up the eye area. I tend to use Half Baked from the Naked palette but any old gold will do!
A makeup artist recently told me to never apply shimmery eyeshadows higher than the lid. This was news to me, and makes so much sense. using matte colours in the crease and above will add definition, while shimmery colours in those areas may make the eyes look swollen or accentuate puffiness.
And my very best tip for you when you really need help in the eye department, or you’re getting ready for your second night out in a row…Gold liquid eyeliner. I bought one in H&M a little while ago, and it’s worth its weight in…you guessed it. H&M offer a great range of coloured liquid eyeliners for less than €5. This gold liner (featured in the header image) is a must to dissipates any hint of tired eyes, and has made an appearance at more than a few brunches. Draw a thin layer underneath your lower lash line and it will change everything!
That’s it y’all. Eye hope you have a nice weekend.
Please share some tips if you have some!
♥ ♥ ♥