Eye Makeup

Your eyes are usually the most striking feature on your face and eye makeup enhances that natural beauty. Eye makeup can accentuate, camouflage or create a new look altogether. It offers a colorful and creative way to express yourself, with a variety of products and shades and a range of finishes, from matte to shimmer.

There are many eye makeup products worth exploring. Starting at the top, eyebrow pencils, waxes and powders can be used to fill in areas where brow hair is sparse, add shape to your brows and help to groom them. Eyeshadows are a great way to add color and texture to your look. Eyeliner helps define your eyes and creates versatile fashion looks. Mascara will tint, lengthen and add volume to your lashes. Eyelid primer helps keep your eye shadow in place without creasing. Eye concealer is an essential eye makeup tool for blurring dark circles and balancing skin tone. Depending upon your desired result, you may choose to use all of these products for a polished or dramatic finish, or just a few for a minimal or natural look.

There are few “rights” and “wrongs” when it comes to applying eye makeup—feel free to experiment, play and express yourself. That said, here are some basic tips to apply eye makeup that will help you achieve a pleasing finished look.

• Assess your brows—these are the “frames” of your beautiful eyes. Brow shapes are individual but as a general rule, the arch should be in line with the center of your eye. Use a brow pencil, brow wax or brow gel to define your brow shape, feather in color and volume in areas that are sparse.

• For a natural eye shadow result, choose three shades—light for highlighting, medium for color and dark for contouring. Apply the highlighting shade on the brow brown, the medium shade on the eyelid and the darker shade in an inverted c-shape in the outside corners from the lash line to the crease of the lid.

• When applying mascara, begin at the lash line and work upward. Apply multiple coats if needed.

• Depending on your eye shape, eyeliner can be applied along the entire lash line on the top and bottom, along the top lash line or just in the outer corners.

• If you are applying eye concealer, dot the concealer onto the dark areas underneath your eyes, then use a brush, sponge or fingertips to pat the concealer and blend it into your skin.

If you want to create natural-looking eye makeup, choose neutral shades such as beiges, browns and blacks. Use these tones and shades for brows, lids and lashes for a harmonized eye makeup look.

1. Apply brow pencil to shape and define brows. Choose a shade that matches your natural brow color, or one shade darker.

2. Apply eyeshadow primer to prolong the life and wearability of eye shadow.

3. Dot concealer onto any areas under the eyes that need coverage and blend thoroughly.

4. Apply a light eyeshadow shade, such as peach or beige, from the crease of the eyelid up to the brow bone.

5. Apply a medium eyeshadow shade, such as brown, onto the eyelids.

6. Apply a darker eyeshadow shade, such as dark brown, into the crease of the eyelids, blending it carefully into the previously-applied shades.

7. Trace brown or black eyeliner along the upper lash line and smudge to blend.

8. Sweep brown or black mascara onto top and bottom lashes.