With Eyes Wide Open

Eyes are the window to a person’s soul, right? A gorgeous pair of eyes can grab your attention or even melt your heart. Beautiful eyes are often described as being big AND having full lashes.....but not all of us have been blessed with these two traits!

So how do your eyes measure up? If you would like more fabulous eyes, here are some makeup techniques that can help make small eyes appear larger (then grab some Latisse and get those lashes longer!). Follow the steps below to make your eyes the center of everyone's focus:

1. Start by applying a concealer (usually about one to two shades lighter than your foundation)over your dark circles using a small makeup brush. You should use a concealer that gives a little color, but is also light enough to cover most cases of dark circles.

2. Open up your eyes by applying white or flesh tone eyeliner to the inner rim of the bottom lid.

3. Eye liners are the key in creating bigger and more flirtatious eyes. Apply the liner to the top lid ONLY. Start lining at where the iris of your eye begins and extend the line to the edge of your eyes. Extend the line SLIGHTLY at the corners of your eyes. The line should not be too thick. Slightly smudge/blend by using a Q-tip or a short, tight bristled brush to slightly smudge out some of the "harshness" of the liner, or you can create a "cat eye" using a liquid liner on the top lash line. A soft and smoky look will gently open up the appearance of your eyes, but a liquid liner will grab attention and also helps to open up the eye. Liner should be a neutral color with a hint of black, navy or grey (depending on your eye color).

4. Eye shadows: Stick with light colored eye shadows. Apply the lightest shade at the center of your eyelids, as well as in the inner corner of the eye--around the tear duct area. One common misconception is that dramatic eye makeup will open the eye, when in fact, it can do the complete opposite. Think about when you wear black--it makes you look smaller, right? Same thing here--dark colors=smaller eyes. Make your eye shadows too dramatic and it can cause your eyes to shrink by shading them back into your face. The general rule of thumb is to not wear more than two shades, but you can add a (slightly darker than the light color) color in the crease if you want to add more depth to your eye.

5. Don’t forget to curl your eyelashes! Curl your lashes three times: once at the base, another half way up, and a third time at the tip. This will give your lashes full curls. GREAT TIP: It may be helpful to SLIGHTLY warm your metal curler with your blow-dryer before curling. This will make the curls appear fuller and more dramatic (with less mascara). Make sure to test the temperature of your curler by touching the back of your hand to it. If it is too hot, give it a few seconds and then curl.

6. Apply mascara. The mascara will help hold the curl, so don’t skip this part. Allow time for mascara to dry. Remember, the more coats you apply, the more weight will be applied to the lashes and the curls will not hold as long. The key is to apply a light coat of mascara (not the whole tube). Give the ends of the lashes an extra coat to amplify the eyes (check out my earlier entry, "Fabulash," to find out about my favorite mascaras). Fan out your lashes as you apply.

Easy, right? Give it a try, and let me know if you have any questions!