As a makeup artist and instructor for the past 23 years, I’ve learned that eyes respond well to makeup. Whether simple or artistic, the depth, colour and degree of eye makeup sets the mood for your entire face and attitude. After all, the eyes are the most interesting feature of the face and much can be done to enhance, correct or change their appearance with basic beauty corrective techniques. Through trial and error, you can create many different looks. Here's some basic know-how.
Beauty Principles 101 says perfectly set eyes should be one eye width apart, the outer angle of the eye should be straight or upturned, the depth of the eye (which is determined by the position of the eyeball in the socket), be set level with the brow bone and the overall size of the eye be it's widest in the centre of the eye with ample room between the lashes and brow. These characteristics act as a template to help you choose the best colour, shade and placement of where it works best on your unique eyes.
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The Eye Guide
Dividing the eye into different areas will help you to create and match different eye designs for each eye.
The illustration on the right identifies and names the parts of the eye. This will help you with colour placement in recreating a design yourself.
Learn a New Eyeshadow Pattern
The biggest mistake women make is to make eyes look too dark toward the nose with eyeliner and shadow. This causes an aging effect. In the illustrations below our artist demonstrates six different eye shapes and eyeshadow designs. Take note of the placement where light, medium and dark colours appear for each pattern.
Remember light colours make features expand and appear larger. Dark colours define, shape and shade the eye. And medium tones blend and graduate light and dark colours together or apart. All work together to enhance or change the eye's appearance and projection.
Experiment with different colour palettes. Soft to dramatic effects are created by the intensity and textures of colours used.
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Wide-Set Eyes can be brought closer together by shading close to the nose to draw the eyes closer together. Draw eyeliner close to the nose and into the tear duck area. The space between the eyebrows can be narrowed by growing in or drawing on brows closer together.
Examples: Claudia Schiffer, Julia Stiles |
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Close-Set Eyes can be made to look further apart by placing light shadow close to the nose and shade and liner at the outer edge of the eye to elongate. Tweeze brows further apart to open up this space.
Example: Lucy Liu |
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Round Eyes - To make round eyes look less round, extend shadow/liner at the outer edge of the eye to lengthen. Line the entire eye, with the thickness being at the outer edge of the eye. Highlight under the eyebrows and the top of the cheekbone by the eye to sharpen this effect. An arched brow shape increases the effect.
Examples: Star Jones, Oprah Winfrey |
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Down Turned Eyes - Also known as bedroom eyes, can be reversed with the use of concealer placed at a 45-degree angle on the outside edge of the eye. Keep liner thin and clean close to the nose and lifted at the outer corner with an upswept finish. Changing the angle at the outside edge of the eye with pencil and shadow "lifts" the eye, giving the eye a new tilt.
Examples: Kim Basinger, Chloe Sevigny
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Deep-Set Eyes - Use light, bright and reflective colours on the eyelid to pull it out. Highlight the brow. Use a deeper flesh tone on the brow bone to push back and stronger colours as accents at the outer and under edge of eyes. The top line should be thin and clean to give clarity. A softer toned brow compliments these eyes.
Examples: Julianne Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow
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Protruding Eyes - Shade the lid to push it back. A wide eye line by itself is fast and effective. Highlight under the brow. Curl and mascara top lashes only.
Example: Oprah Winfrey |
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Glasses - For farsightedness, lenses magnify and accentuate eye makeup. Keep the makeup subtle and clean. For nearsightedness, play up the eyes since lenses can make eyes appear smaller.
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