Eye enhancing makeup techniques

beauty & style

Pump up your peepers

The makeup diva is taking your questions! check out her advice on selecting eye shadow colors, and then feel free to submit a question of your own!

 the question:

people have always said that i have prety eyes, so how can i bring attention to them?

the makeup diva responds:

You are a fortunate woman; great bodies are nice, good skin is a blessing, but gorgeous eyes are unforgettable. So how do you enhance yours?

Since you didn’t specify your eye color, there are a few rules of thumb. Makeup artist Bobbi Brown has been quoted as saying that you don’t want to “fight” your own eye color or draw attention to your shadow – you want to pull attention to your own shade. Thus, lilac, lavender, and hues of brown (such as camel and taupe) will make blue eyes appear more blue rather than a blue in the same shade as your irises. Green or hazel eyes follow the principle of “complimentary colors” — pinks, deep mauves, lavenders, rich plums, and eggplant shades will cause the green or hazel to appear more vibrant.

Brown eyes are the easiest to complement; any color lighter or darker than your own brown will attract attention to your brown, even tints of brown itself. For standout brown eyes, choose shades in blue, steel blue/gray, plum, and eggplant.

• Always begin with a shadow base to hold your color and prevent creasing. Guerlain offers “Protective Base for Eyelids” ($30 and hard to obtain), but Elizabeth Arden, Mary Kay, and Max Factor do the same for less money. For days when you have little time to apply color, smooth a neutral shade from lashes to browbone, such as Revlon’s Wet/Dry shadow in “Skinlight” (this also works well as a base shade with other colors) or try Lorac’s Taupe or Harmony, a light peach (Lorac’s pots of shadow are $15).

• This is the season of vivid colors and glitz, so say the fashion magazines. To add some “oomph,” play to your heart’s content. Try Lorac’s “Moonstone” as a base (a softly shimmering beige), and then use a good brush to add Lorac’s “Reverie,” “Inspiration,” or Matrix Eyesilks in “Smoked Topaz” (all gilt, gorgeous hues of brown; Matrix shadows are $10.50 per container). I gravitate toward Profaces brushes; they range in price from $10 to $18, but the precision and control they furnish are well worth the investment.

• Next, apply a very deep brown in the crease, slightly upward and outward. This “lifts” the eye. For a touch more definition, invest in Lorac’s Jewel Box ($37.50 for four glimmering shades of pink, beige, peach, and lavender) and dab a bit in the center of your lid. Philosophy Cosmetics offers “little black books” (also about $37) – available in neutral, supercool, or jewel shades. Like Lorac’s Jewel Box, they contain fascinating holographic colors to add a bit of luster, as well as matte shades and an unprecedented color I absolutely love, an intense inky blue called “Creativity,” which effortlessly functions as an eyeliner as well as a shadow.

• For a totally different look, try Matrix Eyesilks’ “Pink Gold” or Lorac’s “Pink” or “Lavender Mist” over your entire lid. Experiment by combining such shadows as Lorac’s “Dreamy” (a beautiful, lustrous blue-based grey), Matrix’s “Afterdark” (the same shade minus the gleem), Profaces blue-based grey ($7.50 per pan), Philosophy’s “Creativity,” and/or Lorac’s true “Sapphire” or “Eggplant” (a deep plum). The key is to blend so well that attention is still drawn to your eye, not your eye makeup. (Profaces offers a chisel-point brush specifically to fluff and blend.)

• Accent with a hint of a sparkling pink, lavender, or blue in the middle of your lid, and watch how your eye opens. I like many brands of shadows, but I find that Revlon, Dior, Lorac, Matrix, Profaces, and Philosophy are especially soft, blendable, and stay put with minimal creasing.

• Liquid eye liners can tend to look harsh. Pencil liners often tug too hard at my eyes, except for Victoria Jackson’s in brown and Elizabeth Arden’s in “Umber,” a smooth yet seductive brown ($14). Most often, I work with some of my deepest eyeshadow as a liner, using a brush with tiny bristles for a fine or slightly smudged look. It is important to remember that liner is meant to frame the eyes. In order to achieve a subtle effect, line as closely to your lashes as possible to give the illusion of thicker lashes. A sponge is helpful to soften and smudge, as well as correct any mistakes. For extra definition, stipple, or dot, the liner between the lashes (careful here if you tend to have dark circles or puffiness under your eyes).

• For mascara, Lancome’s Definicils mascara in black separates, defines, lengthens, and colors (approximately $16). Rimmel’s mascara (surprisingly only around $3 at WalMart exclusively) adds body, length, and color. For a situation when you know you’ll be wearing makeup for many hours, be exposed to the elements, or view a sad movie, nothing beats Cover Girl “Marathon” Mascara (also $6 or less). The only item more important than mascara for me is an eyelash curler. If you’re not favored with long, spiral lashes, I suggest using one. It goes a long way toward creating the sought-after “come-hither” look.

• This is the “year of the brow.” Not bushy, as a teenage Brooke Shields in Endless Love, but more sophisticated and manicured. I recall a friend telling me long ago that “women should keep the shade they were born with; natural colors are best.” My friend’s advice was correct. I only tweeze stray hairs between my brows or unruly ones on the browbone. Use a pencil in the same shade as your brows, utilizing tiny, short strokes to fill in any sparse areas. A colorless brow groomer is important to me; if I want to truly give my small eyes a more “wide awake” appearance, I brush upward, and the difference is amazing.

For more great makeup and cosmetic reviews and information, also visit Heather Kleinman’s Cosmetic Connection.

Yours in beauty,
Miss Diva