The Eyes Have It! Eye Makeup Application Tricks of the Trade


by Virginia Alexander

Proper application of Eye Makeup can make your eyes look large or small, bright eyed, surprised, or sultry and sexy. Where to start? Well let's do a step by step.............

Eye Shadow Base: eye shadow base is a light weight, high pigment primer, it works two fold, it helps keep your shadow on all day and allows the true color of the shadow to show. So no matter the color of your skin under the eye shadow base, you'll get the truer look of the color of the eye shadow you use.

Eye Shadows: Eye shadow comes in many forms, there are powder, matte and frosted, creams, pencils ( they are creams too)so when choosing a shadow type here is the rule : matte powders for day, anyone over the age of 40.Stay away from frosted shadows if you have excess skin you don't want to get noticed. When your young, have fun! Less is more for professionals. Ok here we go: remember light brings out, dark recesses, so the bigger wide eye look you want the lighter color shadow you use. I use light on the lid and a deeper shade of eye shadow in the crease to give the impression of depth. I highlight just under the brow with a lighter shade to give a wide eyed look. Deep tones work well to create dimension, lighter colors bring an emphasizing effect to the eye, play with the light and dark colors, experiment. * For Day looks I Use slate, grey and plum eye shadows for brown eyes, peaches, and neutral colors for green eyes and charcoal, slate, and taupe shades for blue eyes. * For evening drama I use the colors in the clothing that I am wearing for a more dramatic effect. * Keep dark shadow off the lid if your eyes are small or recessed, it will close them in * Keep light shadow off the lid if your lid area is large. makes the lid look much larger * Keep frosted shade for immediate lid only if your upper eye area is lined or crêpe

Eye Liner eye liner comes in a few forms, liquid that creates a hard defined line, eye liner pencils that can be smudged, gels that are applied with a brush and dry ones that you can wet and mix the colors to get any color effect you choose. For bold eyes use the liquid liner, do a fine line from the inner eye to the outer eye to define, do a thin line from the inner getting wider at the outer eye to create drama. Pencils can create the same effect or a softer look, after you apply the pencil, smudge the line with a firm small tip brush, this creates more of a shadow than a line, and this makes your lashes look fuller at the same time. I always go over my pencil liner with a eye shadow the same color as the liner, mainly because pencils are waxy and can melt or smear, so setting the line you create with eye shadow will help retain your liner all day. * If you have small eyes: remember don't apply eye liner to the inner rims of the eye. Keep it to the top and below the lash line. Appling it inside will make your eyes look smaller, it closes them in. * If you have a lot of lid area you can wear a thicker eye liner, large eyes are the only eye shape that can get away with this!

Under Eye Liner: Under eye liner is usually done with a pencil or a powder; it is to define the entire eye, no hard lines here, smudge that under eye line, and keep it lighter for a softer look, I usually do ¾ in from the outer edge. For a bolder look do the entire under eye. I do lock it in with eye shadow; helps keep you from looking like a Raccoon as the day wears

Eyelashes Lash Curler: a wonderful invention that curls the lashes. You must take your time when using this implement, How to use: slow place your lashes in the opening for the lash curler, not to close to the lbase of your lashes, this can pull them out. Slowly press down, hold then repeat. This little baby can create a wide eye look to your lashes that you could not get other wise. Practice makes perfect. Your mascaras sets the curled lashes, like hair spray sets your hair style. I heat mine up with a blow dryer, Kinda makes it work like electric rollers: but be careful you can burn your self, it is metal after all. Lash lengtheners: There are many kinds on the market. They all have some type of fiber in them to create thicker fuller lashes, Kinda like hair extensions for the lashes. I like a thick consistency with a wide thick brush. So I have control of the product. Put on a coat; let it dry before you apply your color mascara. Some times I use 2 coats. I love big lashes! Mascara - Love them! There are many mascara's on the market for different looks, it's all in the shape of the wand. The wider fuller mascara brushes(wands) will give you thicker fuller lashes. The comb type brushes will give a softer look that creates color and longer looking lashes, but more natural. What color to choose? For a more dramatic look or if your hair is very dark, Black; to create a softer look dark Brown. I like very dark Navy Blue; it makes the whites of your eyes stand out. Apply two coats of mascara, sweeping the wand from roots to ends. Use a lash comb after each application if you want a more natural look or need to remove clumps. Mascara application: if you want a wide eyed wispy look then fan your mascara in upward strokes when applying it form inner eye to outer. If you want that sultry old film star look then sweep it towards your outer eye keep layering till you get the effect you love. Eye Make up Remover: I love this stuff, there id oily and non oily, its subjective to which one will work best for the products you use, try both. When applying my eye makeup, I always have a few Q-tips dipped in eye makeup remover to clean up any mistakes as I go. use it to take off your eye makeup at night, did you know sleeping in mascara can cause your lashes to break...well sure they are shellacked with the mascara, makes them hard, rolling around as you sleep can crack them.,

Eye Brows: they are the frame of you face. to many women today forget them. I always make sure the eye brow area is clean of stray hairs; the line should have a soft arch and come thinner following the outer eye. Fill in thin areas with a pencil or brush on brow, at the same time add length to the brow if you need it (most of us do) always soften the brow after your application with a brush. No hard lines. we are creating a soft look here. Be mindful not to wax or pluck your brows to thin, sometimes we think we are creating a more open eye look, when instead it can make us look like a surprised deer caught in the headlights.



About VA

Virginia Alexander is a Professional Makeup Artist for Film & Television; she is Sponsored by Barelle Cosmetics for lectures and classes.