Small Eyes Makeup

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Fear your small eyes mean you can't have fun with eye makeup? Think again! Smudgy or shimmery, here's advice on how to do it all.

The latest trendy eye makeup tips can make small eyes look even smaller: dark shadow, smudged liner, bright candy colors. However, even if your eyes are small and deep-set, you can still create a sexy, smoky look or a sweet, shimmery style! Just follow the tips and tricks below.

Always curl your lashes! By curling your lashes, you help make the eye area stand out, which creates the illusion of larger eyes. Top the curled lashes with a coat or two of black, brown, or blue-black mascara to highlight and dramatize your eyes.

Also pay attention to your brows. Brows frame the face; defined brows will enhance the eye area and the right shape will make your eyes look larger. Get a professional waxing job and talk with the stylist about the right shape for you, or, if you are comfortable doing so, wax at home to keep your brows well-groomed. Tweeze strays often to preserve your elegant brow look. Use a brow pencil or shadow just a shade or two darker than your natural brow tint to darken and define them, which will in turn accentuate your eye area.

To create a smoky, smudgy look, line your eyes with a dark charcoal or black kohl pencil. The trick to keeping eyes from disappearing is to avoid lining all the way around the rim. Keep the liner along the edge of your lashes, and don’t start all the way at the inner corner of you eye, but rather at a spot about one-third of the way out from the inmost point. Keep the line thin as you start, and widen it as you approach the outer corner of your eye. You can take the end of the line beyond your eyelid to make eyes look even bigger. Next, line only the outer half of your bottom lid, and keep the line thin and close to the lashes.

Follow the same practice with shadow to avoid overwhelming your eyes. A system of gradation will always help open up the eye area – darkest shadow along the lash line, medium shadow in the crease, and a highlighter on the brow bone to “pop” the eyes. For a smoky nighttime look, use a charcoal-colored shadow and blend it into your smudged eyeliner, again only on the outer two-thirds of the lid. Fill in the crease with a lighter gray shadow. Dab concealer into the very inner corner of the eye, and also below the eye – even if you don’t have dark circles! The effect of the concealer will lighten and brighten the area around the dark makeup, which will bring the eyes out even more.

For a shimmery, summer look, you’ll still want to use the gradation scheme, but you can use any colors you wish. Browns, golds and corals with a hint of sparkle tend to complement most skin tones and eye colors, and can brighten and draw attention to smaller eyes. Take the lightest, brightest shade all the way up to your brow bone and keep the darkest ones down by the lash line, towards the outer edge of the eye. You can use a brown or gold liner, again staying away from the inner corner of the eye but extending past the outer edge if you want.

Most of all, feel free to play around! As long as you lighten the inner corner and under-eye area with concealer to keep eyes from receding into your face, you can wear any style under the sun. Have fun – after all, that’s what makeup is all about!