MAKE YOUR EYES BRIGHTER AND MORE YOU!

Posted by Mary Marvella | 3:55 AM | 4 comments »

USING EYESHADOW AND LINER

This season’s colors are pretty and bold versions of pastels.
Remember your skin tone and eye color determine which colors will work best for you.

If you use liquid foundation or powder, apply it on your eyelids, too. Shadows will go on more smoothly and will stay on longer.

For color intense shadow, run your brush over the shadow, then on your hand before you put it on your eyelid. It’s easier to add shadow than to tone it down. You should shake or tap your brush to remove excess shadow that might get into your eyes or under contacts or settle on your skin where you don’t want it.

Dab the shadow colors you are considering on the back of your hand. If the skin around the color looks clearer and younger, you’re choosing the right shades. If the skin around the dab of color looks bruised, ashy, or jaundiced, the color is wrong for you.

Most of us look best with pink tones or gold tones, but not both. Neutral tones are useful but seldom flatter your skin or eyes. They are safer to use but less fun!

If the lid color you use is darker than your skin, your eyes will look smaller and less vibrant. To open your eyes you should brush a light color over the entire lid. A pale pink or sheer gold tone will often brighten your eyes.

For ideas, look at ads for shampoo, hair color, and skincare. They tend to be subtle and flattering for most women. If you are adventurous, look at the seasonal shadows ads and play with them for a look that works for you. You might use the same colors in the photos, but tone them down with a sheer pink or cream, or gold over them.

SIMPLE AND EASY.

If you already covered your eyes with a light color, brush a color 2-3 shades darker in your crease for dimension. This can be pink, rose, gold, tan or taupe.

You can create the crease your want by putting the darker shade where you’d like that crease. If you have deep-set eyes, you want the crease in a light shade or skip it.

You can use blues and greens or purples, (lavenders are easier to handle than purples or plums.) Test your colors on your hand to see how your skin looks and how color intense that shadow is.

Grays, purples, and some greens often make the skin under your eyes appear darker or bruised, even though you haven’t spilled any shadow. If you brush a color on your eyelid, then check the effect and the area under your eyes, you’ll know if the shadow is causing the circles to appear or look darker.

ADDING STEPS

Brush white or very light shadow on your brow bone and along the area under your crease, close to your lashes. A dab of white in the inside corner of your eyes can make your look more dramatic. a touch of pink in the inner corner can brighten your eye. A light pink or gold in the center of your eyelid, the middle of your eye, can put a sparkle in your eye or make your lid seem more sounded.

Lining your lid. You should keep your liner at the base of your lashes on your eyelid, the closer the better. If you are good with eye pencils, you might draw a broken line ----, then use a Q-tip to smudge the line. If you like a stronger look, make the line solid, then smudge it. Your line should go from corner to corner. Making your line a tad thicker at the center and at the outer edge adds drama.

When eyes lose the elasticity, powder liner can be easier to use.

Eye shadow works well as a powder liner and give you wide variety. Use the smallest brush or applicator to keep the line narrow at the base of your lashes. You can set your liner by brushing a dab of shadow over it.

Try dipping a tiny, pointed brush into water, then run it across your shadow to create a soft version of a liquid and smoother look than dry shadow. Test by drawing lines on the back of your hand until you learn how much water and/or shadow your need. You can add layers of color as you need to.
When you use this method, do your liner before you apply water-based mascara.

Black or dark brown liner is often harsh, while taupe, brown, navy and deep green, like khaki or dill, can make your eye color pop.

Green liner can bring out gold or green in brown eyes.

Line your lower lashes from the outside to just past the halfway point to keep eyes open and looking larger. Lining them all the way from corner to corner can make them appear smaller.

Using navy or dark blue liner can make the whites of your eyes seem whiter.

Want more? Later!

Have specific questions? Ask me!

4 comments

  1. Beth Trissel // March 9, 2008 at 2:43 PM  

    Wow! This is great info.

  2. Mary Marvella // March 9, 2008 at 6:20 PM  

    Thanks, Beth. I enjoy doing makeovers and I love to teach folks, including a few cross dressers.

  3. Misc. Muse // March 12, 2008 at 1:08 PM  

    thanks. We need to have a party - you can give us all makeovers and we will take pictures. Recommend some good eye shadow brands. I got one other day that looked interesting- had bunch colors, turned it over it said China- I am not sure I want to use it on my eyes. It reminded me of Max Factor Paint Factory- does anyone remember that- late 60s - early 70's.

  4. Mary Marvella // March 13, 2008 at 10:01 PM  

    A party sounds good. I'll bring the makeup and a camera.

    If you choose a product line found in department stores, test the shadows and buy them later. Yes the clerks or makeup artists want an immediate sale, but you need time to see if the shadows or other products you used cause headaches or other allergic reactions and if they crease or travel into creases around your eyes.

    There is a difference in designer brands and off brands. Fragrance can be a warning the shadows might irritate your eyes. You can usually return name brand products, and there are many old established ones.

    For me texture and fragrance are key. It should smell like nothing. Finely milled shadows are soft and adhere to your lids until you wash them off. Reading labels is a pain but important. Talc is an ingredient that often activates allergies. If an ingredient looks bad for you, it probably is.