Having big and beautiful eyes is something most of the women crave for, but unfortunately not many are blessed with it. The shape of the eyes is determined genetically and you cannot do much about it.
However, using clever makeup up techniques can make the eyes appear big and beautiful in no time. Here are some simple tips and tricks to help you achieve the illusion of bigger and wider eyes.
Eyebrows:
You need to concentrate on the shape of the eyebrows to get wider eyes. A pair of well-groomed eyebrows can make a tremendous difference in the way the face looks. Hence, it is very important to groom the eyebrows all the time to make the eyes stand out and look larger. Having brows too close together can make the eyes appear smaller. Same is the case with low and thick eyebrows. Take frequent trips to the salon to keep your brows in good shape. Slightly arched eyebrows can also give an appearance of wide eyes. Try to create an arch as natural as possible. Use eyebrow filler or a pencil to fill sparsely thin eyebrows.
Eyeliner:
Eyeliner is used to make the eyes look more prominent. It is the best and one of the easiest ways to get bolder and significant eyes. You have to be very vigilant while selecting the shade of your eyeliner. Select a shade that brings out the color of the eyes. Women with blue eyes should opt for brown or chocolate colored eyeliner, women with green eyes should go for plum, brown-eyed beauties should select black or blue liner and hazel-eyed women should choose a purple shade of liner. Dark colored liners like navy, charcoal and black look best in contrast against the whites of the eyes.
Smudging the eye pencils can also make the eyes appear larger. Line the upper lash line with an eye pencil of black or brown, and then smudge the line lightly to create a smoky look. Do not smudge the line much as it can give you raccoon like eyes. If you have very small eyes, then you can forego the kohl. If you have to use it, smudge the black or brown eyeliner on the lower lash line to make the lashes look bold and eyes wide.
An easy way to get wider and bigger eyes is by going for a cat eye look. For a catty eye makeup, use a dark brown liner as black might look too harsh.
For the liner, ensure that it goes thin to thick as you apply it from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eyes. Use short strokes to avoid stark, solid line. Line the eyes as close to the lash line as possible. Slightly extend the lines further than the natural corner of the eyes, giving them a beautiful shape. Do not make a full circle around the eyes with a black liner. Also, avoid applying kohl on the water lines. Keep it outside the lash line instead. Women with far set small eyes should use consistent thickness.
Avoid using liquid eyeliner, as they can look bold and overwhelming. Choose a good pencil liner instead. Also, liquid and gel liner chip and flake, but a pencil liner can help create beautiful eye shape.
Another trick to make the eyes appear larger is by applying white, nude or ivory colored eye pencil on the water line. This will make the eyes look more awake. Nude eye pencils look more natural than white and can work during the daytime as well. Use this soft color on the inside corners of both upper and lower eyelids.
Eye shadow:
Proper usage of eye shadow can make the eyes appear larger. Choose shades that accentuate the eye colors and other facial features and skin tone.
Prepare your eyes by applying an eye shadow primer. Priming improves the longevity of the eye makeup and creates a smooth area to work on. It will also keep the eye shadow from creasing. A creased shadow will make the eye makeup look messy and untidy. Apply a primer on the lids up until the brows. If you do not have a primer, a concealer and powder can also do the job.
First, apply the lightest shade of eye shadow on the eyelids, from lash line to brow bone. Reflective colors like peach, pale pink, beige, ivory and white work best for small eyes. Apply shimmery, white eye shadow in the inner corner of the lids, tear ducts and below the outer corner of the eyes. This will attract light to the eyes, making them appear larger and wider without even trying too hard. Avoid frosty eye shadow, as it will make the eyes appear heavy and overdone.
Choose a shadow color that contrasts the type of eye color you have. Brown shadow will go best for blue-eyed people, while purple will look best on brown-eyed beauties. Avoid using dark shadow all around the eyelids as they can make the eyes look smaller.
Use a dark brown or a gray eye shadow around the outer corner of the eyes, creating a V shape. This will make the eyes pop and will draw out the color of the eyes. Apply the shadow slightly beyond the outer corner of the eyes and blend the V further than the natural outer corner of the eyes, using a blending brush. This will surely make your eyes appear larger.
Applying a highlighter under the brow bone will give an illusion of face-lift, making the eyes appear bigger and more awake. You can also apply a small amount of highlighter on the middle part of the lower eyelids. The highlighting will open up the eyes, making the eyes look bright and luminescent.
Eyelashes:
You can enlarge your eyes by focusing on the lashes. Curling the eyelashes is necessary before applying the mascara. It will help to open up the eyes, making them look bigger. Curl your eyelashes at the lash line, close to the roots, and then curl the middle of the lashes. This will give the lashes a natural, beautiful curl. It is essential to curl three times before applying mascara.
Another way to make the eyes look bigger is by applying volumnizing mascara. Mascara thickens the lashes, enhancing and highlighting the attractiveness of the eyes. While applying the mascara, start at the base of the eyelashes and wiggle the wand side-to-side, moving up to the tips. Focus more on the center and outer lashes. Apply the second coat of mascara after the first one dries to avoid clumping of the lashes. Two coats of mascara are more than enough. This will not only give volume to the lashes, but will also make the eyes stand out. Do not apply too much mascara on the bottom lashes. Use downward strokes, twisting the wand back and forth slightly to separate the lashes. A second coat is not recommended as it can make the lashes clumpy. L’Oreal Voluminous Million-Lash mascara is one of the best mascaras for getting a wide-eyed look. While applying mascara makes sure, you do not spread out the lashes.
Smokey eyes:
Smokey eye makeup can also make your eyes appear wider. The key is a perfect smoky eye makeup is blending. You can create sultry and smoky eye makeup by using one or multiple colors. Apply the eye shadow with one brush and then blend it using another clean brush. This will keep it tidy, giving you the gorgeous eye makeup. Complement the smoky eye makeup with a touch of bronzer under the cheekbones for an added definition.
Conceals the dark circles:
Concealing will not make the eyes appear larger, but will not draw much attention to the eyes. Dark circles can make the eyes look smaller. So use a concealer to hide the blemishes and dark circles under the eyes.
Reduce the eye puffiness:
Swollen and baggy eyes can make the eyes look very small. Here are some simple tips to help you reduce the eye puffiness.
- Have a sound and peaceful sleep of 8 hours every night
- Wash your face and eyes with cold water several times a day.
- Place cold and used tea bags on the eyes. The tannins present in the tea will tighten the skin, reducing the puffiness.
- Reduce your salt intake, as sodium can increase the puffiness around the eyes.
Some more tips:
- Neutral shades of eye shadows are best for small eyes.
- Applying dramatic shades of eye shadow will shrivel the eyes by focusing them back into the face.
- Pale and neutral shade of eye shadow can make the eyes stand out.
- You need to be cautious while curling the lashes. Avoid pinching the sides of the eyes or creasing the lashes.
- Do not curl the lower lashes.
Practice is what makes you perfect and same is the case with eye makeup. I hope these simple tips and tricks can help you get beautiful eyes.