The eyes are windows to the soul — but, let’s face it, when you haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in ages, your soul can feel less than wonderful.
Even those of us who barely wear any makeup at all may own a tube of mascara, and perhaps a few eyeshadow palettes that we aren’t sure exactly what to do with. Whether you’re a pro with eyeliner or are regularly trying and goofing up a winged liner look (and keeping Q-Tips within reach), there are simple steps you can take to quickly improve your eye makeup skills.
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Pro Makeup Artist Erica Taylor took to TikTok to explain how to totally open up your eyes with makeup — a trick that will work especially well if you’re over 40 and feeling like you could use a little refresh.
Change the Way You Apply Mascara
Somewhere along the way, we were all told that we should apply mascara outward so that we are dragging our lashes toward the outer corner of the eye — perhaps to achieve a sultrier fox eye look? But as we get older and our eyes get more hooded or start to turn a bit downward, this kind of mascara placement does not help enhance our eyes.
The simple solution is to curl your lashes with a lash curler and then apply mascara so that your lashes are pointed upward — and concentrate the mascara in the middle part of your eye to make your eyes look rounder and larger.
Apply a Neutral Eyeshadow That’s Not Too Light
It seems to make sense: apply the lightest shadow you can find to your entire lid and you’ll automatically open up your eye, right?
Wrong.
Try placing a highlight or light shadow in the inner corner of the eye to brighten this area, but apply a neutral shadow, like taupe or rose to your lid. This provides dimension and creates the look of a more open eye.
Don’t Apply Eyeliner To the Bottom Waterline
There are times when pro makeup artists are conflicted about the lower waterline — should you apply liner there or not? Taylor insists this isn’t the way to go if you want to achieve a more refreshed, open eye look. Instead, she places liner on the upper waterline, right beneath the lash line, which actually makes your lashes look thicker.
Brush Liner Up at the Outer Corners of Your Eye
Eyeliner is a fantastic tool for opening the eye, but simply tracing the shape of your eye isn’t going to do it justice if you want your eyes to look larger and refreshed. After you’ve lined your upper lid (close to the lash line), take your pencil or a makeup brush and swipe liner upward at the outer corner, just a enough to give your eyes a lift.
Brush Your Brows Up
It’s amazing what a five-second tip can achieve: in this case, brushing your brows upward instead of across will instantly lift your eye and make you look more awake. Grab a spoolie, brush your brows up, and snip any super-long hairs (but be careful). You can keep them in place with a bit of clear brow gel, as well.
These five easy tips can give you an entirely different look — and most will require little more than changing your makeup habits just slightly.
