|
www.LivinDoll.org.uk |
9 : |
Eyes to Envy |
There are many effective ways to make up your eyes. But start from the top and work down.
Defining Eyebrows
Defining
brows makes people look in your eyes, so vital for communication (see brow
softening on Page 6 and "Pretty" below). Shape them using a very
sharp brow pencil, usually lighter (or not much
darker) than your natural brow colour for femininity. (Women usually have
coloured the rest of their hair lighter anyway, even when they don't admit
to it, because it really does make you look softer and younger). Use short
individual strokes to colour the hair, not the skin (except to simulate
an occasional hair in a gap). Blend gently with a small firm-bristled
brush to look softer. Alternatively, eyeshadow can be applied with such a firm brush directly to the brows for a soft look. This fills in gaps,
but again must subtly fade and narrow towards the outside.
Match your clothes, not your eyes, or instead of people looking into your eyes and thinking they are beautiful, their attention will be drawn away! Tone with your eyes but do not match them. There are no rules, but here are a few basic guidelines:
1: Sultry 
Do the light colour first on the lid (here apricot), sweeping outwards
and fading towards the outer brow. Then do a dark(er) defining colour,
in the socket and in a triangle or line (here in coffee) at the outer lid corner.
This widens and opens the eyes. Finally a highlighting colour (here
emerald green) on the centre of the lid. Blend them carefully.
Sultry Result: 
This suits
a peach or caramel lip colour.
2: Pretty 
Try a light colour in the socket to bring deep-set or baggy eyes forward.
Add a bright eyecatching contrast colour near the lash line and blend
carefully.
Pretty Result: 
This look
suits pink lip colours.
Define over your eyes with a soft liner pencil or cosmetic felt pen, from just before where your lashes start near the inside corner to just beyond the outside corner of the top lid. Look down so your lashes do not hide what you are doing. This needs practice to get the line thin and straight, but lifts droopy eyelids. Rest your elbow in your other hand to keep your arm stable. If you don't have wrinkles, try widening the line subtly towards the outer edge, and a tiny lift at the outer end, which brings forward deep-set eyes and gives 1950's style glamour.
Use a sharp soft kohl pencil under the eye. Roll the end between your fingers, if it seems too hard to draw any colour on. Browny-black or slate grey doesn't look as hard as black, while still giving a strong emphasis to your pretty eyes. If the result looks too wide or stark, remove some by smudging with shaped cosmetic cotton buds dipped in foundation.
Consider using a clean white pencil on the inside lower rim of the eye. This gives powerful, subtle contrast with your dark kohl and makes your eyes look really big and sexy. Pink is even better, as it draws attention away from bloodshot eyes, but don't wear any if you have sensitive eyes.
Last, for evening, put a little of a very light, shimmery highlighter shade on the browbone just below the outer half of the eyebrow, and blend with a clean finger or sponge applicator. This draws still more attention to your eyes. Darker colours give impact at night. You could even add a touch of glitter gel to the very centre of the lid for the teen girl band look - if you can get away with it! Not in the crease though, as colour can collect there, and shine emphasises wrinkles. A hint of shiny shadow at the base of lower lashes helps make you look wide awake. Remember the rule though - either bold lips or eyes; both is too much, so keep it matt if in doubt.
MascaraWhy do we wear mascara? Long, full lashes make your eyes look bigger and wide-open. This conveys innocence, youth, feminine dependence, and implies submission. You can have lashes and /or brows tinted, which saves time, but I know it isn't possible for lots of you.
Throw away mascaras over about six months old; they dry out quickly. Never add water to them - that helps bacteria to grow quickly which get into your eye. Even if you think yours has some mileage left, you don't want a bitty, crumbly look, with dry bits falling into and irritating your eyes. Use hypoallergenic mascara and don't brush it quite into the lash roots. You young girlies can try electric blue, green, violet or silver fashion colours; it really draws attention to beautiful eyes, so important for communication. Especially if you change your eye colour as I suggest.
Make lashes lots longer and girlie-curly to
open the eyes (see below), as opposed to making them look thick, cakey
and false. Lash curlers are a good and inexpensive investment,
or you can get electric ones for £10-£20. After use, do one mascara
coat on lower lashes first, looking up; then upper lashes, looking down,
allowing each of two coats (day) or three coats (night) to
dry. Try to put most on the outer edges to help lashes fan out,
and use an eyelash comb to separate, as you want them looking
sexy not over-thick and sticky. If the brush hits your nose or face, dip
a cotton bud into foundation and use to both wipe away mistakes and repair
in one go.
There are some good eyelash curling mascaras now which open your eyes, but not all work! Look for lengthening rather than thickening ones. I use a Spanish product which is a dry wand with fibres only in a mascara container, but you use it with your own mascara. Be very careful not to get loose fibres in your eyes, or they will get very red. Keep cotton buds to hand; dip them in foundation, and use to wipe away mistakes without leaving a makeup "hole".
Should you wear false lashes? Oh
yes, this is very exciting, both for you and everyone who sees you,
particularly if they look real. Individual fakes (see pictures above)
are best, as these attach to the base of each natural lash and are very
hard to spot. Ordinary fakes are harder to apply well, though the results
can be very good due to their even, built-in curl. Short fakes that just
go on the outer corner are easiest to apply.
Attach them well, starting at the outer corner. Place them as close as possible above the top lash to disguise the base, after applying all eye make-up and one thin coat of mascara to your own lashes only. Buy carefully to be subtle, i.e. too long and thick becomes an ugly parody of women. If you wear fake lower lashes, make them short individual ones only, if any. Remember, if lashes do come loose, you will not be able to stick them back well if you are out.