Big, bright and beautiful: how to make eyes pop

11^th March 2012

Marion Katrina Poerio

Marion Katrina Poerio

11 March 2012

If the eyes are the windows to the soul then we’d better make sure we dress them perfectly. Big, beautiful eyes are timeless, pure and not as difficult to achieve as you might think. So what exactly are those ever-elusive insider beauty tips and tricks that really make your eyes pop?

Bye-bye tired eyes

Tiredness, stress, allergies and a heavy night on the town can all contribute to making the delicate skin around the eyes puffy and swollen which has a detrimental effect on the size of your eyes. Combat puffy eyes by using a cooling gel to soothe the sensitive eye area and reduce swelling. We love Origins No Puffery Cooling Mask for Puffy Eyes (£19). It is also important to avoid using facial creams and moisturisers over the eye area, as products that have not been dermatologically tested as safe for the eyes can cause infection and heaviness.

Beautiful brows

Eyebrows are key when it comes to framing the face and those wide-eyed peepers. Invest in a good pair of tweezers like Tweezerman’s Slant Tweezers (£16). If you’re not confident plucking your own eyebrows, are worried about over-tweezing or simply do not know what shape suits your face, then head to the professionals once a month who will wax, tweeze or thread your brows to perfection. To keep them in tip-top condition, simply follow the shape created, by plucking stray hairs in between sessions. Easy peasy!

Curl power

Not all of us are blessed with naturally long and perfectly curled eyelashes. Cue the hero of the hour: a pair of good quality eyelash curlers from brands like Shu Uemura (£20). Curling your upper lashes opens up the eyes dramatically and prepares them for a sultry coating of mascara that magnifies lashes, making eyes appear bigger and more beautiful in an instant. For extra staying power, warm curlers before use with a quick blast of hot air from your hair dryer.

Light and bright: the power of white

The ultimate insider secret to brighten, whiten and open up the eyes is simple yet effective. Simply dab a touch of pearly white eyeshadow on to the inner corners of your eyes with your ring finger. For an extra dewy-eyed look, line just underneath the bottom lashes, very close to the lash line with a pale colour or a cream pencil like Benefit’s Eye Bright (£14).

Get lifted, get highlighting

Using a highlighter like Yves Saint Laurent’s Touché Éclat (£24.50) to camouflage shadows under the eyes and to add a touch of radiance can work wonders when it comes to accentuating the eyes and brightening the complexion. Dot some highlighter underneath the lower lashes, over dark circles, across the brow bone and towards the outer edges of the eye then blend gently into the skin using your ring finger. Magic!

Line it up right

Eyeliner is a great way to create a doe-eyed look as long as you get it right. Lining the top lashes with a smooth outwards flick that reaches upwards helps to lift the eyes, mimicking a long eyelash and leaving you with a glamorous edge. Avoid applying heavy liner on the bottom lashes; this certainly makes eyes look more intense but can also make them appear smaller. Instead, try drawing a line directly underneath your lower lashes instead of touching the waterline, and concentrate the colour towards the outer edges of the eye rather than the inner corners.

Ready to pop eye colour

Choosing a shadow that compliments your eye colour can really help bring out the natural tones in your eyes, making them look extra big and beautiful. Punchy purples look fabulous with green eyes, while gorgeous green shades bring out brown eyes and tawny greys suit blue eyes. Use a neutral bright shade over the entire lid up to the brow bone and then add the darkest shades to the crease towards the outer edges of the eye. Make-up artist secret: to magically open the eyes, dab a light matte shadow onto the centre of your lids on top of your eyeshadow using your middle finger.

Marion Katrina Poerio