11 Ways to Make Your Eyes Look Bigger
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1/12Get a Smooth Start
Shar-peis are cute. Puffy, wrinkly eyes are not. Adhesive eye pads, like the
($59, Shop Now), calm inflammation and zap swelling in five to ten minutes flat. "What also works wonders is anything cold," says makeup artist Susie Sobel. "Even a bag of ice." And try dabbing a silicone-based primer on crow's-feet to soften and fill lines.
We like Circa Beauty Fresh Canvas Pore Minimizing Primer ($14, Shop Now).
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COPYRIGHT ©2012 THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.2/12Get Your Brows in Shape
Groomed arched eyebrows create a flattering frame for the eyes. And anything that accentuates the eyes is going to make them appear larger. (We're really into microblading right now, but tweezing is usually an easier on-the-fly alternative. Grab stray hairs—Sobel recommends cleaning up the areas above and below brows—and then fill in any gaps with an eyebrow pencil, such as
($24, Shop Now).
Then brush brows up (this is key, you guys) and over with a spooley brush for a clean, defined shape.
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COPYRIGHT ©2012 THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.3/12Even Out
Dark circles can make your eyes appear smaller. The right concealer can work double—even triple—duty on darkness and discoloration. It can also illuminate the entire eye area and draw attention to darker lashes. Choose a shade that's slightly lighter and warmer than your skin tone to brighten and correct any blue or purple undertones. Blend carefully, buffing with your finger or a sponge, working underneath and around the eyes—as well as all over the lids—to get a uniform base.
Try the back-in-stock, cult-favorite Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer ($24, Shop Now).
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4/12Draw a Tight Line
To enhance your lashes and frame your eyes, apply a superskinny strip of black liquid liner along the base of your upper lashes. Felt-tipped options, like CoverGirl Intensify Me Liquid Liner ($8.99, Shop Now), deposit rich, inky color while providing control and precision. "And I always like to do a tiny flick at the end just to pull the eye out a bit," says Sobel.
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5/12Bottom Out
Drawing perfectly seductive almond-shape eyes is actually a breeze with the right technique. Take your pencil "from the center of the lash line out, and make it a little thicker on the outer corners," says Sobel. Otherwise, "if it's too thick in the middle, you'll get round, panda eyes, which doesn't help give you a nice, wide shape that's lifted at the edges." Then smudge away any harsh lines with a cotton swab or clean eye-shadow brush, like
($32, Shop Now).
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6/12Curl Up
While almost every beauty junkie will have at least one lash curler in her makeup bag, we'll be the first to admit it's a step we often forget—especially during the a.m. rush. The extra 20 seconds it takes to curl your lashes can immediately the area appear wider and more open. "If someone's lashes are straight, they can cast a shadow on the eye area," says Sobel. Allure editors swear by the
.
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7/12Define Your Crease
"I know it's been this way forever, but putting a medium brown eye shadow in the crease is always good," says Sobel. To avoid looking like a 90210 star, use a fluffy brush, like
($38, Shop Now), to sweep a matte formula in an arc shape, from the outer corners all the way to the centers of the eyes.
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8/12Consider Color
Pencil liners are also effective. But if you've worn down your brown and black eye pencils to nubs, you might be in a makeup-color rut. Try easing your way out with navy liner, like
($8.49, Shop Now)—it makes eyes appear whiter (i.e., bigger).
As for shadows, vibrant shades such as aqua, silver, or pink look best on bare lids "with a lot of mascara and a groomed brow," says Sobel. Lavender eye shadow is universally flattering and brightening. And a dark color blended into the outer corners is perfect for an evening look. Just avoid matte formulas, which don't reflect light like their shimmery counterparts do.
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9/12Mascara, Mascara, Mascara
Did we say mascara? Apply a lengthening formula, like
($13.50, Shop Now), along the upper and lower lashes to create wide doe eyes, and then brush a thickening coat over the top for even flirtier, more battable lashes. Sobel likes wands fitted with rubber bristle wands, like L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Feline Mascara ($8.99, Shop Now), to grab and bulk fine lashes without clumping. For extra credit, focus an additional swipe near the center of the upper lash line to really draw the eyes upward.
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COPYRIGHT ©2007 THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.10/12Lighten the Waterline
Filling in your waterline with a dark liner can look sultry paired with smoky, diffused eye shadow, but it can also make your eyes look about half their size. For a bigger-is-better (which come on, you know it is) effect, color the waterline with a flat, white eye pencil instead to instantly open and brighten them. We love
($26, Shop Now).
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11/12Highlight, Too
There's a reason that even in #nofilter selfies, models seem incapable of taking a bad picture (and it's not just their unfairly superhuman genes): They know how to find the light or at least fake it. A pearly eye shadow or highlighter (try
($42, Shop Now)) dabbed on the centers of the lids, underneath the brow bones, and on the inner corners makes eyes look lifted and awake. Look for warm, rosy cream colors if your skin has pink undertones. Golden shades complement yellow and olive skin. And in a pinch, Sobel says, blending an extra dot of concealer on the inner corners and applying some heavy cream above the arches of the brows can also make a huge difference.
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12/12Save these ideas for later—and follow Allure on Pinterest!
