Meg Curley on How to Make Your Eyes Look Bigger

I’ve gone through pretty much every eye makeup look that’s out there. I will never forget my first eyeliner and mascara--a black Maybelline pencil and the classic Great Lash mascara in that bubblegum pink and lime green container. I must’ve looked like a mess at 16, and I know that I made all of the classic mistakes. For one, I put on too much black eyeliner that rimmed my entire eye. I also crimped my eyelashes with my eyelash curler until the poor things nearly fell out. Luckily, once I got my hands on a few magazines and really started to understand what helped my eyes look bigger, things started to get better.

I used to spend hours in the makeup aisles at drugstores and looking through Avon catalogues. I learned about eyeliner techniques and about all of the types of mascaras available. Lengthening, volumizing, curling, waterproof, and so on--the names of mascaras alone became somewhat thrilling to me. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for mascara to become my best friend. Just the thought of long and luscious lashes would get my heart rate going.

I ventured headfirst into the world of eyeliner pencils, crayons, liquid eyeliner and even mixed up the colors from black, dark brown, to blue and gray. Mascaras, as I’ve mentioned, were my addiction, and I know that I’ve tried nearly every one on the drugstore market. Eye shadows, on the other hand, were harder for me because of the smaller lid area of my eyes. I opted for light colors, thinking they would make my eyes look brighter and bigger. And I’ll just tell you now that my high school prom picture features some very white looking lids, giving me a sort of marshmallow look, not very flattering and definitely not a good way to make your eyes look bigger.

Now that I’ve settled into my twenties, I’ve finally gotten my eye makeup routine down, and I’m fairly confident that my makeup does make my eyes look bigger. I personally like to apply my eye shadow first. It gives me a base to work with. I use very neutral mineral shadows: taupe and violet, bronze and smoky grays. I use the lightest shade over the entire lid, highlighting the brow bone area to open my eye up, giving that larger appearance. Once I contour the lid into the crease with a darker shade, I’m ready to move onto eyeliner.

I love using gel eyeliner that comes in a small pot and applies with a fine tipped brush. I glide my black eyeliner across the top lash line, bringing it past the edge of my eye to extend the line. This creates an illusion of a larger eye, and it’s my go to eyeliner look. I very rarely use eyeliner on the bottom lash line since I feel that this really closes off my eye. I follow my liner by curling my lashes with my eyelash curler and then apply my favorite mascara of the moment. I always use black mascara because I have dark hair and lashes naturally. Once I go over my eyeliner one last time, my eyes are complete. For special occasions or when I want a more dramatic look, I apply a set of false lashes. False eyelashes are fun, and if you can master the art of applying them, they really add some boldness to your eyes.

Making small eyes look bigger isn’t an impossible task. It just takes a little patience and the willingness to try out new looks. The same techniques won’t work for everyone, but there are a few standards that work for most people. Following the basics will keep your eyes looking bright and large, and playing with all of that makeup really is a lot of fun.