How to Do Eye Makeup for Girls in Pageants

If allowed, use fake eyelashes to help accentuate the eyes.

Eye makeup for beauty pageants differs from everyday eye makeup. Instead of sheer, everyday eye makeup that's hard to see from a distance, high-pigmented stage makeup is used. Stage makeup is thicker, has more color depth and gives more coverage. Additionally, beauty pageant eye makeup must last throughout the pageant and withstand the heat from the bright lights on stage. During pageants, the contestant's eyes are the focal point of her face, so correctly accentuating them is essential.

Things You'll Need

• Eyelid primer
• Eye shadow
• Eye shadow brush
• Powder
• Powder brush
• Eyeliner
• Eyelash curler
• Mascara
• Eyelash comb
• Eyebrow powder
• Eyebrow gel

Instructions

1. Dab eyelid primer over the eyelids of the pageant girl. Distribute the primer with your fingertips, from the eyelashes up to the eyebrows. Primer creates a smooth base for the eye makeup to adhere to, and it extends the life of the makeup.

2. Swipe an eye shadow brush over a light eye shadow color. Use a high-pigmented, cream or powder eye shadow. Tap the brush lightly if you use a powder formula to remove excess powder. Apply the light color from the girl's upper eyelashes up to her eyebrows.

3. Use a medium cream or powder eye shadow color on the upper eyelid, from the eyelashes up to the crease of the eye. Make quick, circular motions with the eye shadow brush to blend the darker color with the lighter color; you want to eliminate sharp borders between the colors.

4. Accentuate the crease with a dark cream or powder eye shadow. Run the eye shadow brush back and forth over the crease of the eye.

5. Swipe a large powder brush with translucent powder over the eyelids. The powder creates a matte finish and helps set the eye shadow.

6. Line the pageant girl's upper eyelid with brown or black eyeliner. Lightly pull the skin next to her eye outward. Follow the natural curve of the upper eyelid with your eyeliner. Line the eye as close as you can to the eyelashes.

7. Curl the upper eyelashes to open up the girl's eyes. Place her lashes between the clamps of an eyelash curler. Position the curler as close as possible to the roots of the lashes. Squeeze the clamps closed for three seconds. Release the eyelashes. Move the curler toward the middle of the lashes, and repeat the curling process.

8. Apply two coats of black mascara. Allow one minute of drying time between coats. Comb through the lashes with an eyelash comb to get rid of any clumps and to separate the hairs.

9. Brush a brow powder in the color of her hair through her eyebrows. Follow the shape of her eyebrows. Apply clear brow gel to the brows to hold them in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply more eye shadow to create a deeper color on the eyelids.

• Use neutral, brown to beige eye shadow tones on the eyelids. Avoid using bright colors because this can look unnatural and overdone on stage.

• Aim a hair dryer at your eyelash curler for 10 seconds. The heat helps create a lasting curl in eyelashes.