How to Apply Eye Makeup for Big Eyes

Follow a few simple tips to make your eyes look large and luminous.

Big, beautiful eyes are amazingly easy to attain. A few strokes of the makeup brush, a touch of eyeliner and a little mascara can give you eyes that you, and everyone else, won't be able to stop admiring. Follow a few simple tips to make your eyes look large and luminous.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Three shades of eyeshadow (dark, medium, highlight)
• Eye-shadow brush or applicator
• Liquid eyeliner
• Eyelash curler
• Mascara

1. Apply the darkest shade of eyeshadow on the outer corner of your eyelid, staying below the crease, about one-third of the way across to form a small triangle. Do the same starting at the inner corner of your eye. You should have a bare stripe down the center of your eyelid between the two triangles. Repeat on the opposite eye.

2. Apply the medium shade of eyeshadow in the bare stripe, from just above the crease all the way down to the lash line. The medium shade should be at least two shades lighter than the dark shade. Repeat on the opposite eye.

3. Apply the highlighting eyeshadow along the brow bone, beginning just behind the "head" or thick part of the eyebrow. Repeat on the opposite eye.

4. Blend the edge of the highlighting eyeshadow with your ring finger so there is no marked line. Then, still using your ring finger, gently blend the edges of the dark eyeshadow and the medium eyeshadow where they meet. Be careful not to remove too much eyeshadow; the idea is simply to erase any lines between the colors. Repeat on the opposite eye.

5. Pull the skin on your eyelid just above the center of your eyebrow taught with your ring finger. Carefully apply a thin line of liquid eyeliner as close to the lash line as possible. Repeat on the opposite eye.

6. Place the curler against your eye, with the lashes between the clamps. Gently close the curler, being careful that no skin gets pinched in the clamps. After the curler is closed, apply more pressure and hold for five seconds. Release and repeat on the opposite eye.

7. Twirl--don't pump--the mascara wand inside the tube to fill it with mascara. Hold the mascara wand to your eye and gently close your eyelashes over the wand, raking them through the wand's brush several times to apply the mascara. Gently run the brush across your lower lashes. Add a second coat of mascara for a more dramatic impact.

Tips & Warnings

• Heat your eyelash curler with a blow dryer for a minute or two to get a great curl that will last all day.

• While you can use any applicator or brush to get this effect, a good makeup brush will make a huge difference in the result. Consider purchasing the best eye-shadow brush you can afford. A good brush will last for years with proper care and regular cleaning.

• Keep the eyeliner in a thin line. A thick line will reduce the eye-opening effect.

• Don't curl your eyelashes after applying mascara. This will clump the mascara and possibly damage your eyelashes.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish