10 Eye Makeup Tips and Tricks Everyone Should Know

Learning about all of the makeup and beauty out there can be daunting at times. Whether you’re a seasoned pro who achieves flawless smokey eyes without breaking a sweat or a novice whose still working on placement, colors, and blending, these 10 eye makeup tips are absolutely key to your success.

1. Who doesn’t love a pair of sultry smokey eyes? Makeup Artist and founder of Beth Bender Beauty, Beth Bender says “get a sexy set in just a few minutes with these easy steps.” Start first by lining the inner rim also known as the waterline of your lower lashline. Making sure to work the eyeliner into your lashes as you move along the shape of your eye. Next, close your eyes and line along the upper lashline/eyelid pushing your liner into the lash bed to avoid any breaks between your lashes and your eyeliner. When done correctly the bed of your lashes will appear thicker and lusher looking. You can use a sponge tip applicator or your fingertip to smudge it in. Finish your eyes by applying an eye shadow to your lids and up into the crease. You can extend your shadow out and slightly above the crease.  

Pro Tip: Adding glitter under the eyes is optional. Apply with a tapered taklon eyeliner or concealer brush for the best results.

2. Everyone has their own liquid liner nightmare and many will agree it is one of the more trickier products to conquer, but once you do, the eye makeup looks you can create are endless and can be paired with colors, creams and powder for even more unique looks. “If you’re a first time liquid liner user the best way to try it is to use a taupe or grey eyeliner pencil first and trace a soft line right along your upper lashline,” says Bender. What this does is help you to make sure your liner is even and to your liking before applying your liquid liner on top of the line. Another tip is to add small dots or tiny dashes across the eyelid and then connect them by tracing over to create a solid line.

3. If you’re one of the lucky ones whose been blessed with gorgeous long lashes, wearing a lot of makeup to make your eyes stand out isn’t always necessary. To create lashes that will be the envy of all your BFF’s start first by making sure your mascara is less than a month old. The newer the tube the easier it will glide over your lashes and you can kiss the flaking away too. The trick to sexy natural lashes is to add thickness at the base of the lashes and taper them naturally as you move towards the ends. To create this effect, wiggle the mascara wand back and forth at the base of your lashes first and then start to move your wand as you sweep them out and up.

4. Make friends with an eyelash curler. When it comes to lash curlers many womenpass on this stepafraid of breaking or pulling their lashes out. But for all of those who don’t curl, there are even more who do, and swear by a good lash curler as the key to making their eyes pop. When choosing a lash curler for yourself look for one that creates a beautiful upward curl, and using a gentle pumping motion, move from the lash base upward for the best results. Always curl bare lashes before applying mascara, and not after when the potential to damage your lashes is much greater. You can also use a lash curler that allows you to heat the pad like Tweezerman Super Curl Eyelash Curler before crimping which will create a gorgeous eye opening effect.

5. Nothing says notice me like a bold brow and with all of the attention being paid to this particular makeup look having a few good tips for creating them is a good thing. To see how your own brows lay naturally use a spoolie brush or clean mascara wand and comb through your brows. Next, take a soft and slightly waxy brow pencil and shape your eyebrows using the thinner side of the tip. Fill in your brows by using the flatter angle of your pencil using short strokes similar to your own brow hairs. To add a lift to the brow apply a highlighter in a pencil or powder directly below the brow bone and blend well.

6. Tired eyes? No problem. Wake them up in a jiffy using a light eye makeup shade. For those who may not know, applying a pale beige or shimmery white pencil brightens the entire eye area when used on the waterline. Another little trick that a lot of dancer’s use is to add the same shade to the outer corner of the eyes between the upper and lower lashes. This will really open the eyes and make them appear more almond shaped. And for extra eye sparkling try adding a pale shimmery shadow under the bottom lashes and skip the mascara on the bottom since it can cast a shadow and make the eyes look tired.

7. Every girl loves glitter, but when you reach a certain age, wearing it becomes more of a challenge. An easy alternative says Bender is to keep your glitter contained to the center of the eye, and use a matte shade like a brown on the rest of the lid as a sort of buffer. “It’s literally just in the center, surrounded by the brown eye shadow so it doesn’t over power the eye and instead gives you a hint of it when your eyes are open.” To do sweep your darker color across the lid first and then using either your index finger or concealer brush tap the glitter onto the center of lid. Subtle, but extremely eye makeup effective.

8. Dark circles under the eyes can make you look tired. To make them disappear and create a more wide-awake look, start first by prepping the under eye area with a hydrating, quick-absorbing eye cream to allow products to go on easily. Apply a corrector to cover any purple or green tones in the skin before following with a concealer one to two shades lighter than your foundation. The key is to set the under eye area with a pale yellow powder which will help it last longer and prevent creasing.

9. A surprising trick for diminishing puffy under eyes includes using a darker concealer to disguise any puffiness. “Adding a darker color will recess something, or make it appear deeper and smaller so by adding a darker color it create the illusion of pulling the puffiness back and making it look even or flush with the rest of your skin,” says Bender. On the other hand, using a concealer that is too light to cover any puffiness under the eyes will draw attention to the area and make it stand out more.

10. When doing eyeshadow add a layer of loose powder under your eyes - This is a technique that is used on a daily basis by many makeup artists. Its purpose is to catch any color that may fall underneath the eyes or on the cheeks while doing your eyes, especially the darker shades. Before applying your colored shadow, dip a small brush into your loose power and add a layer underneath the eyes down to the top of cheeks in a triangle shape. You can go a little heavier with the powder since you’ll be brushing it away once your eyes are done. Once finished use a powder brush to gently sweep away any loose powder.