A Top Makeup Artist Offers 3 Makeup Hacks To Immediately Lift The Eyes
Take a peek.
Aliver
mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor
mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
March 2, 2023 Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may Every beauty professional has their nonnegotiable steps. In our series Like a Pro, we tap experts for the top three techniques they absolutely swear by. Here, you'll hear from a variety of industry insiders on the fail-safe tricks they always keep in their back pockets. We're all about simplifying your beauty regimen wherever you can, and sometimes the best routines are as easy as 1, 2, 3.
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At a certain point, and no matter your eye shape, your lids and under-eyes will start to sag. As your skin loses collagen and elastin, the fat pads around your eyes lose their structure and start to droop; and because the skin around your eyes is the thinnest and most fragile regions of your whole face, you might notice those changes sooner than others. We’ve waxed poetic on all the ways to keep those peepers naturally perky and lifted (think wrinkle treatments, under-eye patches, and the like), but makeup does provide a bit of a quick, albeit temporary, fix. Below, we tapped celebrity makeup artist Jeanine Lobell, founder of Neen, for all of her industry secrets when it comes to lifted, bright, youthful eyes. Take a peek: 1. You’d be surprised by how much of a difference a little shadow can make. Especially on days you don’t prefer to go full glam, a kiss of shadow can provide just enough contrast to contour the lids to your liking. “I recommend using a natural matte eyeshadow shade with a fluffy brush in the center of the crease [and] sweep back and forth, no longer than a quarter of an inch,” she explains. “Then add a little bit [more] extending from the outer corner of the eye—sometimes not even connecting the two strokes—to create a natural lift.” Essentially, you’re creating a mini wing at the outer corner of your eye without using any liner at all; your eyes will look naturally snatched with very minimal effort. If you prefer to use cream products, you can use the same trick with your trusty contour stick—just find one that’s super easy to blend, as you don’t want to tug on your delicate lid skin. This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features. 2. But who says you have to stay minimal? Go ahead and have a ball with pops of color and sparkle; whimsical and youthful are two sides of the same coin, no? “I love a little shimmer in the inner corner paired with a bright-toned pencil on the water line. Sometimes I will use a pale blue color, like our Neen Side Eye Liner in shade Minty. This gives such a fresh vibe,” Lobell shares. Not to mention, that inner shimmer can really open up the eyes and make them appear wide awake. (I personally use Neen’s Pretty Shiny cream highlighter, which offers a subtle glow.) That pale blue liner can also provide a nice contrast on the water line—similar to why folks swear by white eyeliner—which makes the eyes appear brighter. Don’t be afraid to test the waters, but as a general rule, lighter hues will highlight and bring forth an area while richer hues create shadow. “Use lighter, shimmery shades where you want it to look more open, and bring darker shades in where you want to deepen or change the shape,” Lobell adds. From there, the makeup world is truly your oyster. “I think liner that is too heavy can really push the eye down,” Lobell shares. But she’s not talking about an exaggerated wing—you can make your liner as dense as you please, but don’t keep that same thickness all the way across the lash line. “Start in the outer corner, then twist the brush to make the line thinner as you head to the inner eye,” she explains. Remember, darker hues can recede an area, so drawing a thick line all the way to the inner corners can make the eyes look a bit hollow. Either keep the line thin and precise before flicking at the outer corners, or start from the outside and work your way inward. And if you smudge your handiwork? Don’t fret: That’s what micellar water is for. This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.Use shadow to your advantage.
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Have fun with shimmer & color.
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The takeaway.
Makeup is certainly transformative, and especially when it comes to the eye area. With just a couple sweeps of shadow, a glide of liner, and a subtle pop of shimmer, tired orbs can immediately spring to life. It’s the definition of a low-lift venture, don’t you think?
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