When you’re looking for the most flattering makeup tips for small eyes, color placement is the first trick that you can try. Going brighter at the inner corners of the eyes and darker at the outer ones is the classic way of making your eyes look bigger, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
Find out how to use makeup on your eyes in order to create the illusion of a bigger, more open eye and pick your favorite tricks from these professional ideas!
Use a Brightening Concealer
Before you start using more sophisticated makeup tips for small eyes, the most important detail about your makeup should be the concealer. Dark under-eye circles will only make your eyes look smaller, so fight this optical effect with a brightening concealer. Make sure that the are under your eyes not only reflects light, but it does so more than when you use regular concealers.
Go for Light Eyeliner on the Waterline
One of the oldest tricks for making eyes appear larger through makeup is using white eyeliner on the waterline of the lower eyelid. However, that’s not a look many women want, so go for the next best thing. A very pale pink or peachy shade on the waterline will make your eyes look brighter and bigger. You can also try a pale blue on the waterline for a similar effect.
Use Dark Eyeliner Correctly
You can’t just stick to light shades, but you need to use dark eyeliner carefully. One of the best makeup tips for small eyes is to extend the lines you draw with eyeliner on the upper lash slightly below the outer corners. Whether you use pencils or liquid eyeliner, you should also try to control the thickness of the line. Start with a thin line up to the middle of your eyelashes. Start going thicker and thicker towards the outer corners of your eyes.
Play with Light Eyeshadow
After you’ve lined your eyelids right at the lashline, you can use a bit of light eyeshadow to make your eyes appear bigger. The trick is to go with lighter shades right under the brow bone and blend them correctly downwards. If you’d like to go with a gradient look from your eyelashes to the brown bone, make sure you always blend the shadow with a clean brush.
Double Down on the Mascara
Two coats of mascara are better than one, according to the best makeup tips for small eyes. If you’re not crazy about that much mascara and you’re sure you don’t want fake eyelashes (which work wonders for small eyes!), try this simple trick: start applying mascara in the middle of the eye and work towards the outer corner. Apply more right at the corners or go for the second coat on the eyelashes in the area for a great effect that makes your eyes appear bigger.
Go for Smoky Eyes
Even if you don’t like the smoky eyes look, smudging your eye pencil is a great way to make your eyes look bigger. Go with a dark shade on your upper eyelids and use a smudging brush gently to get the desired effect. You can stick to neutrals on the lower eyelids for a look that’s more daytime or use the same smudging effect with a pencil in a dark shade.
Try a Natural Look
If you’re not interested in the more dramatic makeup tips for small eyes, try a more natural trick. Choose an eyeshadow that’s a few shades darker than your skin tone and use it on your entire upper eyelids. Apply it from the lash line to the crease and start blending it carefully there. You can stick to just the one shade or add a lighter one on your brow bone, but if you find the right color, this eye shadow tip will be enough to make your eye look bigger.
Curl Your Eyelashes
Big eyelashes that are curled upwards can do wonders for small eyes. Fake eyelashes usually come pre-curled, but you should also make sure they have the right natural curve that will make your eyes look bigger. For your natural eyelashes, curl once at the lashline, and once in the middle for the perfect curve. Finish with volumizing mascara.
Groom Your Eyebrows Thoughtfully
Even when you’re being extra careful to use the right makeup tips for small eyes, you can fail if your eyebrow shaping habits aren’t working towards the same goal. Make sure your eyebrows are always looking good and experiment with brushing them upward. Thinner eyebrows will make your eyes look bigger, but you should aim for balance, not for super thing eyebrows.
See also:Flattering Makeup for Eye Shapes