10 Magical Makeup Tricks To Make Small Eyes Look Bigger And More Awake

Beautiful eyes come in all shapes and sizes – don’t get me wrong. However, there’s something about the eyes of celebrities Mila Kunis, Katy Perry, and Amy Adams that make us envious – they’re huge, bright, and expressive.

The good thing is almost everything can be solved with makeup. Whether you’re born with small eyes or you currently have barely-open peepers due to tiredness and missed sleep, here are 10 makeup tricks to create bigger and more awake-looking eyes.

1.    Prep, prep, prep

Before everything else, make sure you start out on a clean, flawless canvas – and we’re talking about addressing bloodshot eyes, getting rid of your dark circles and depuffing swollen, wrinkly peepers.

Next to putting eyedrops for clearer eyes, depuff by dabbing on some lightweight eye cream to hydrate the area underneath. You can also use under-eye patches and masks to calm inflammation and reduce swelling in 5-10 minutes. If you don’t have any of these, a cold compress courtesy of your pantry, like cold tea bags and or bag of ice, would do.

Don’t forget to dab some primer to prevent creases and make your makeup efforts last longer.

2.    Neutralize and conceal your dark circles

The dark circles from last night’s missed sleep not only make your eyes look small and tired – they can make you look older too. Brighten up and even out with a color corrector and concealer combo.

Neutralize dark circles and visible veins with a color corrector. Pick a peach or orange-based corrector to correct blue or purple undertones. Apply it using a small brush and let the corrector sit.

Then, pat your favorite concealer on top of the corrector and use your ring finger to blend it carefully. This will visibly erase any darkness and hyperpigmentation and create a clean palette for your eye makeup. Subtly dust with a translucent powder to set.

3.    Get your best brows

Your eyebrows create a flattering frame for your eyes, so make sure to groom and define them.

Clean up the areas above and below the brows and get rid of stray hairs. Fill in any gaps with a good eyebrow pencil, powders, and pomades, and blend out any harsh lines. Brush the brows with a spoolie for a neat, defined shape, and don’t forget to set everything with a brow gel.

4.    Fill in the lids with light, neutral shades

Rule of thumb: Avoid dark colors, for they recede, and stick to neutral and light eyeshadows for your lids. Follow the rule of contouring: use light shades for areas you want to bring forward and dark yet soft shades (like soft brows) for areas you want to push backward.

5.    Define your crease

If you want to create the illusion of a deeper, larger set of eyes, contouring the crease is the key. A matte, warm brown shade or even a soft rose tone can create dimension. Use a fluffy blending brush to sweep the eyeshadow in an arc shape, from the outer corners of the eyes to the middle parts.

6.    Shimmer the inner corners

Using a small eyeshadow brush, dab a highlighter or a light, shimmery eyeshadow in the inner corners of the eyes. Aside from your tear ducts, put some shimmer right under the brows too. This magic trick will create the illusion that light is bouncing off your eyes, thus result in more awake-looking peepers.

7.    Make your black eyeliner work for you

Black eyeliner helps open your eyes and make them pop – if and only if you’re lining them right. Overloading on the eyeliner, especially on the lower lids, do the opposite. Remember: less is more.

Apply an ultra-thin strip of black liquid eyeliner along the base of your upper lashes. When using liner on the lower lashline, stick to the outer corners. Avoid harsh lines by using a smudger to soften it out.

8.    Tightline the upper water line

This professional black eyeliner move makes a big difference. Look upwards and use a black eyeliner pencil to tightline the upper waterline. It will help open the eyes and give the appearance of fuller lashes.

Disclaimer: Take your time to avoid poking your eyes.

9.    Lighten your lower lash line

Use a flesh-toned eyeliner to line the inner rim of your lower lid. The nude effect on your lash line creates the illusion that the whites of your eyes extend farther. You may use white eyeliner for this purpose, but nude tones look more natural.

10.Add volume to your lashes

Get your eyelash curler ready. Flip your lashes upwards to open the shutters on your eyes.

Once your lashes are all curled up, grab your mascara for fuller-looking lashes and wider-looking peepers. Don’t forget your lower lashes. For a more voluminous, doll-like pair of eyes, consider false eyelashes.

Author Bio: Mina Natividad is a resident writer for Napoleon Perdis Makeup Courses, a leading luxury makeup brand in Australia, which prides itself in delivering top of the line cosmetics and makeup courses. Sticking to the heart of the cosmetics brand, she aims to empower women with articles about style and beauty.