Eye Surgery without the Scalpel
Question: I don’t like the shape of my eyes. Am I destined to have surgery?
Mimi: Make-up can change your eye shape. First, let’s not consider them “flaws” as much as “character features.” If we all looked alike, life would be boring. Remember that the pictures in the magazines are airbrushed.
Before putting on eye make up, look at the shape of your eyes. If the outside corners are higher than the inside corners, you have doe eyes. This is every woman’s envy. Use make-up any way that you are happy. You are the only one who can carry eye make-up beyond the edge of the eye-corner-to-eyebrow-line well. To accentuate the doe eyes, put extra layers of mascara or fake eyelashes at the outer corner of your eyes. You can apply shadow low on the inside near your nose and swoop it up and out.
If your corners are straight across, you can play with the shape by applying liner to the edges of the eyes slanting up to give a doe eye look. You can also apply shadow low at the inside and swoop up at the outside. And you also can accentuate lashes at the outside corner. Or, you can keep the liner thin on the ends of the line and thick in the middle of the line. This gives a rounded, wide-eyed look called the Owl Eye. Keep the shadow rounded in the center of the lid instead of at the outer corner. With the Owl Eye, put extra coats of mascara (or a few extra fake lashes) on the lashes just in the center of each eye.
If the outside corners of your eyes are lower than the inside corners, you have drooping eyes and need some corrective make-up. Lay a pencil from the corner of your eye to the corner of your eyebrow. Keep all eye make-up inside that line. You can try liner thick in the center for an Owl Eye, or narrow near the bridge of the nose and thicker as you draw toward the outside. Instead of swooping upwards, just stop abruptly. Trying to swoop up a downward turning eye can look tacky. Apply mascara thickly in the center.
If you have a hard time stopping at the line that you indicated with the side of the pencil, hold a wedge sponge along that line from the corner of the eye to the tip of the brow when you apply shadow. If you still get make-up over the line, wipe it off with a wedge sponge.
If you have deep set eyes, a light color shadow in the crease will make your eyes appear less deep set. If you have hooded eyes, apply a bit of dark color to the “overhang” to make it recede. Then put light color on the inside of the eye at the nose. If you are young you may line your lower lid and apply mascara on lower lashes. If you have under eye wrinkles or bags, avoid bringing attention to the lower lid and lashes. Wash your sponges, lash curler, and make-up brushes frequently.
Best hint of the day: blast your eyelash curler with hot air from your hair dryer. It will set the curl like a curling iron curls your hair.
Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands.
Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations. (909) 793-9080. Past columns of Ask Mimi are on the web at www.INTERNATIONALdayspa.com.
