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As a general rule, I don't do eye shadow. The idea of spending 30 minutes every morning contouring my eyes a la the Kardashians sounds like overkill. Who has the time? I certainly don't.
But then I heard Hollywood makeup artist Pati Dubroff mention how to create bigger eyes with a few simple makeup tricks, and I was hooked. Would I like my eyes to look bigger and brighter? You bet. Especially if it doesn't take me all morning.
The Stir tapped Dubroff to get her tips on natural-looking, eye-enlarging makeup. Yes, you'll have to use more than one product. But this is a quick, four-step process that should take just a couple of minutes, once you get the hang of it. Here's your new fast, perfect eye makeup routine.
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Here's the surprising thing about Dubroff's approach: Unlike just about every other eye makeup how-to, it's not going to give you DRAMATIC, glamorous, smoky eyes. Less is more, in this case. You want your eyes to shine, not your eyelids. It's YOU, but more polished and classy.
Step 1: Matte contouring on the crease. "The key to giving the eye more shape and openness [is to] give your eye some definition along the crease," Dubroff says. Use a pencil or cream shadow that's just a shade or two up from your natural skin tone. "It has to be matte," Dubroff emphasizes. Not a glittery or metallic color.
Step 2: Pale color on eyelid. This could be a bone or lighter flesh tone in a cream shadow, just to even out your natural eyelid color and to prep it for the next layer. Add some of that pale color to the corner tear duct area. Again, you want to make sure it's matte.
Step 3: Define your eyelash line. Use a pencil and get as close as you can to your lashes. "Work the color right around the roots, and don't go above the lash line," says Dubroff. No cat eye! She especially likes using Make Up For Ever Artist Liner for this move. "They're so precise," she says. If you have a few extra minutes, curl your lashes for added effect.
Step 4: Shadow with shimmer. Now that you've prepped with matte, layer on some shadow with a little sheen in the center of each eyelid. You can use a color that "complements your skin tone or your outfit," says Dubroff, who suggests keeping it in the "light tone family."
BONUS: Shadow under the eyelid. For a little extra, apply whatever you used for contour under your eyelid as well.
What NOT to do:
1. Don't apply anything on the brow bone. "This is very aging and not very modern," Dubroff cautions. "It just looks fake and cheap."
2. Don't go dark with your contouring. "That can give your eyes a sculpted look," Dubroff says, "but it's not going to give you a bigger eye." In fact, that dark, super-sculpted look can make your eyes look a little squinty.
Eye makeup melts right off my face, even when I use primer. According to Dubroff, the secret is to create sheer layers using different materials. "A cream shadow will hold a powder shadow, while a powder will set that cream shadow," she says."The two products help support each other."
So how does it look? This is me before and after makeup. As you can see, it's not a lot of dark and dramatic reality TV eye shadow. Just a better version of my natural look, which is exactly what I want makeup to do.
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My world is changed. So much so that I've been applying this eye makeup every morning for the past few days. It just works.
What's your usual eye makeup routine?
Images © anneleven, © iStock.com/logoff
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