Five Eye Makeup Mistakes to Stop Making Now
For most of us, eye-makeup serves as a non-negotiable step in our daily beauty routines. Even something as simple as a swipe of mascara can effortlessly enhance your peepers and instantly make you appear more polished and ready to take the world (or you know, school) by storm. But, without proper application and a tid-bit of technique, eye makeup can easily detract from your overall look. Hint: going overboard with the eyeliner is not always ideal for daytime.
Don't get us wrong, we're definitely not here to shell out beauty 'rules'—our goal is to educate and help you all become the makeup stars we know you're destined to be. A little knowledge can go a long way, which is why we enlisted the help of celebrity makeup artists, Beau Nelson and Robert Sesnek, to uncover the eye makeup mistakes that are most commonly made, and exactly how to avoid them. With these über-easy tips, we can pretty much guarantee your eye makeup will be on-fleek at all times. Click through for the deets.
Photo: Imaxtree1/6Warning: we've all made them.
Photo: Courtesy of Laura Mercier and Shu Uemura2/6Blend Till It Hurts
JK—that would be a tad aggressive. But seriously, makeup artists everywhere can unanimously attest to the crucial importance of blending. "I see a lot of girls that look like they just scribbled an eyeliner on their lids and left the house," said Nelson. "Use a brush, a q-tip, or your finger to smudge liner and make sure it’s pushed into your lash line so there is no skin showing between the lashes and the liner." The same goes for eye shadow, especially when using multiple shades. "Not merging colors and failing to diffuse the tones will result in harsh shadow and lines," said Sesnek. He suggests starting slow and building as you go, whether you’re just adding a wash of color or creating a smoky eye. "You can always add more and build—it’s much easier to get a blended and diffused look by adding as you go," he said. As for their must-have blending brushes, Nelson swears by the Laura Mercier Ponytail Brush and Sesnek loves the Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush, especially for blending powder shadows.
Laura Mercier Ponytail Brush, $29. lauramercier.com.
Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush 11, $140. shuuemura-usa.com.
Photo: Courtesy of NARS and NYX3/6Oh My, Don’t Forget To Prime
You may think of primer as an annoying—and unnecessary—extra step in your eye routine, but before you continue skipping it, listen up: "Eye primer helps shadow to adhere so the color will be truer and last a lot longer," said Nelson. "You get payoff even from shadows that aren’t the highest quality and for people with oily lids, it’s a godsend." So, if you’re someone who strictly uses shadows from the drugstore, an eye primer could intensify the pigmentation and improve the overall payoff of the shadows. Also, now that the weather is warmer and humidity is rising (oh great), using a primer is a sure-fire way to keep your shadow from moving or creasing in the heat. As for our primer picks, we’re partial to the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and NYX Proof It! Waterproof Eye Shadow Primer, which is a fabulous drugstore option.
NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, $25. sephora.com.
NYX Proof It! Waterproof Eye Shadow Primer, $7. ulta.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Maybelline4/6Stay On The Safe-Ish Side For Daytime
Trust us, we’re all for expressing ourselves via color and dramatic liner, but sometimes these looks can be a tad too much for daytime. Nelson advises against anything too bright or too dark for daytime as a general rule, but also reminds us that rules are made to be broken—touché. On the flip side, Sesnek isn’t a fan of overly complicated and harsh lines during the day—he suggests keeping things subtle in terms of shadow and liner, and instead, playing up the eyes with a healthy coat (or three) of mascara. "A simple light metallic cream shadow and lots of mascara will look very clean and modern," he said. "And if you can’t give up the liner, use it with a light hand and only at the base of the lashes for a much softer look." Backstage, makeup pro Yadim swears by Maybelline’s Color Tattoo shadows in Barely Branded and Tough as Taupe—easy and versatile additions to your kit. (You can also use them to contour: Barely Branded is a really pretty highlight!)
Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 HR Cream Gel Eyeshadow in Barely Branded and Tough as Taupe, $7. maybelline.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Urban Decay5/6Avoid Harshly Lining Your Waterline
While Nelson certainly isn’t one to set boundaries when it comes to makeup, he does advise being careful when it comes to your lower waterline. "Hard liner on the bottom lash line of anyone’s eyes isn’t usually flattering," he said. According to Sesnek, this rule is especially important for people with smaller eyes, as it can make them look enclosed and in turn, even smaller. Instead he recommends lining the lower waterline at the outer corners with a soft brown, navy, eggplant or taupe liner, which can make the eyes appear larger and more open. Try it—you won’t be disappointed—just make sure to use a budgeproof formula for easy, smudge-free wear. Try Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Liner.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, $20. sephora.com.
Photo: Courtesy of MAC and RMS6/6Highlight, Highlight, Highlight
It may sound silly, but this small (yet super important!) step can really take your look to the next level. "Highlighting the inner eye/tear duct with a beige or champagne highlighter is a must," said Sesnek. "I never skip this step as it opens up the eye and finishes the look." Both artists recommend using a minute amount of metallic shadow (we like MAC’s Nylon or RMS Lunar) and dabbing it in the inner corner with your finger or a tiny brush. Hello, bright eyes! However, both artists advise stopping there with your highlight, as they find that too much shine on the brow bone can look dated. Instead, Nelson suggests dusting the area with a translucent powder.
MAC Eye Shadow in Nylon, $19. maccosmetics.com.
RMS Eye Polish in Lunar, $28. rmsbeauty.com.
Oh damn that was only a few short years ago for me, but I think I'd tell myself to just chill and try my best to always live in the moment. College classes and trying to secure internships and all that ... Read More
