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Beauty

5 Makeup Tips That Lift and Brighten Tired Eyes

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Research shows that the eyes are the first place people look when trying to determine your age. That’s because our eyes are often the first place signs of aging show up: Fine lines, crows feet, crepey, delicate skin, bags, and dark circles are all signs of aging. But did you know there are makeup tips that will help with most of these issues? Read on for quick solutions.

1. Brighten tired eyes with nude liner.

One makeup-artist trick to ensure eyes look 10 years younger is to swipe a nude liner (like GR Cosmetics Nude Eyeliner Pencil for Waterline, Buy from Amazon, $7.99) along the waterline of the lower lid, says makeup artist Jami Svay. She’s used this makeup tip with stars like Julianne Moore and Freida Pinto.

“Unlike dark liners, which can shrink eyes and highlight redness, the [nude shade] helps eyes shine without overpowering. [The] soft, subtle hue neutralizes redness so whites appear brighter and eyes look wide awake.”

2. Erase crow’s-feet with golden primer.

Before applying makeup, dab a silicone-based primer with golden particles (like e.l.f. Cosmetics Illuminating Face Primer Buy from Amazon, $8) on the under-eye area and up to the brow’s outer edge, advises Svay. “The golden particles deflect light from the face, blurring fine lines, while the silicone creates a shield on skin that prevents makeup from settling into — and highlighting — creases.”

3. Mask circles with a youth triangle.

Draw an upside-down triangle from the lower lash line to the top of the cheekbone and blend. The long triangle brings the focus downward to the cheekbone and away from puffiness, while creating a lightening effect that diminishes the appearance of dark circles and shadows.

Svay’s tip: Choose a color-correcting concealer (like NYX Color Correcting Concealer Buy from Amazon, $3.99) in the opposite color of your shadow to cancel it out. For blue-toned shadows, use an orange concealer; for purple ones, try a yellow concealer.

4. Thicken lashes with two-tone mascara.

Just like the hairs on our head get sparser and thinner with age, so too do the ones on our eyes — adding years to our faces. Svay’s solution to pumping up lash volume:

  • Apply one coat of dark brown mascara all over lashes, and let dry.
  • Dab black mascara on the tips.
  • Voila! Your lashes will appear to have more depth because of the ombre effect, and the attention will be drawn to the ends, together creating the illusion of longer, fuller lashes.

5. ‘Lift’ lids with a 3-step shadow technique.

  1. Using a 3-toned palette like Burt’s Bees Eye Shadow Trio in Shimmering Nudes (Buy from Amazon, $18.86), sweep the lightest shade onto the inner corner of the eye and along the brow’s arch.
  2. Brush the medium shade across the entire lid to highlight the eye while creating a smooth, even base on the lid.
  3. Blend the darkest shade into the crease (the sunken area between the lid and the brow bone where skin tends to sag) to create a “shadow” that helps loose skin visually recede.

“Shading the lid with variants of a shimmery neutral shadow creates the illusion of an eye lift”, says Svay.

While these makeup tips won’t stop the clock — if only, right? — they’ll certainly turn it back a bit. How could anyone ‘see’ a problem with that?

This article originally appeared in our print magazine.

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