The Eyes

Usually, the first concern of my customers is how to apply eye makeup, and rightly so. The eyes are the most important feature of the face.

Small Eyes - The objective is to create an illusion of a larger, fuller eye by emphasizing the eyelid.

Small eyes should avoid wearing dark-toned shadows. Dark shadow will only make small eyes appear smaller. Avoid black eyeliner. Soft brown or more muted shades are better. Accent colors should be used on the upper eyelid, directly above the iris.

Downturned Eyes - The objective is to uplift the eye, rather than following the natural droop of the eye.

Any accent color could be used, starting at the inner corner, working up through the crease. The color should start to gradually fade at the outside of the iris. Avoid bringing color all the way to the corner of the eye.

Almond Shaped Eyes - The objective is to enhance, rather than distract, from this ideal shape.

Accentuate this eye shape by adding a highlight color in the center of the lid, as well as under the arch of the brow. An accent color can be added beneath the lower lashes, along the lash line.

Wide Set Eyes - The objective is to create an illusion that eyes appear closer together.

Accent color should be a darker, more muted shade, that can be used in the inner corner of the eyelid. Stop before reaching the outer half of the eye. Avoid using light shades in the inner coriner of the eyelid. Extend eyebrow color slightly inside the inner corner of the brow. Ths will give the illusion of less space between the eyes.

Close Set Eyes - The objective is to have eyes appear more separated.

Always use lighter shades of shadow on the inner corner of the eyes. Make sure the shade is lighter than the skintone. Avoid bringing eyeliner into the inner corner of the eyes. Accent colors should be kept at the outer corner of the eyes. Eyebrows should be trimmed slightly at the inner corner, to create an illusion of more space.

Deep Set Eyes - The objective is to bring the eyelid forward, but gently recede the prominent browbone.

Avoid deeper shades of shadow on the eyelids as these will only make the eyes appear more deep set. Avoid highly frosted highlighters on the browbone. Avoid black eyeliner. Accent colors should be more pale and used only on the eyelid.

Flat Set Eyes - The objective is to give an illusion of depth, at the center and outer corner of the upper lid.

Avoid a highly frosted shadow. Dark, muted tones are more suitable for the lid shadow. Accent colors should be more muted and can be applied on upper lid, directly above the iris.

Mature Eyes - The objective with mature eyes is not to over-emphasize.

These eyes have more fine lines and the skin is less smooth. In additon, puffiness may be prominent under the browbone, causing the eye to downturn.

Use softer, matte tones and a light hand. A heavy application of bright, bold colors will only accentuate the problems. Accent colors should always be matte. Avoid black eyeliner. A dark grey or soft brown is always a better choice.

The Lips

Balanced Lips - The objective is to enhance the natural shape.

Since the upper and bottom lips are in proportion, they should be lined along the natural lip line. Emphasize the upper lip's cupid's bow (V) with lip liner. Apply lipstick and add lip gloss to the center of the mouth.

Thin Lips - The objective is to create the illusion of a fuller and broader mouth.

Line lips from corner to corner just outside the natural lip line, with a light lip liner. Avoid the use of dark lip liner and lipstick, since this will only make the lips appear thinner. Lighter or brighter colors are a better choice and lip gloss applied to top and bottom of lips will create the illusion of fullness.

Full Lips - The objective is to create an illusion of smaller lips.

Line lips from corner to corner inside the natural lip line. Darker colors of lip liner and lipstick are good choices. Avoid using frosted, light or too bright lipsticks. Also avoid too much lip gloss. Lipsticks with a more matte look are better choices.

Downturned Lips - The objective here is to de-emphasize the downward droop.

Line lips to emphasize the cupid's bow (V), in the upper lip and also the center of the lower lip line. Avoid lining all the way into the corners of the mouth and avoid following the natural downward droop of the mouth. Use a bright or light color lipstick to bring attention to the center of the mouth.

Uneven Lips - The objective is to create a better balance.

When the upper lip is a lot thinner than the lower lip, apply lip liner just above the natural lip line on the upper lip and softly outline inside the lower lip's natural line. Don't overcompensate by drawing unnatural lip lines. Lip lines should be soft and natural. Muted colors are better suited for this lip shape. On the upper lip, the lipstick tone could also be lighter or brighter than the lower lip.

The correct way to delineate lips

First: Draw a V in the center of the upper lip and then extend the line to the corner of the mouth.

Second: Draw a straight line just under the center of the lower lip and extend it to the corner of the mouth. In doing so, we will be able to draw a more symetrically shaped mouth.