Wear Glasses? Makeup Style of the Week 3/5

A recent survey of elementary, middle, and high school students confirmed that the social attitude toward eyeglasses in the U.S. has changed drastically over the last 30 years. Students who participated in the survey responded, when asked how they felt about their glasses, that they felt "cool."

Because glasses are obviously going to magnify the area around the eyes, it's important to follow a few simple steps to ensure your makeup is actually helping you look your best!

Common problems include:

The Zebra Effect: Streaking of mascara on glasses lenses - I hate it when that happens!

The Droop: Frosted eye shadows (or shadows with lots of shimmer) can reduce the size your eyes appear to be through the lenses, making you look tired. (People say what in my opinion is the WORST thing "You look... tired...")

The Raccoon: The Audrey Hepburn look (with a thick black line on the lid) is great when you are spec-free, but it doesn't look the same with those glasses and you just don't get it! It's so frustrating!

I totally understand! I, too, wear glasses and feel your pain.

Here is my advice as both a patron of glasses and makeup artist:

1. The Zebra Effect.

First, make sure you are giving your mascara time to dry before you put your glasses back on. It only takes about a minute - you can do it, Alex!! (My friend with two young children) Next, invest in an eyelash curler. I never used to use one, but it was one of the major tools in makeup artistry, so I had to become familiar with the "dreaded" process. You should have seen me trying to curl the lashes on the first model I made up! My hand was shaking and I thought I was going to pull her eyelashes out! Much to my surprise, it's a very simple process that gets easier each time you do it. Now, I curl my lashes just about every time I am going to put on mascara because it takes only a few seconds and dramatically increases the effect of mascara.

To Curl Your Lashes: Before you put on mascara, look down at a 45 degree angle. With the eyelash curlers in your hand, open the "door" of the tool by opening your fingers to a 45 degree angle. Insert the lashes into the opening of the tool, and gently press down to close the "door." (Make sure you are at the base of the lash line, or where you lashes begin and your eyelid ends) Gently press down to curl the lashes (I do not press down just once, I open and close the curler multiple times while moving down the lash to achieve a curl, much like curling hair; you don't want a "crimp" but rather a smooth curl). You should be able to notice a difference immediately. Repeat on the other eye.

Applying Mascara on Curled Lashes: I like to use a conditioning mascara called "Lash Lengthening Mascara" by Mary Kay ($10). It is super flexible and good for the eyelashes, just like a conditioner for your hair! Also, if you have long lashes, a conditioning mascara like this one won't flake or crumble off over the course of the day. (Remember, any little crumbles of black will be visible under your lenses.

2. The Droop.

First, never wear eyeliner on just the bottom lashline, no matter what! It is a sure-fire way to make you look droopy and old. I'm not joking!

Now about shimmer. Shimmer eyeshadows are very common. They are beautiful when giving the eyes a little sparkle, and I use them quite often as a contour color. However, when wearing glasses, we're already giving the eye a "sparkle" through the reflection of light in the lenses. (Even if they are glare-resistant)

Notice in the photos above (of Kate Beckinsale and Lisa Loeb) how the light hits their faces differently than if they were not wearing glasses. So, the first rule of thumb is this: The lighting is different and lighting is the number one factor in makeup application. Therefore, my makeup will need to be different when I'm wearing glasses than when I'm not. Simple.

Refer to the photos again. Notice how both ladies have lightly applied shadows on the eyes. It appears that they are wearing midtones (colors close to their natural skin tone). Celebrity makeup artist and founder of True Beauty says the midtone color should be the most boring color you have. It must be a matte color, so NO shimmers or frosts! Trust me!

Apply the midtone color lightly across the lid and from the browbone blend downward toward the eye. You may highlight your browbone with a light cream, ivory, or pink color (just under the skinniest part of your brow, which should be at the end closest to your ear). The effect of eyeshadow when wearing glasses should be to smooth out the natural color of your skin and create a nice clean, matte canvas on which your beautiful, clean, natural eyes (defined by those awesome lashes) are the center of attention.

3. The Raccoon.

Eyeliner is awesome, don't get me wrong. It can, however, get tricky with glasses. Every little smudge is going to show behind those lenses, so this is not the time to try liquid eyeliner.

I recommend using a powder eyeliner (you can use a dark eyeshadow with an angled brush)

Sweep the color gently across the lash line to achieve a subtle form of eyeliner.  You can do this multiple times to intensify the color.  Next, take a clean eyeshadow brush and sweep across the line to blend.

For advanced users, you can actually apply color under the lashes by pulling up on your eyelid in a technique called "pushing up through the lashes," which is exactly that:  Take the color on your brush and push it onto the part of the lid from which the lashes actually begin.  This is tricky and will definitely cause your eyes to water if you are sensitive, so don't try it if you have enough trouble putting on eyeliner in the traditional way.

If you prefer an eyeliner pencil, make sure it is sharpened.  This dramatically affects the line you make on the eyelid.  The sharper the pencil, the thinner the line, and you want a thin line when wearing glasses (and in general it is more flattering because it looks more natural).

I hope this was helpful rather than confusing!  Have a question that I didn't answer?  Email me at ave42designs@gmail.com  

Good Luck!!!!