Sometimes, you do your eye makeup, and then when you look at the mirror, you realise your eyes seem much bigger than they were before. Or maybe you feel your eyes are a bit bulging, and you want to optically bring them back in. Or maybe, that day you want to emphasize your eyes, or maybe you want to try a different eye look without doing something too overwhelming. Whatever your case is, in this article, you will learn how to make your eyes look smaller with makeup. It’s basically a whole game of optical illusions, yet you don’t need to be an artist in order to understand any of this. If you follow along, it’s actually so simple.
Here is a drawing of an eye without makeup. I left some parts in black and white purposefully so that you can understand each step properly as I show you along. Note that I am using digital art software to draw the makeup to show you the art and the science behind each trick. Obviously, with real makeup, the result will look much better.
1. Apply a darker-coloured and matte eyeshadow on your lid.
This will help close up your eyes, and since dark colours compress they will help your eyes look smaller. Matte eyeshadows make sure light is not reflected onto your lids more than necessary. It’s also perfect if you want to shift the focus on the irises, making the eyes as a whole a lot more defined. You can also apply it on your lower lid as well to start slowly creating that definition which characterises the whole look.
2. Apply a slightly lighter eyeshadow above your darker eyeshadow.
It might seem like some kind of paradox, but it will help bring your mobile lid backwards optically. Originally though, the lighter eyeshadow is meant to help you blend the darker eyeshadow more semlessly. Also, it will help create a soft crease if your eyes are hooded.
3. Focus on the corners.
If correctly blended, you won’t look like someone punched you in the face and makes the whole outline of the eye more defined.
4. Keep your eyebrows slightly on the thicker side.
Fill them in a bit more than you normally would, as a thick eyebrow makes the eye look smaller in proportion. This helps bring the focus on the eyes and optically make the eyes seem smaller.
5. Consider the highlighter placement.
Highlighter is the product that helps create light points. To make your eyes look smaller, you want to create these light points under the brow bone, where the arch is, and in the inner corner with minimal highlighter. You want to your inner corner highlighter as one bright spot in the corner if you want to bring the focus on the iris.
6. Focus on the lashlines
Here, there are some things you will want to do.
Make sure that the eye pencil you will use in your waterlines and the mascara are of the same colour. This will make your lashes look so much richer, and will optically rid of any lid space you don’t want to have.
When you aventually apply eyeliner, keep the line a bit thicker for the same reasons.
If you apply falsies, apply them all through your upper lashline and go for a thicker style. If you don’t want to go over board, use something whispier and more natural, or skip them altogether.
Last but not least: apply mascara on your lower lashes. This adds defimition to your whole look, makes the lashes look richer, and your eye looks smaller. Also, it maintains the continuity between eyeshadow and eye pencil that we have created with the eye pencil, and we want that.
7. Apply a dark pencil in your waterline.
This will interrupt continuity with the sclera, making the eye immediately look smaller. Indicated colours in this sense are dark grey, navy blue, dark brown and black, as they can be easily found and they all do the job just as well.
This is the final look…
Here is the before and the after. The difference is abyssal!
