Top-to-toe beauty fixes
From eyes that look wider to skin that feels softer, our beauty columnist Kazia Pelka has the answers…
Kazia Pelka answers your queries
How to use make-up on hooded eyes
Do you have excess skin that hangs over the creases of your eyes, causing the lids to appear smaller? Does your eyeshadow disappear from sight when you open up your eyes after applying make-up? Whether you were born with hooded eyes or they’ve developed with age, don’t despair.
The good news is that this shape can look super-sultry – just think Jennifer Lawrence. A few clever make-up tricks will enhance, define and open up your eyes so you can max out their fabulous potential – perfect for a sexy, smokey make-up look.
START WITH A LIGHT-COLOURED EYESHADOW (matte or shimmering) on the inner half of your eyelids, running the colour around the inner corners and just underneath to open up the eyes. Darker shadow in the creases of the eyelids adds depth and emphasises the shape of the sockets, but with hooded lids the colour disappears once you open your eyes. The solution is to apply it not only in the creases, but also just above them, following the shape of the sockets.
KEEP OPENING YOUR EYES FULLY AND STEPPING SLIGHTLY BACK FROM THE MIRROR to check whether your eyeshadow is creating the desired look. You can also try taking the colour slightly higher at the outer corners to give a lifting effect to the upper eyelids. Keep this darker shadow matte – sparkle and sheen tend to bring features forward, which is the opposite effect to the one you’re trying to achieve here.
RUN A FINE
LINE OF PALECOLOURED HIGHLIGHTER or matte cream eyeshadow along the bones directly under your eyebrows (no lower though, or you’ll highlight the overhanging skin). Tightlining is another technique worth mastering to make eyes look bigger and more defined. This is where you apply a black or dark brown eyeliner inside the top lashes and on to the upper waterline, working it into the roots of your lashes for extra definition. As well as making lashes seem longer and denser, this also means that (as there’s no liner on the lid itself) there’s more space for eyeshadow, which gives the illusion of bigger eyelids and reduces the impact of the overhang. For staying power and ease of application, gels or pencils are better than liquid liners.