Make-up that hides droopy eyes

I HAVE uneven eyelids; one socket is larger than the other. Counter make-up assistants have not been able to help. How can I achieve nice, fresh eyes without going to Harley Street Clinic for an eye op?

Susie, 47, Thames Ditton, Surrey. SuSie was concerned about her slightly uneven, droopy eyelids — a common condition called ptosis — but the easiest way to sort her problem was to tackle her brows.

To find the best shape for you, see a professional. Benefit offers a ‘brow-mapping’ service, which uses an exclusive technique to find your perfect brow. We sent Susie, the mother of 13-year-old twin boys, to Benefit for an expert makeover. MAKE-UP EXPERT LISA POTTER-DIXON SAYS: AS YOu get older, your brows lose length. To find the perfect length, take a pencil, hold it from the corner of your nose to the outer corner of your eye — this is where your brows should end.

After working out where Susie’s eyebrows should end naturally, i plucked her brows to give them a more symmetrical look.

i was able to give the illusion of thicker, bolder brows by using Benefit’s Gimme Brow, £17.50, a gel with fibres that mimics the appearance of hair.

Next, you want to pick the right shade for your eyebrows. Look at the colour of your hair underneath, ignoring the hair on the top.

Women who have blonde hair but were brunette should go for a medium-dark shade.

i filled in the gaps in Susie’s brows using Brow Zings, a powder with a wax. Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit, £24.50, is a good shaping and shading kit. Similarly, the Barry M eyebrow Kit, £5.99, Superdrug, is worth its weight in gold.

if you have hooded eyes you also need to even out the eyelid using a primer.

i used an eye primer over the lid and kept the eyeshadow fresh. i chose a light, peachy colour, because it is best to stick with neutrals as you get older (try Body Shop’s new instablur eye, £10; thebodyshop.com).

i then used a little bronzer (Hoola bronzing powder, £23.50) in the sockets of the eyes, which made them appear wider.

Finally, i applied mascara to the top lashes and kept the rest of the make-up minimal.

A great tip is to hold the wand vertically when you apply mascara to the top lashes — it makes them fuller without using eyelash curlers. ELSA SAYS: ONce you have your brows shaped at a salon you can tweeze around the edges yourself.

use a brow gel in between appointments to tame unruly stragglers. A Brow Arch at Benefit costs £11.50-£12.50.

Make-up by lisa Potter-Dixon for Benefit. Hair by Oliver de Gennaro for John Frieda salons