I receive magazine clip after magazine clip of different eye looks from women of all ages hoping to find the perfect fix to creating beautiful eyes. The interesting thing about making up the eyes, is that there are so many different ways to do it. Each eye look tells a story. Today's popular magazines use adjectives such as: sexy, sultry, dramatic, and bed-room eyes to describe many of today's popular eye looks. As if those adjectives were not enough to convince women, they too, could feel the emotions behind the words, editors go the extra mile to use popular celebrities in suggestive photos to trap us. Yes, trap us into believing that we are one eye makeup look away from feeling sexy, sultry, and even wanted. Somehow we have allowed ourselves to believe that if we can just look sexy enough, sultry enough, and seductive enough we will feel valued and wanted.
I cannot recall the last time I read an article on creating beautiful eyes. Is this because we as women no longer want to feel beautiful? That couldn't be further from the truth. We as women long to feel beautiful. We hunger for it. We reflect on an age-old proverb that says,
"The eyes are the window to the heart,"
and we somehow say, "if I can create sexy, sultry, or seductive eyes, just maybe they will say I'm beautiful and then they will want my heart."
The truth is that the eyes are the window to the heart, and we are turning our eyes to every form of media and entertainment to tell us what creates beauty. In the process we are polluting and destroying the very heart that longs to be loved.
Girls, we need to be so careful to guard our heart because whatever we are turning our eyes to is going right to the heart. What is going to the heart is what is coming right back out. If we are ever going to reflect eyes of beauty we have got to turn our eyes from entertainment and media as our guide.
Here is a classic eye:
Want to recreate this look? Here are my suggestions that you can pick up at your local Target store without breaking the bank.
1. BOOTS-No. 7 Stay Perfect Smoothing and Brightening Eye Base - $6.99
2. BOOTS-Maximum Volume Mascara in black - $7.99
3. PIXI -Beauty Eyeshadow Palette in Mirage - $28.00
Start by applying the eye base to the eyelid using your finger tip. A little goes a long way, so apply sparingly. Blend the eye base from lash to brow starting from the inside of your eye, and working your way out towards the corner of the eye.
Next apply one of the light matte shades from the PIXI palette from lash to brow to set the shadow base. Feel free to apply the shadow with the brush that comes in the palette.
Take a blender brush (I suggest the blender brush from the brand "studio tools" at Target. They range from $2.99 - $6.99) and dab it into the medium pink or taupe tone (this is your preference based on skin tone). Set the product in the crease of the eye, and blend back and forth in the crease like a windshield wiper.
Line the eyes using an angled eyeliner brush (again, my suggestion is studio tools angled eye liner brush). Take the brush and dip it into the deepest color in the PIXI palette. When holding the brush in your hand, rest the palm of your hand on your chin (this provides better control). Press and wiggle the brush along the lashline. Based on the occasion, feel free to smudge a shade lighter shadow with the same brush on the bottom.
Lastly, apply two coats of mascara to the top lashes and one coat to the bottom lashes.
Congratulations! You have just created a classic eye.
Model: Kallie Matthews
Photography: Amy Howe
Makeup: Yours Truly
If you have any questions about the actual products used on Kallie, feel free to email me and I will send out a product list.
