Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Scandinavian/Asian Eyes

(Please see my last post for an explanation of why I don't say hooded eyes!)
 
If you have Scandinavian/Asian eyes (like Blake Lively), there are makeup advantages and disadvantages. So, we can use techniques to make the most of your eye shape.
 
Your eyelids are mostly hidden much of the time. Because your lids are shaded, the skin there will hold up a bit better as you age, allowing you to continue to use shimmer when many women your age are starting to feel they need to drop the shimmer.
 
On the other hand, your crease is a bit trickier. You have more skin showing where most people have a crease, and the space above your crease is bigger. So, even if you are young with perfect skin, you might not want to emphasize that part of your eye. And as time goes by, you might also find shimmery eyeshadow showing imperfections in your skin there. But it's easy to fix if you have some nice, smooth matte shadows to help you out there.
 
It can be a bit frustrating to have so much of your color and handiwork hidden on your lid after you apply makeup. And when you smile or laugh, forget about it! Then it really disappears, LOL. 
 
The fun side of this is you can boldly apply brilliant green to your eyelid and you will still look work appropriate, because it only shows in little flashes. If you want the green (or purple or yellow or blue . . .) to show a bit, just run the color under your lower lashes. You can also bring it up above the crease if you want it to show more, but switch to a matte version of the color you are using. It's also very effective to use color on the lid and switch to brown or a neutral color in the crease.
 
Because your space beneath the brow is large due to your eye shape, you can play more with color in this area than ladies with a more conventional eye shape. You can use a shadow just above the crease (see picture -- XXXXXXX) in a slightly playful color with a bit of sheen, like Mac's patina (peachy tan). Leave a bit of space just under the brow (BBBBBBBB) for a cream or pale beige matte shadow. The pale color just under the brow sharpens up your brow definition without making the upper lid look too prominent.
 
I'll be back in a few days with another eye look to try!


Thursday, September 22, 2011

Let's not call them hooded eyes!

Is it just me, or does the label "hooded eyes" sound like an old-lady problem? When we speak of facial features or eye makeup, let's not say that anymore. Let's call them Scandinavian/Asian eyes, since you see them a lot in those populations. Or we could call them Blake Lively eyes, since she has them. And she's not exactly an old lady!

Blake Lively eyes make for all kinds of interesting challenges with eye makeup, but first we have to appreciate the beauty of this kind of eye. It's not a problem to solve, it's just a unique canvas for playing with makeup. And if your eyes started getting this way later in life, you have lots of company, both young and old.


Coming soon, some examples of eye makeup techniques to try!