makeup

WIDEN UP! CLOSE-SET EYE FOCUS

photos: hasse nielsen, philippe salomon/design: eunice chun

Today we’re focusing on our lovely readers that are blessed with eyes that are close together {revisit our IDENTIF{EYE} story if you haven’t classified which of the eight eye shapes you have!}. Technically close-set eyes have less than the width of an eye between them and are quite beautiful in their own right. But if every now and then you want to make them appear further apart, try The Corner Stretch! It’s actually a very effective illusion created by a really simple technique: concentrate your darker shades on the outer corners, from the center of your lid out past your lash line, all the way to the ends of your brows. Here’s how:

MEDIUM STRENGTH: Using any desired powder eyeshadow (gray, silver, brown, copper, teal, purple, you name it), begin the classic shading technique of building color incrementally. Starting at the center of your lid, hold the brush at the crease and sweep the color outward and upward, ending at the area parallel to the end of your brow. Repeat to build the shade but from here on out, start by holding your brush at the outer corner and sweep it inward, so the highest concentration of color is on the outside, directing everyone’s attention outward. **Tip: For a precise angle and winged line, you can first apply tape at the angle from your outer lash line to the end of your brow, apply shadow as directed above, then peel off the tape.

HEAVY DUTY: Using the same technique as Medium Strength, apply a dark cream shadow or shadow stick (black is the most dramatic shade) but this time add the shade to the lower lash line as well, connecting at the outer corner. **Tip: Because black + cream formulas are less forgiving and might require a few re-do’s, start with your eye makeup first and do your foundation after as you might have to clean up residue around the eye area with a baby wipe.

Don’t forget to add a Gold Rush or Light Shimmer to the inner corners of your eyes to further create the illusion!

By the way, The Corner Stretch is also a great technique for those of us with Down-Turned Eyes, as it creates the illusion of lifting the outer corners upward. Yes, please!