Why eye make-up is more important than ever with a face mask

The use of our mouth and eyes helps others to gauge how we are feeling, so we will be drawn to look at the eyes even more while wearing masks.

The eyes can express a lot of emotion, particularly the way we use our eyebrows either frowning or raising them.

Using face masks is bound to make the need for more eye contact necessary, so I am sharing some make-up tips to accentuate your eyes.

If applying eye make-up fills you with dread, don’t worry, as there are plenty of make-up tutorials online to help you.

On a quiet day, experiment with different looks to see what suit you.

Be safe and hygienic

Always wash your hands before applying make-up or touching your eyes to prevent infection and only apply make-up with clean brushes.

Check expiry dates and throw away mascara every three months, or even sooner if the smell has changed or if it is drying out or turning clumpy.

If you only use mascara occasionally, you could keep it up to six months. The same rules apply with liquid eyeliners.

Pencil eyeliners must be sharpened to keep the pencil clean. It is important that you clean and sanitise your pencil sharpener after each use and only use the sharpener for your eye pencil and not on writing pencils.

In the past, many make-up brushes were made from animal hair, but now there are some fantastic synthetic brushes that are cruelty free and are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

The technology behind good synthetic brushes means that the best makeup artists are now a fan.

Application

Apply your foundation over the eye lids to create an even canvass, following with an eyeshadow base to prevent creasing and giving longevity. Use concealer under the eyes to hide dark circles.

Pick three colours from your palette – a neutral, medium and slightly darker colour – and apply with a large eyeshadow.

Brush the neutral shade all over your eyelid up to your brows sweeping outwards.

Use a clean brush for your middle colour, which should connect the colours, and apply to the middle of the eyelid.

Apply the darker colour to the outer corner of the eyes like a V on its side to the crease outwards and down to the outer lash line. Take the dark colour using a small brush along your lash line.

Use the middle shade over the lid to blend and pull the colours together, and then highlight under the brow bone with the neutral or a slightly lighter colour.

Using your elbow when using an eyeliner pencil can be a great support, giving you a steady hand as you lean towards your mirror.

Instead of trying to draw a perfect line, sketch and then blend the line together with a cotton bud.

If you are applying eyeliner to the bottom lashes, only take it three quarters of the way and not too close to the tear duct, as you want to give a wide-eyed look.

Apply mascara to the top side of the upper lashes and then the underneath. As you brush the mascara through the lashes, use a side-to-side wiggling motion to separate the lashes and repeat to the lower lashes.

Comb through your eyebrows and apply a brow pencil if needed. If you have unruly brows, you can use a brow gel to keep them neat.

Top Tips

Take time to experiment with make-up and practice when you are relaxed and have the time. Don’t try a new look or product if you are going out in case it goes wrong.

Less is more. If you are too heavily made up or don’t blend properly, it can age you and make your look very dated.

Get advice from an expert. There are some great beauty consultants in salons or counters with a wealth of knowledge, and they will be able to help you choose colours that are right for you.

The smaller the make-up brush, the more concentrated the colour will be when applied, which is great for lining the eyes. The bigger the brush, the softer and more muted the colour application will be.

Cotton buds are great for correcting mistakes or blending harsh lines, but go for paper ones rather than plastic though to be kind to the environment.

Get a good eyebrow shape by a professional when you can as the eyebrows frame the face.

Be careful that you don’t make the mistake of making your eyebrows too harsh, as they can take over the face or look like slugs sitting above the eyes.

A professional shape will only enhance the beauty of the eyes.