Brighten your eyes with make-up - published in Cheltenham Echo

Most of us suffer from under eye ‘bags’. Sometimes they’re worse than others. Our busy and often stressful lives don’t help and hours spent glued to computer screens often result in broken capillaries making eyes bloodshot and red.

Part of it is genetic. No matter how hard we might try - drinking lots of water, using quality eye creams and getting plenty of sleep - many of us simply cannot banish the bags completely. Living a healthy lifestyle will help but it’s not necessarily a miracle cure.  

There are, however, lots of quick and easy things that you can do with make-up to say goodbye to tired 
eyes and help you to look and feel good about yourself.



Under eye concealer
Using under eye concealer is a must if you want to banish those bags. And, investing in a quality one is key.  You’ll generally find the more you pay, the better quality you get, which means the product will look better on your skin and last for hours. Cheaper concealers will often dry into fine lines around the eyes, highlighting the area even more so it’s well worth paying a bit extra.

My ultimate favourite is Christian Dior Skin Flash Pen at £26, I’ve never found another quite like it. But, if you’re on a budget, I would recommend No 7 Instant Radiance Concealer at £12.95.

Most people apply concealer under their eyes but don’t think about applying it on their eyelids – which makes a huge difference to tired looking eyes. Try looking closely at your eyelids, you will likely see darkness, veins and capillaries which look better covered up!  Simply apply your concealer under your eyes and on your eyelids, blending upwards to your brow.

White eyeliner
Eyeliner has been widely used inside the eyes for years, more recently dark browns and blacks and prior to that, bright blues and purples in the 1980s. Well, it’s time to re-invent the wheel, but this time with white!  White eyeliner used inside the lower rims of your eyes will immediately make your eyes look bigger and brighter.

Simply, pull down your lower eyelid gently with your fingertip and draw the eyeliner along the inner rim. 

My favourite white eyeliners this season are: Chanel Khol Pencil-Clairat £17 or for those of you on a budget, choose Rimmel soft Kajal Khol Pencil white at an affordable £2.99. Please note you cannot currently buy this product online.

Eyebrows
Eyebrows make all the difference to a face, opening up the eyes and bringing strength and structure to the cheek and brow bones, helping you to look years younger. So, if you don’t have much of an eyebrow, get defining!

The quickest and most effective way of doing it (for those of you starting out) is as follows: Choose a matte powder eyeshadow in a color that matches or is slightly ashier than your hair. Lightly load an angled eyeliner brush (can buy from any make-up stores) with the shadow.  Hold the brush at the same angle as your eyebrow and begin softly defining your brows with short feathery lines. Follow the natural curve of your existing brows (or brow bones if you have no brow) building the colour up gradually until you are happy.  Your brows should be soft with no sharp peaks - a slightly thicker, rather than thinner shape.

It doesn’t really make a difference which eyeshadow brand you choose but make sure it’s matte and the right colour!

 Mascara
Even a small amount of mascara will make your eyes look bigger and more defined. Black can sometimes look severe and brown can look dull.  Coloured mascaras, however, are great – and a bit different too!  Dark plum and navy are my favourites.  They are subtle but will define your eyes and enhance their colour hugely.  Opt for plum if you suit warm shades such as greens, purples and corals. Choose navy if you suit cooler shades such as mauves, pinks and turquoises (jewel tones). My favourite mascara which comes in different colours is Chanel Inimitable Intense Volume Lash Curl separation at £23.



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