If you’ve stuck with staid and safe nude peepers and puckers for the past 11 months and counting, please, I urge you, shake things up a little for the happy holidays ahead.
To ease your transition from boring boardroom businesswoman to bold belle of the ball, I suggest taking a leaf out of Mac Cosmetics’ Hong Kong senior artist Ryuko Lau’s beauty book and perking up your peepers with the gleam of a glittery eyeliner.
A glimmer on the rim of your lids is “eye-catching” but not OTT like a full-on smoke – best of all, it’s also embarrassingly easy to execute for both beauty buffs and beginners alike.
Badger brushes on the ready? Click through the slides for all the top tips and pretty products you need to nail this truly “eye-conic” look for yourself.
Image illustration: Sharmaine Khor.
Want more? Depuff and detoxify your way to a slimmer and “smaller” face with this step-by-step manual, and stave off the advances of Old Father Time by following these anti-ageing beauty best practices every self-respecting office lady should know. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Eye primers may seem like redundant add-ons to your regime, but they make a world of difference in increasing the iridescence and intensity of your eyeshadows, which means you get the biggest bang for your beauty buck.
Take it from our maquillage master herself: “Always apply a good eye makeup base, like Mac’s 24-Hour Extended Eye Base, starting from the lash line all the way to the eyelids for extra long-wearing eyeliner and eyeshadow,” advises Ryuko. The formula comes fortified with moisturising elements that are deeply quenching for dehydrated skin, so much so that it functions almost like a filler in erasing fine lines. To use, simply pat lightly into lids before makeup for better “grab” of pigments, and top up whenever your under-eye region starts to betray signs of fatigue. Incredibly ingenious and intuitive, no?
Want more? Depuff and detoxify your way to a slimmer and “smaller” face with this step-by-step manual, and stave off the advances of Old Father Time by following these anti-ageing beauty best practices every self-respecting office lady should know. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
First, lay down the base by buffing in a taupey shadow from your palette of choice – try the limited-edition Nutcracker Sweet Smoky Eye Compact – all over to diminish discolouration, then ratchet up the drama by pressing in one of the shimmer shades right smack in the centre of your lids. The flirty flash of metallic when you lower your gaze is incredibly fetching!
Next, swirl your brush with a beguiling bronze to add depth and dimension at the outer edge of into the socket. Finish by using a small domed brush to buff and blur – this delicate diffusion of colour creates a soft wash that’s very versatile and wearable indeed.
Want more? Depuff and detoxify your way to a slimmer and “smaller” face with this step-by-step manual, and stave off the advances of Old Father Time by following these anti-ageing beauty best practices every self-respecting office lady should know. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Now for the liner proper. A liquid pen-type product like the Penultimate Eyeliner is terrific for thinning out your swoosh – we’re not gunning for an exuberant Nike logo tick here.
First, rest the tip of your liner and start about two-thirds in from the outer corners to trace out the outer wing, simultaneously easing up on the pressure so that the line becomes naturally thinner towards the end.
After you’ve reached the tail end of your line, work backwards to the inner eye again to thicken the line, gently sweeping your pencil nub in a windscreen wiping motion. The jaunty tick at the outer edges gives downturned single-lidded eyes a beguiling Botox-like lift!
Want more? Depuff and detoxify your way to a slimmer and “smaller” face with this step-by-step manual, and stave off the advances of Old Father Time by following these anti-ageing beauty best practices every self-respecting office lady should know. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
Now for the star of the show. Wait for the base eyeliner to dry, then swipe on a very thin film of clear makeup glue. While the film is still wet, pick up glitter from the pot – try the Nutcracker Sweet Pigment in Copper Sparkle – using a tapered 209 brush, then press the particles directly onto the inner and outer corners for a sexy splash of shine.
Per Ryuko: “Don’t be shy to add some sparkle this season! It’s so eye catching yet elegant when applied to the right places.” This high-impact finishing flourish will also leave you looking fresh – the glimmering effect as light falls on your face will camouflage fatigue and lend the illusion of bigger and brighter peepers.
Industry insider tip: If sparkly stuff is involved in your #FOTD, try slapping on a sturdy undereye mask while you work – biocellulose is best, natch – that both de-puffs and guards against glitter fallout at the same time. If shimmer still manages to find its way onto your face, do as I do and press the sticky side of a swatch of Scotch tape onto the specks; they’ll lift straight off. Easy!
Want more? Depuff and detoxify your way to a slimmer and “smaller” face with this step-by-step manual, and stave off the advances of Old Father Time by following these anti-ageing beauty best practices every self-respecting office lady should know. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.
All you need to finish your face is a kiss of nude blusher, maybe some lashings of Instacurl mascara to lift your lashes, paired with a pretty pink gloss on the puckers.
Voila! Elegant, easy and very “visionary”, in every sense of the word. Beats your conventional cat eye, right? With a little practice, the entire exercise should take you no more than three minutes, tops.
Right, then. Have fun loosening up, and good luck perfecting your peepers!
Want more? Depuff and detoxify your way to a slimmer and “smaller” face with this step-by-step manual, and stave off the advances of Old Father Time by following these anti-ageing beauty best practices every self-respecting office lady should know. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.