How do you conjure up the look of love? Start with an adoring mate, add a peerless dress, and then make eyes the focal point of your fabulous face. Still, you can't achieve sheer drama and smoky sultriness in the blink of an eye—well, you know. Preparation—the right tools, proper lighting, and quality cosmetics—is key, says New York makeup artist Virginia Carde. Click on the steps below for a primer on pulling off provocative peepers.
Before tweezing, put your brows in their place. Starting from the inner corner, brush hair in an upward and outward motion. Next, take your brush and gently run it across the top of the brows to push longer, stray strands into line.
Loose, translucent powder makes a great base for powder eye shadow—your color will go on smoothly. For cream shades, start with foundation and give your color a final dusting of translucent powder. Add brow color next to avoid smudging.
Pencil or powder? If you're not used to coloring your brows, set your sights on powder; it's easier to control and won't clump small hairs as you apply it. For a natural look, fill in the gaps and sparse areas with a gentle sketching motion.
Apply shadow starting from the outer corner—you'll deposit the least amount of color in the inner corner for an eye-opening effect. Don't take the color into the crease unless you want a deep-set look. Starting at the inner corner, blend with a rounded brush.
Highlighting beneath the brow helps define the arch and cover up any short hairs that are difficult to remove. Choose shimmery skin tones, applying the shadow to the end of the brow line and blending out with a flat brush to create a seamless finish.
A girl should always curl, especially if she has straight lashes. Look down into a mirror. Starting at the roots, slowly squeeze the curler, hold it in place for 10 to 30 seconds, then release. Repeat three or four times, working out toward the lash ends.
For a soft touch, use a pencil to line your lids; liquid products create a harder look and require greater control. Start from the outside corner and stop where the lashes thin out. For wide-eyed beauty, choose a liner just one shade darker than your shadow.
Say so-long to sticky lashes by removing excess mascara from the wand with tissue before applying. Using several coats? Alternate eyes between each layer to ensure that they dry. A final anticlump coup: Run a fine-tooth metal comb through your lashes.
