In the concluding part of our three-part series, here are some classic techniques for your eyes
The clumsy girl’s guide to the cat eye
You’ll need:
A slim eye pencil (Avon Glimmersticks, Lakme EyeConic, Maybelline Colossal), either a felt-tipped liquid liner (Clarins Instant eyeliner, Lancome Artliner) or an eyeliner pen (Oriflame Beauty Eyeliner Stylo, Colorbar Ultimate Eyeliner) and cellotape (yes, really).How to get it:
Sit at a well-lit table with a mirror in front. You don’t want your own face to block the light.
Tear off two one-inch strips of the tape and take away some of their glue by sticking them on the back of your hand.
Stick each strip at an angle to the sides of your eye. The edge of the tape is going to act as your guide to the eyeliner flick. Take a step back from the mirror to see if the angles match. Re-adjust them till you’re happy.
Take the slim eye pencil and use your fingertips to gently stretch one eyelid outward and start making a series of little dots close to the lash line, till you reach the tape. Then, using the same liner, join the dots to get a thick but even line.
For the flick, use liquid liner and extend your dot-to-dot work outwards, following the tape.
Go as long or as bold as you dare; just make sure the end is pointy.
Do the same with the other eye and step back to see if both flicks are the same length and thickness. Give the liquid liner a minute to dry, and then slowly take the tape off.
The first-timer’s guide to killer eyelashes
You’ll need:
A mirror, lengthening mascara (look for wands with well-spaced bristles, like Loreal’s Clean Definition Telescopic, Max Factor Lash Extension Effect, Make Up For Ever Lengthening or Revlon CustomEyes), volumising mascara (thick bristly wands like Colossal Volum, Nyx Dolleye, Clinique High Impact or Lancome Hypnose Drama will do the trick) and tissue.
How to get it:
Place your mirror on the table at an angle that lets you look down at it and see your upper lashes directly. Don’t lay it flat, the top end needs to be at least two inches higher — slip a lipstick tube underneath.
Now get your lengthening wand ready and take a deep breath. The angle of your mirror should warn you that the bristles are getting close, so you don’t poke your eyes.
Work slowly. Start at the roots of the lashes, jiggle to deposit colour there and sweep cleanly upward. Do top lashes only. One coat is enough, but if you want a second layer, apply it before the first one dries.
First-timers invariably feel an urge to blink right at this point. Put your tissue between the top and bottom lash when you do. It will catch any excess product.
Get the other mascara out and repeat. One layer is usually enough. Just ensure you’ve got every lash.
Blink time will come again. Bring on fresh tissue and blink away.
Apply the lengthening mascara to the bottom lashes only after the top lashes have dried.
The lazy girl’s guide to the smoky eye
You’ll need:
A black gel eyeliner (try Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner, Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Liner or Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream liner), shimmery black eye shadow (like Inglot #498 or 451, M.A.C Black Tied or Chanel Mirifique), optional silver or grey shimmer (Max Factor Dip-In shadow in Silver Lounge or Maybelline Color Tattoo in Audacious Asphalt) and make-up removing wipes (Kara and M.A.C make good ones).
A mirror, lengthening mascara (look for wands with well-spaced bristles, like Loreal’s Clean Definition Telescopic, Max Factor Lash Extension Effect, Make Up For Ever Lengthening or Revlon CustomEyes), volumising mascara (thick bristly wands like Colossal Volum, Nyx Dolleye, Clinique High Impact or Lancome Hypnose Drama will do the trick) and tissue.
How to get it:
Place your mirror on the table at an angle that lets you look down at it and see your upper lashes directly. Don’t lay it flat, the top end needs to be at least two inches higher — slip a lipstick tube underneath.
Now get your lengthening wand ready and take a deep breath. The angle of your mirror should warn you that the bristles are getting close, so you don’t poke your eyes.
Work slowly. Start at the roots of the lashes, jiggle to deposit colour there and sweep cleanly upward. Do top lashes only. One coat is enough, but if you want a second layer, apply it before the first one dries.
First-timers invariably feel an urge to blink right at this point. Put your tissue between the top and bottom lash when you do. It will catch any excess product.
Get the other mascara out and repeat. One layer is usually enough. Just ensure you’ve got every lash.
Blink time will come again. Bring on fresh tissue and blink away.
Apply the lengthening mascara to the bottom lashes only after the top lashes have dried.
The lazy girl’s guide to the smoky eye
You’ll need:
A black gel eyeliner (try Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner, Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Liner or Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream liner), shimmery black eye shadow (like Inglot #498 or 451, M.A.C Black Tied or Chanel Mirifique), optional silver or grey shimmer (Max Factor Dip-In shadow in Silver Lounge or Maybelline Color Tattoo in Audacious Asphalt) and make-up removing wipes (Kara and M.A.C make good ones).
How to get it:
You’ll need just your fingertips for this look — no brushes — so make sure your hands are clean.
Dip your ring finger into a pot of gel liner and slowly pat it on to your eyelid, making sure that the black stays below the socket line and doesn’t stray to the inner corners of the eye.
Do this for both eyes. Step back and check if your handiwork matches. Are both eyes equally black, does the colour spread equally on both eyes? Did you go overboard with one side? Clean up your mistakes with wipes.
Clean your fingertip on that wipe, dip your shimmery black shadow and go over the areas you just covered with the gel liner. This time, pat the shadow past the socket line so that the colour doesn’t stop abruptly, but ‘smokes out’ at the edges.
Step back again and fix any mismatches with the wipes. Your lids should now be black, your sockets shimmery and the region under the brows clean.
Clean fingertips again, and gently pat silver or grey shimmer from the socket outward to add more depth to your look, then use all the time you saved by avoiding complicated brushes to save the world!
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Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.