Thread: Talkin' about eyes...

Okay, so there was a thread earlier this year talking about eye shapes and make-up for recessed eyes. I feel like I really struggle to get a dramatic eye with some color showing without it closing in my eyes and making them look smaller. :/ I needs me some color and drama people!! So here are some pics of my eyes to give a better idea of what I am working with:



So here is a somewhat traditional two-color application. A slightly pointed almond shape reaching up toward the end of the brow-line. Blending up from the lash line to a lighter color toward the brow, a medium green up to a soft gold. I have a very very light burgundy liner on, which is hard to see in these pics.

If I keep the color only up to the crease, you see NO color. As you can see from my next pic...



My lid and crease completely disappears when my eyes are open, and only the color that comes above the crease onto the brown bone really shows. But when using more dramatic colors, this can be oppressive and seem to close my eye in. So how do I get some good color to show without closing it in?? ,f::

Who has some suggestions for me?

I have the same kind of eyes. It is challenging and just once I'd like to see a makeup tutorial deal with these kinds of eyes.

Here is what I do for performance:
I generally put a bright but not dark color on the lid. For example, rose pink or turquoise or bright purple. Then I cake a crapload of eye kandy glitter on top of that. This makes the little bit of the lid that shows really pop. (You do have a bit of the lid showing. It doesn't completely disappear.)
A deep color in the crease, except I pull the crease outward to create the illusion that it is further away from my eyeball. I have a fabulous mac brush that does this. Rubbed the number off so I don't know which one it is.
White on the browbone
Liquid eyeliner on the lower lid only. On top of that I pat a bit of dark eyeshadow powder, but I don't smudge it too much. Sometimes I take the liner around the inner corner of my eye and start to go around the top lid just a bit then stop.
False eyelashes -- these really, really make my eyes look bigger. If you don't use them I highly recommend getting some and practicing with them until you are comfortable.
I generally put a shadow base, then the shadows, then the lashes, then the eyecandy.

Oh, that's my problem, too! I've love to see a good solution. I also find that this causes a LOT of smudging during application, which is not fun.

Like Sedonia said - it took me a long time to get into that, but false eyelashes are surprisingly great for making these eyes look bigger.

Applying false lashes here...
Imperative that you use them for your eye type in order to be seen from your performance space. TYPE: NOT thick/heavy, get spidery/spikey lashes.

1) Remove the bottom line of eyebrow and create an arch (by removing corresponding brow hair) above your iris. That will increase your eyelid real estate to give you more room to play with and increase the overall appearance of your eyes.

2) As Sedonia suggested, line the bottom lash line and smudge downwards. You can also continue to increase the size of the eye by smoking the bottom line with a shade or 2 lighter shadow than the very dark color (that you use to line the bottom lash).

3) Line your bottom waterline with pearly white or whitish gold liner to increase eyeball size.

4) Using a flat liner brush, you can apply a thin line of darkness in your upper lash-line to define it. You will not "close it" in if it is a thin line AT the lash-line.

5) Also as Sedonia suggests, fill the entire lid with a bright color. Try purple, girl. You'll be surprised at how it looks. A very cool purple (w/ lots of blue). Then in the CREASE, and slightly above the crease (because you've trimmed your brows and created more eyelid space), apply a DARK shade of purple. You'll still get the brightness by staying in the same color family but also add dimension.

You need to apply an amount with which you feel uncomfortable in order for it to be effective. Trust me.

If you have Skype (you can download it for free), we can do an online consultation where I can show you how to do this.

Girl, you read my mind! I have the same kind of deep-set eyes as you (the lid disappears when my eye is open), and I've been angsting a lot lately about how to get a "dramatic" or "Arabic eye" look without making myself look like my eyes are sunk clear into the sockets... No luck yet... Anything that's light enough to not make my eyes look receded just doesn't look glamorous enough. Tried bright colors, but sometimes they don't look age-appropriate, or they're too matchy-matchy with the costume... Sigh...

Originally Posted by Azhia

1) Remove the bottom line of eyebrow and create an arch (by removing corresponding brow hair) above your iris. That will increase your eyelid real estate to give you more room to play with and increase the overall appearance of your eyes.

Yes! I tweeze my brows to lift and arch them and it also makes a big difference. And I use a rich brown brow shadow to darken them. Everyday. I think the single makeup item I'd leave the house with if I could only use one would be my brow makeup.

Originally Posted by ssipes

Yes! I tweeze my brows to lift and arch them and it also makes a big difference. And I use a rich brown brow shadow to darken them. Everyday. I think the single makeup item I'd leave the house with if I could only use one would be my brow makeup.

You are definitely not alone. The brows are an under-estimated area. Define them and BAM!! Amazing eyes!!

I noticed that darkening my brows (which are going a little gray) made a big difference in bringing out my eyes, which are not big or dramatic, although quite nice on their own.

Makeup is all very nice on my eyes, but slides off after an hour or two. My eyebrows don't sweat that much ... nor my eyelashes ... which is good - ha!

Originally Posted by nadyasidhe

Makeup is all very nice on my eyes, but slides off after an hour or two.

Are you priming and setting?

Azhia, what a wonderful post. Thanks for taking the time to share it, and for the offer to consult further. So generous of you. :)

I have tried purples, but always dark ones. I will try pairing a dark with a lighter purple and see if it adds more depth.

I do use lashes about 50% of the time--for larger stage shows especially. The other 50% of the time it just feels like too much of a pain. But I always love the result when I do!

I was always taught to never ever put anything on the water line of the eye. Except I have done khol. Is it really okay to stick make-up there?

Oh and that is my brows tweezed and darkened. Today I did it a bit more aggressively. Should I use an even darker color on the brow? I use a dark rust red that brings it more in line with the color of my hair, but should I be using even darker/browner/blacker? I don't want to look to overdone in that area.

On a general note, frustrating to me is that on YouTube there are multiple tutorials on deep-set eye make-up, but they are all demonstrated on models who DON'T HAVE DEEP SET EYES! I mean, c'mon peeps. Make one that really demonstrates the results as well as the technique!!

FYI, this is one of my favorite tutorials, with stunning orange!!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRemAEbEvks]YouTube - Orange Smokey Eye Shadow Tutorial[/ame]

You need to tweeze and darken more aggressively. Do it and then stand back from the mirror as far as you possibly can and see what you see. I don't know if you have the makeup DVD, but there is a diagram as to what shape is ideal for the brows, and it's based on each individuals' facial features.

Also, for you, there is no need to put makeup in the BOTTOM waterline. Put makeup below the bottom waterline.

Online consultations is one of the new services I am offering. We can discuss rates if it interests you. ;0)

Don't be afraid of trial and error. That is the only way to see how a technique works on you. Even someone else with deep set eyes will have different results because no 2 deep set eyes are the same!

I guess I don't know that there is room between "lining the water line" and my "lash line". I will have to play with it and see. I do know that my water line seems wide to me (as much as one can say that in such a small area),a nd I feel like once I line my lashes, I still have this flesh-toned gap between that and when my eye actually starts. That's why I always liked kohl, because it eliminated this gap and made my eyes pop!

Originally Posted by TribalDancer

I guess I don't know that there is room between "lining the water line" and my "lash line". I will have to play with it and see. I do know that my water line seems wide to me (as much as one can say that in such a small area),a nd I feel like once I line my lashes, I still have this flesh-toned gap between that and when my eye actually starts. That's why I always liked kohl, because it eliminated this gap and made my eyes pop!

The gap actually makes the eyeballs look bigger, which is what you want no?