By Melanie K. Nelson
In my last article, New Year, New You! Feel Beautiful! I wrote about a few different ways to change up your look and put your best foot forward this New Year. Now I want to add a follow up on my favorite part the body that I think deserves a little more attention, the eyes. Your eyes are the first things that people notice when they see you. That’s how people can tell if you got enough sleep last night or if you were up with a sick kid. You can play them up to create a dramatic sultry look, or keep them simple and bright. “They” say that your eyes are the windows to your soul, and while I am not sure if that is true, they are a window to how you are feeling emotionally and how you feel about yourself.
The tell tale signs of a woman with too much on her plate are the puffy, dark circles around her eyes. I have had them most of my life and I thought that they were just something that I would have to live with, until I found a product that was truly a dream come true! My go-to eye product that I swear by is the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller. It is a concealer that stays put all day and works to decrease the puffiness and darkness over time! Two-in-one products are lifesavers when you want to look good in a hurry. This easy to use roll-on applicator is gentle on the delicate skin around your eyes dispenses the perfect amount of product. So how does it wake up your tired eyes? The secret ingredient caffeine, how else?
The foundation of any great eye-look is a set of long beautiful lashes. If false lashes have never seemed appealing, your alternative is maximizing your natural lashes. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cheap products on the market that just don’t work but the good news is that if you are willing to sift through the bad, you can find some truly great products that produce amazing results! There are two main things to consider when looking for a serum, the brand and the reviews. For example, Le Métier de Beauté is a luxury skin care company that is sold at high-end department stores (and online) and has an amazing reputation! So, when they came out with Peau Vierge Lash Growth Serum, the beauty world was set a buzz.
Along with a great brand, look for great reviews! People can be brutally honest when it comes to leaving reviews on products, so you know what to expect with the product! It is hard to find a product with better reviews than GrandeLASH-MD Lash Serum. You can see the quality of their product simply by going to their website selecting the product and scrolling down to see what people are saying about it!
There are few things that look worse than the raccoon-eye that develops through out the day from eyeliner smudging and smearing. This is my problem with most crayon/pencil liners, they look great immediately after application, but by noon I look like an angst-filled teenager. If this is a problem for you as well, try a gel liner. I know that they can seem intimidating at first but I promise they are easy with a little practice. My favorite gel liner is Maybelline Lasting Drama by EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner. Not only does it stay perfectly in place all day but it also gives you way more control over the thickness of the line. Invest in a flat, angled liner brush (I literally use a $5 drug store one) and give gel liner a try. Just be prepared to say goodbye to raccoon eyes forever!
For daytime looks I love matte shadows in a color that complements your eyes, but for night looks there is one universally flattering choice, a champagne shadow with a light shimmer. Somewhere between a gold and a light brown, champagne complements all skin tones and eye colors. This is an easy, wearable color that helps to brighten even tired eyes. To create this elegant look sweep the color over the entire lid from lash line to the bottom of the brow bone. Finish the look with a thin line of eyeliner (in whatever shade you prefer) and few swipes of mascara.
Try: Shimmer-Wash-Eye-Shadow in Champagne by Bobbi Brown
If you give your eyes a little attention, you can transform your entire appearance. Now go out into the world confident, batting your perfect peepers!