Colours And Tricks: The 10 Best Eye Make-up Tips For Small Eyes

Bigger seems to be better these days! We all want bigger hair, bigger lips and bigger breasts, so it isn’t surprising that we all want our eyes to look as big as possible, too! Not only are they the windows to our souls, but apparently larger eyes are indicators of superior fertility! Not to mention that numerous studies have shown that men find larger eyes more attractive. Typical!

Larger Eyes are Indicators of Superior Fertility

But if nature simply didn’t bless you with the large Disney princess eyes of your dreams then you may not know how to apply the right make-up to make them stand out!

It can definitely be pretty tempting to apply every eye product you own thinking you’re making your eyes more prominent (I speak from experience here!). Copious amounts of black eyeliner, all the colours of your neon eye palette and thick false lashes have been applied, but wait….your eyes look…smaller?!

Yep, I’m afraid when it comes to small eyes, less is more and there are a whole host of makeup dos and don’ts! So take a look at our 10 best make-up tips for ladies with small eyes! It’s easy when you learn how, and as I always say, you just need to master the techniques!

#1 Groom The Brows

The difference properly groomed eyebrows can make to your eyes is colossal! Your eyebrows frame your eyes so keeping them neat is important if you want your eyes to look larger. Any stray hairs at the bottom of the brow are going to make your eyelid appear smaller while messy hairs at the top will serve as a distraction, so pluck, brush and pencil them in!

#2 Conceal Dark Circles

Dark circles make your eyes look smaller so use a concealer underneath the eye to well and truly banish them! A shade a little lighter than your skin tone will really make your eyes pop and your lashes stand out too! Check out Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer Kit; it’s fantastic at neutralising blue tones, has a little setting powder pot underneath and is the perfect size for your clutch bag!

#3 Apply An Eyelid Primer

Create a smooth base for your eye make-up by applying a primer beforehand. Priming your lids will also ensure any darker eyeshadow you apply firmly stays on the outer area of the lid-exactly where it needs to be on smaller eyes!

#4 Highlight Under The Brow

Anything you highlight comes forward visually so always apply a light colour under the brow bone – just under the arch of the brow. You can use an iridescent shade like one of Makeup For Ever’s pressed iridescent powders or a matte pencil product like Benefit’s High Brow – your call.

You can also use it to colour in any areas where you are likely to get shadows, like the area near the bridge of your nose and just above your tear duct for instance. Even use it under your lower lashes to make them look more defined; just be sure to blend it in.

#5 Lighten The Inner Corner

Apply white eyeliner like Mac’s Eye Kohl in Fascinating to the inner corners of the eye (that’s the ‘V’ around the tear duct!).

This is probably the most important trick for making your eyes appear larger as it elongates and brightens the eye simultaneously! Smudge it as much or as little as you like depending on how obvious you’d like it to look.

You could even use a shimmer pencil like Makeup For Ever Aqua Pencil in Pearl White Sheen for a more dramatic effect in the evening perhaps!

#6 Use Eye Shadow Strategically

Lighter eyeshadows, especially lavender, will always make small eyes appear larger so apply a light colour along the upper lash line or you can just use your highlighter colour instead.

You’ll also need a darker colour to create depth – I suggest a mid-tone colour like light brown – you don’t want anything too dark or it will makes the eyelids appear heavy and closed.

Apply this colour to your crease to make your eyes more pronounced, then pull the shadow up and out to the outer corner of the eye to create the illusion of lifted and extended eyes!

The main thing to remember is always to keep the darker colours away from the tear duct in order to make the eye look as large as possible.

#7 Line Tactfully

It’s easy to get carried away when using eyeliner but you must exercise caution when using it on small eyes! Use a product like Revlon Colour Stay Liquid Eyeliner Pen (pens give you greater precision) to draw a line along the base of your top lashes only!

Make sure to wing it out beyond the outer corners of the eye to draw the eye out and pull it upward.

If you’re not a fan of black eyeliner or you want to tone it down a bit then opt for a soft navy eyeliner like Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Sapphire! Navy brings out the white of the eye, instantly making your eyes look wider and brighter so it’s a great alternative.

If you usually line your bottom lid with black liner then ditch that step, it will only narrow the eye. Instead use white, nude or peach eyeliner on the inside of the eyelid right on the waterline to reduce the look of any redness and create the wide awake look.

#8 Curl Your Lashes

Curling your eyelashes make your eyes appear wider simply because your lashes are lifted meaning more of the eye can be seen! It’s a simple and quick trick but one that really works!

#9 Use Lengthening Mascara

Apply a few coats of mascara after you have curled them. Choose a mascara with a lengthening formula like NARS Larger Than Life Lengthening Mascara for best results. Focus most of your attention on the centre of the upper lash line though to draw the eyes upwards.

#10 Don’t Neglect The Bottom

Although you shouldn’t apply thick black eyeliner to your bottom lid if you have small eyes, you don’t want to ignore the bottom of your eye altogether!  Just keep it subtle by using mascara left over on the wand from your top lashes. Then take a flat brush and apply a little blue or champagne cream liner to the centre of your bottom lashes and blend well. This will open up the eye even further! I personally love Laura Mercier’s cream eyeliner!

You see, you don’t need to go too overboard with bright eye-shadows and black liner to make your small eyes stand out! A few of the right colours and tricks is all you need. Give it a go!