A striking gaze can draw attention and ignite attraction. However, for those with large or prominent eyes, the desire to make them appear smaller may arise. Fortunately, there are numerous techniques that can be employed to achieve this effect without resorting to invasive procedures. This article presents a comprehensive guide on how to make eyes appear smaller, equipping you with a range of options to subtly alter your appearance.
Firstly, consider the shape of your eyebrows. Well-defined brows can frame and balance the eyes, creating the illusion of a smaller eye size. Opt for a soft, curved brow shape that follows the natural arch of your bone. Avoid sharp angles or overly thin brows, as these can accentuate the size of your eyes. Use brow powder or pencil to fill in sparse areas and create a more polished look. Additionally, pluck stray hairs below the brow line to prevent them from visually extending the eye shape.
Another effective technique involves contouring the eyelids. Using a neutral eyeshadow shade slightly darker than your skin tone, apply it to the outer crease of your eyelid. Blend the shadow upwards to create a gradual gradient, which will draw the focus away from the center of your eyes and towards the outer corners. Alternatively, apply a light-colored, shimmering eyeshadow on the inner corner of your eyes to create the illusion of wider spacing. Remember to blend the colors seamlessly to avoid any harsh lines or obvious transitions.
Diminishing Eye Size Through Makeup Techniques
For those with large eyes who wish to make them appear smaller, makeup can be an effective tool. By carefully applying certain techniques, you can create the illusion of smaller, more balanced eyes.
1. Emphasize the Eyebrows:
Bold, defined eyebrows can help draw attention away from large eyes and create a more balanced facial appearance. Follow these steps to achieve effective eyebrow shaping:
- Determine Your Brow Shape: Analyze your facial structure and determine the ideal brow shape that complements your features. Consider factors like face shape, eye shape, and bone structure.
- Trim and Shape: Using an eyebrow brush or gel, comb your brows into place. Trim any stray or overgrown hairs that extend beyond the desired shape.
- Fill and Define: Choose an eyebrow pencil or powder that matches your natural hair color. Use short, feathery strokes to fill in sparse areas and define the brow.
- Set and Groom: After filling in your brows, use a clear brow gel or wax to hold them in place and create a polished look.
2. Darken the Outer Corners:
Adding a darker eyeshadow to the outer corners of your eyes can create an optical illusion of smaller size. Blend the shadow outwards towards the temples, creating a subtle gradient.
3. Use a Winged Eyeliner:
A winged eyeliner can elongate the shape of your eyes, making them appear narrower. Apply the liner from the inner corner to the outer corner, and extend it slightly upwards into a subtle wing.
Contouring for Narrower Eyes
Contouring can create an illusion of depth and narrowness in the eyes. Follow these steps for a narrower-looking eye shape:
**Step 1: Prime the eyelids**
Apply an eyeshadow primer to the eyelids to create a smooth base and enhance the staying power of makeup.
**Step 2: Choose the right contour shade**
Select a matte eyeshadow that is two to three shades darker than your natural skin tone. Avoid shimmery or iridescent shades as they can widen the eyes.
**Step 3: Create a crease**
Using a soft brush, apply the contour shade to the outer corner of the crease, blending it inward towards the center. This creates the illusion of a deeper crease, which can make the eyes appear smaller.
**Step 4: Highlight the inner corner**
Use a lighter eyeshadow shade to highlight the inner corner of the eye. This creates a contrast that draws attention to the center of the eye, making it appear wider.
**Step 5: Blend the edges**
Use a clean blending brush to gently blend the edges of the contour and highlight shades. This gives a natural and seamless look.
**Step 6: Finish with mascara**
Apply a volumizing mascara to the upper and lower lashes. Focus on the outer corners to enhance the illusion of narrower eyes.
| Contouring Technique | Effect |
|---|---|
| Create a deep crease | Makes eyes appear smaller |
| Highlight the inner corner | Draws attention to the center of the eye, making it appear wider |
| Blend edges softly | Creates a natural and seamless look |
Utilizing False Lashes for a Narrowing Effect
False lashes can dramatically enhance the eyes, creating an illusion of length and fullness. However, they can also be used to achieve the opposite effect, making eyes appear smaller and more almond-shaped.
To narrow eyes using false lashes, follow these steps:
Choose the Right Shape
Opt for lashes with a natural, rounded shape. Avoid dramatic, flared lashes, as they will accentuate the width of your eyes.
Trim the Outer Edges
Carefully trim the outer third of the false lashes to create a more tapered shape. This will reduce the width of the lashes and make them blend seamlessly into your natural lash line.
Apply the Lashes Close to the Base
When applying the lashes, place them as close to your natural lash line as possible. Avoid applying them too far out, as this will widen the eyes.
Use a Darker Eyeliner
After applying the lashes, use a dark eyeliner to define your upper lash line. This will create a sharp contrast that helps to narrow the eyes.
Creating an Illusion with Eyeliner
The right eyeliner technique can create an optical illusion, making your eyes appear smaller. Follow these steps for best results:
1. Choose a Dark Shade:
Opt for dark shades like black, brown, or navy to define your lash line and create a slimming effect.
2. Line the Upper Lashline:
With a fine brush, draw a thin line along your upper lash line, starting from the inner corner and ending at the outer corner.
3. Thicken at the Outer Corner:
Gradually thicken the line as you reach the outer corner to create a cat-eye effect that draws attention away from the center of your eye.
4. Wing Out:
Extend the line slightly beyond your outer corner to create a wing. This helps elongate the eye and make it appear narrower.
5. Detailed Eyeliner Application for Small Eyes
For more precise results, consider the following techniques:
| Technique | Description |
|---|---|
| Half-Lash Line: | Line only the outer half of your upper lash line, stopping at the center of your eye. This creates a subtle, natural effect. |
| Tighter Winged Eyeliner: | Keep the wing small and tight to the lash line. Avoid extending it too far out to prevent making your eyes appear more rounded. |
| Invisible Inner Line: | Line the inner rim of your upper eyelid with a nude or white eyeliner. This helps brighten the whites of your eyes and makes your eyes appear larger. |
Utilizing Tightlining to Define
Tightlining is an effective technique to define the eyes without creating harsh lines or overwhelming the eyelid. Here are some tips for tightlining:
**1. Choose a Soft Eyeliner Pencil:** Opt for a creamy, smudge-proof eyeliner pencil that is gentle on the delicate waterline area.
**2. Line the Upper and Lower Waterlines:** Gently pull the upper or lower eyelid down and apply the eyeliner pencil along the base of the lashes. Move the pencil in short, gentle strokes.
**3. Avoid Inside Corners:** Do not extend the tightline into the inner corners of the eyes, as this can make them appear smaller.
**4. Smudge Slightly:** Using a cotton swab or your finger, smudge the eyeliner line gently to create a softer, blended effect.
**5. Set the Eyeliner:** Applying a translucent powder over the tightlined area will help set the eyeliner and prevent smudging.
Advanced Techniques for Smaller Eyes
In addition to the basic steps, consider these advanced techniques for making eyes appear smaller using tightlining:
- **Create a Winged Tightline:** Extend the tightline beyond the outer corner of the eye, creating a subtle winged effect that will elongate the shape.
- **Tightline with a Concealer Pencil:** Instead of eyeliner, use a waterproof concealer pencil in a shade slightly darker than your skin tone. This will create a more natural, defined look.
- **Tightline with Gel Eyeliner:** For a more intense and long-lasting effect, use a gel eyeliner with a thin brush. Apply it along the waterline in short, precise strokes.
Using Eyeshadow to Contour
Contouring with eyeshadow is a technique that involves using darker and lighter shades of eyeshadow to create the illusion of depth and dimension, making the eyes appear smaller. Here’s a detailed guide:
Step 1: Neutralize the Lid
Start by applying a neutral eyeshadow primer or a skin-tone shade to your eyelid to create a smooth base.
Step 2: Darken the Outer Corner
Using a darker eyeshadow, blend it into the outer corner of your eye, extending it slightly towards the crease. This will create the illusion of a deeper set eye.
Step 3: Highlight the Inner Corner
Apply a light eyeshadow shade to the inner corner of your eye, blending it upwards and outwards. This will make the inner eye appear larger and rounder.
Step 4: Blend the Transition
Use a fluffy blending brush to carefully blend the darker and lighter shades together, creating a seamless transition between them.
Step 5: Define the Crease
If desired, you can define the crease of your eye by applying a medium eyeshadow shade just above the outer corner of the crease. Blend it upwards to create a subtle shadow.
Step 6: Line the Upper Lashline
Use a thin, soft eyeliner to line your upper lashline as close to the lashes as possible. This will help enhance the definition and make your eyes appear more compact.
Step 7: Shrink the Waterline
Carefully line your lower inner waterline with a dark or neutral eyeshadow using a fine-tip brush. This will make your lashes appear thicker and your waterline less visible, giving the illusion of smaller eyes.
Eyeshadow Placement for Smaller Eyes |
|---|
Employing Mascaras for Narrowing
Mascaras are effective tools for creating the illusion of smaller eyes. Here are some specific techniques:
8. Choose a Voluminous Mascara
Mascaras with a volumizing formula help to create the appearance of thicker, fuller lashes. This can help to balance out the size of the eyes and make them appear more narrow. Additionally, voluminous mascaras often contain fibers that help to lengthen and thicken lashes, further contributing to the narrowing effect.
| Feature | Effect on Narrowing Eyes |
|---|---|
| Volume | Balances out eye size, creating narrower appearance |
| Length | Extends lashes, contributing to narrowing effect |
| Thickening | Enhances lash volume, aiding in narrowing |
Enhancing Brow Bone and Crease Definition
Defining the brow bone and crease creates the illusion of a smaller eye area. Here’s how:
Brow Bone Highlight
Apply a light-colored eyeshadow or concealer to the brow bone. Blend well to create a subtle highlight that draws attention away from the eyes.
Crease Shading
Use a matte eyeshadow, 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone, to shade the crease. Blend upwards and outwards to extend the crease and deepen the eye socket, making the eyes appear smaller.
Defined Crease
Use a thin, angled brush to create a sharp crease. Trace the natural crease of your eye and apply the darker eyeshadow to define the shape and draw attention to the brow bone rather than the eyes.
Tips for Defining the Crease:
| Tip | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Blend thoroughly | Avoid harsh lines by blending the eyeshadows well, creating a natural transition from highlight to shadow. |
| Use a firm brush | A firm brush will provide precise application and help create a defined crease. |
| Work in layers | Apply the darker eyeshadow gradually, layering it until you achieve the desired depth and definition. |
How To Make Eyes Appear Smaller
If you have large eyes and want to make them appear smaller, there are a few makeup tricks you can use. Start by applying a light eyeshadow all over your lid. Then, use a darker eyeshadow to create a crease in your lid. Blend the two shadows together. Finally, apply a thin line of eyeliner to your upper lash line. For a more dramatic look, you can also apply a false lash strip.
People Also Ask About How To Make Eyes Appear Smaller
Can I make my eyes smaller permanently?
There are no permanent ways to make your eyes smaller. However, there are some surgical procedures that can be used to change the shape of your eyes.
What colors make eyes look smaller?
Dark colors, such as black, brown, and navy, can make eyes look smaller. Light colors, such as white, beige, and light pink, can make eyes look larger.
How do you make your eyes look smaller without makeup?
There are a few ways to make your eyes look smaller without makeup. One way is to use a cotton swab to apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to your upper and lower lash lines. Another way is to use a dark eyeshadow to create a thin line around your eyes.
