7 Easy Hacks to Make Your Eyes Look Bigger + Brighter
There is something so dreamy about big Bambi eyes! The way you can gaze into those feathery eyelashes batting your way for what seems like eternity… there’s just something so intriguing about larger than life eyes. If you got ’em, you owe major kudos to your momma and papa for that. But if not, have no FOMO because I got you! The great thing about the power of makeup is that there is always a way to fake it, so here, I’m showing you how you can flirt it up and hack your very own big, beautiful eyes.
Below, I’ve put together seven easy, eye-opening (literally!) hacks that when put together give you a quintessential doe-eyed look you can wear to look more awake in the am or to put a trance on your boo the next time you’re wined and dined. Scroll through to learn how to DIY eyes that are so made for getting lost in.
Whenever you add light to something — or highlight it — it enhances it, makes it look larger, and brightens it up. So think of your highlighter as your instant lift kit. Use an eyeshadow that is a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone to get this effect — I’m using MAC Eyeshadow in Nylon ($16). Apply to your brow bones to fake an instant lifted eye, then apply to the inside corners of your eyes to give the illusion that your eyes are more elongated.
Hack 1: Brighten + Lift
The opposite of highlighting is contouring, which means you are creating shadows that give the illusion of depth or pushing something away. For this step, you want to grab an eyeshadow that is only slightly deeper than your skin tone. I am using Urban Decay Naked Palette in Buck ($54). To make your eye have a deeper-looking crease, add your medium shadow to the full crease of your eyes using a fluffy eyeshadow brush and be sure to blend, blend, blend!
Hack 2: Create Depth
Just like the last step, we want to create shadow and depth. In this case though, you are going to add an even deeper shadow to the outer creases of your eyes with a smaller, firmer brush to create a wider-looking eye. You can do this with any darker shadow. I went a little darker than I like to for a daytime look with Urban Decay Naked Palette in Darkhorse ($54), because I really wanted you to see the effect.
Hack 3: Widen + Elongate
Now that you’ve highlighted and contoured with eyeshadow, tie it all together with eyeliner. The trick here is to tightline the upper lash line (this means to only apply eyeliner to the inside waterline by pushing the liner up into the lash line). This will make your eyelashes look fuller as well as deepen your lash line even more, which will in turn soften the eyeshadow that you applied even more. You can go slightly thicker on the outer corner of your upper lash line to give yourself more of an almond-shaped eye. On your lower lash line, only add a dash of eyeliner that you will taper in to give it a more natural finish.
Hack 4: Tie It Together
Back to our highlighting and brightening! This time, you will use a white eyeliner on the inside of your lower waterline to really open your eyes up. This helps make the white part of your eye look even bigger.
Hack 5: Open Up
If the thought of an eyelash curler scares you like it did me for a VERY LONG TIME (I won’t lie, I still do not love this tool), then grab your blow dryer and hack this step! Either way, just make sure to curl those lashes. When you curl them, they are lifted up and away from the opening of your eyes which will make them appear bigger!
Hack 6: Lift + Curl
For your mascara, go for a lengthening formula and wand like L’Oreal Paris Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black ($8). The trick here is to only add mascara to the outer lashes on your lower lash line to help open your eyes even more. Avoid the middle and inside lashes, because enhancing them can actually make your eyes look smaller and heavier.
Hack 7: Flutter Up
Gaze on, girl! + a little before and after to scope the effects!
Boom! You can take these same concepts and go bigger for a really dramatic evening look or even scale back for the natural gals that like the no-makeup look!
