Bring out your beautiful eyes with makeup designed for drama

In the days of Betty Davis and Greta Garbo, dramatic eye make up centered around putting on the basics heavier and batting your eyes ever so graciously and frequently. In this day and age, the batting of the eye may be misconstrued ? in fact, someone will probably hand you eye drops!  

If you’d rather draw attention to your beautiful eyes, here are some suggestions that will earn you admiring glances instead of recommendations for a new brand of contact lenses.

Make sure your lashes and brows are perfect

Before you reach for a tube of mascara or case of eye shadow, make sure your lashes and brows are in perfect shape. Tweeze any stray hairs from under the arch of your brow, as well as from the space above your nose. When your eye makeup is dramatic, every unplucked hair will become the center of unwanted attention!  If your brows have been long neglected, do consider having a professional make up artist or esthetician arch your eyebrows. Condition your brows and lashes to maximize shine and health. 

Think about the time of day. 

The amount of drama you want to bring to your eyes should bear in mind the time of day and occasion. Dramatic eye makeup for the evening may be inappropriate for the workplace, mall or luncheon. But after dark or perhaps for when posing for a portrait, dare to be dramatic!

How to turn heads

To really make your eyes the center of attention, start by applying a light shade of shadow just below your brow line, apply a medium shade of shadow to your main lid and apply eye liner along the length of your upper lid, just above your lash line. Then repeat just beneath the lash line on your lower lid, meeting the upper line at the outer corners of your eyes. 

Sexy, sultry eyes

Get those come hither sexy eyes by applying a light to medium shade of eye shadow to your entire lid area. Then, use a darker, complimentary color, applied to the outer third of your main lid area, extending slightly beyond the outer corner of your eye. You should also brush mascara onto the tips of the lashes near the inner corners, and on the full length of the lashes near the outer edges.

Choose the right mascara

Many women think that black mascara is the only choice when they’re going for a dramatic look.  But if you have fair skin or extremely pale lashes and brows, black can be simply overwhelming.  Consider a soft brown/black, or rich chestnut if you have brown or blond hair.  There are even mascara shades in auburns for redheads.  Make sure the color you select accents rather than obscures your natural lashes.  Experiment with different colors to find the one that looks best with your skin, hair and eye color. 

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It’s all in the line

The finishing touch for dramatic eye makeup is eyeliner.  A thin line of black, brown, tan or a color that coordinates with the rest of your eye make up serves to underline your lovely orbs, making them impossible to ignore.  Liquid eyeliner is the easiest on the delicate skin around the eye, but can be difficult to control ? a slight shake of the hand can result in a wavy smear. 

If you’re new to eyeliner, try an eyeliner pencil.  Many work best when slightly dampened?the water make them go on easier with less pulling.  Make sure your pencil is very sharp, and begin by adding a tiny dot of liner at the base of each eyelash.  Start about two-thirds of the way in on your eyelid and work you way out.  Leave the inner one-third unlined for a wide-eyed, sexy look.  Be careful to have a very light touch on the bottom of your eye ? too much liner will make your eyes look more Halloween than sultry.

Eyes of a different color

If you really want to make your eyes dramatic, how about creating a whole new pair?  Today’s colored contact lenses.  The first task in moving in this vein is to choose the best color contact lens to compliment your skin tone. Fairer skin looks better with light green, blue-green, blue or turquoise lens.  If you choose green lenses, typically you would wear a light green eye shadow, for drama go with contrast – try blue or shades of purple. Eyeliner should be brown, as opposed to black (which can look harsh and abrupt). 

Those with medium-toned skin color should consider blue or violet contact lenses with plum variations of color for accompanying shadow. For a highly dramatic effect, those  with darker skin should consider amethyst, sapphire, deep blue or green lenses. Maximize the effect of your new, intense green eyes by adding some bronze shadow in the crease. shadow primer base to your lids to help your eye makeup look fresh longer.

Complete your look

Your new and dramatic eyes will drawn lots of attention to your face, so be sure everything else is perfect, too.  Moisturize your skin and lips, use a good foundation made for your skin type, and choose a lip color that matches your complexion, not your outfit.  And don’t forget your hair.  If it’s dry or dull, consider investing in a trim and a new conditioner or treatment to bring out the bounce and shine. 

It’s all in the line

The finishing touch for dramatic eye makeup is eyeliner.  A thin line of black, brown, tan or a color that coordinates with the rest of your eye make up serves to underline your lovely orbs, making them impossible to ignore.  Liquid eyeliner is the easiest on the delicate skin around the eye, but can be difficult to control ? a slight shake of the hand can result in a wavy smear. 

 

If you’re new to eyeliner, try an eyeliner pencil.  Many work best when slightly dampened?the water make them go on easier with less pulling.  Make sure your pencil is very sharp, and begin by adding a tiny dot of liner at the base of each eyelash.  Start about two-thirds of the way in on your eyelid and work you way out.  Leave the inner one-third unlined for a wide-eyed, sexy look.  Be careful to have a very light touch on the bottom of your eye ? too much liner will make your eyes look more Halloween than sultry.

 

Eyes of a different color

If you really want to make your eyes dramatic, how about creating a whole new pair?  Today’s colored contact lenses.  The first task in moving in this vein is to choose the best color contact lens to compliment your skin tone. Fairer skin looks better with light green, blue-green, blue or turquoise lens.  If you choose green lenses, typically you would wear a light green eye shadow, for drama go with contrast – try blue or shades of purple. Eyeliner should be brown, as opposed to black (which can look harsh and abrupt). 

Those with medium-toned skin color should consider blue or violet contact lenses with plum variations of color for accompanying shadow. For a highly dramatic effect, those  with darker skin should consider amethyst, sapphire, deep blue or green lenses. Maximize the effect of your new, intense green eyes by adding some bronze shadow in the crease. shadow primer base to your lids to help your eye makeup look fresh longer.

 

Complete your look

Your new and dramatic eyes will drawn lots of attention to your face, so be sure everything else is perfect, too.  Moisturize your skin and lips, use a good foundation made for your skin type, and choose a lip color that matches your complexion, not your outfit.  And don’t forget your hair.  If it’s dry or dull, consider investing in a trim and a new conditioner or treatment to bring out the bounce and shine.