With a myriad of beautiful colors, fun patterns and flattering shapes to play with nowadays, eyeglasses are as stylish as ever. Sisters like Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Ava DuVernay make glasses look uber-chic, even rocking them on the red carpet. Makeup is often an afterthought for anyone who wasn’t bestowed with perfect vision, but a few simple techniques can make your eyes pop.
The idea is to play up your eyes in a way that complements your individual specs. “If you wear colorful glasses or ones with a bold pattern or design, you may want to focus more on your lips,” says Mindy Green, fashion and beauty expert and owner of MG Beauty. Bold lips not really your thing? No biggie; let your lens prescription guide you instead. Good to know: Lenses correcting farsightedness tend to have a magnifying effect, whereas nearsighted eyes are quick to disappear while wearing glasses.
With that in mind, light eyeshadows paired with liner, especially a winged eye, along the top lash line do wonders for bringing your eyes forward. On the other hand, “anything you make darker will recede,” according to Green, so opt for darker shadows and skip the liner (or smudge it out) if you’re farsighted. Green also suggests using a mirror with 5X to 8X magnification to avoid squinting as you set your frames aside to do your makeup. And while they look strange at first glance, those single lens rotating glasses you may have spotted online get the job done, too!
More pro makeup tips for glasses wearers:
Boost your brows
Well-groomed brows frame your entire face without the need for much makeup, which is especially true for glasses wearers. “You want the brows to frame your face, not the eyewear,” advises Green. It’s quite easy for your eyes to get lost under thick or busy frames, but the surest way to make them stand out is by keeping your brows tidy for that ultra crisp, clean look. That means staying on top of scraggly hairs and filling in sparse areas with your favorite brow pencil, but don’t stop there: Dab a little highlighter on the arch for that instant lift.
Curl those lashes
Clump-free lashes are a must for a flawless beat with or without glasses. As previously mentioned, a lens prescription treating farsightedness creates the illusion of bigger eyes, putting overly thick, clumpy lashes in the spotlight. Green advises using a lash comb to remove any clumps. Another pro tip: Not only does curling your lashes help your mascara glide on smoother, but you will also banish that pesky feeling of your lashes hitting your lenses all day long.
Correct and conceal
Concealer may seem optional while wearing glasses, but they can actually exaggerate the appearance of dark circles. Plus, dark-colored frames are known to cast harsh shadows, so apply corrector and a full-coverage concealer as you normally would. While you’re at it, dust a little highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones to draw more light to that area of your gorgeous face. To take it up another notch, add that same highlighter to the inner corner of the eyes to trick yourself and others into thinking that you’ve slept for eight hours when in reality you’re running on coffee and about four hours of sleep.
Set and go
Are your glasses always sliding down your nose? One way to combat this is by prepping clean, moisturized skin with a mattifying primer before working in your most-trusted foundation. You can afford to be a little generous with a finely milled setting powder where your nose pads meet your skin. If that hack doesn’t work, consider going foundation-free when it comes to the bridge of your nose, or simply just use whatever’s left on your makeup sponge or brush. At the same time, visit your eye doctor to rule out poor-fitting frames.
