Eyeliner and mascara application.

Many people don't realise that the application of mascara and eyeliner is as important as the products themselves. If you don't apply them in the right way, they can have the opposite effect to what you are trying to achieve.

Mascara.

Choosing a good mascara is important, if you have short eyelashes, opt for a lengthening and thickening mascara. These also create the illusion that you have more eyelashes, so your eyes will appear more defined.

Although most people tend to stick with black, mascaras are available in a wide variety of colours, navy and electric blue, brown, green, clear and even sparkly.

The "rules" are a lot more flexible with mascara than they are with things like eyeshadow, you can wear just about any colour you want, no matter what your eye colour.

You can have fun experimenting with the effects that different colours create.

Application:

Open the mascara tube and hold the wand out of the tube for about one minute, this will dry some of the excess mascara out, this helps avoid the dreaded clumps. This is a tip used by make up artists.

Hold the wand at the base of your lashes, gently wiggle the wand from side to side whilst moving it up the lashes. This will ensure that all the lashes are coated and it also helps to avoid clumps.

Keep going right to the very tip of your lashes and let the mascara dry. Once the first layer is dry, repeat the process.

You can also use the wand to fan the outer eyelashes outwards; this will create the illusion of more eyelashes and a bigger eye.

Some eyelashes are longer than others, follow this as a guideline, and don't try to make all of your lashes the same length, this will look false and unnatural.

Eyeliner.

As with mascara, despite the array of colours available, most people tend to stick with black. Don't be afraid to try out new colours!  There are different ways to apply eyeliner and this will depend on what look you are going for.

Bigger eyes:

For bigger eyes choose a dark colour like brown, green, navy or black, before you apply mascara, draw a line on your lash line on the eyelid. Keep it nice and close to the eyelashes, this does require some practice.

Smudge it gently with a cotton bud so that the line looks more natural and less harsh.

Now draw a line along your bottom lashes, it should start just before the outer corner of the eye.  Looking in the mirror, follow the line of the lashes, again keep it nice and close. The line should stop in below the centre of your pupil when you are looking directly into the mirror. Smudge and blend with a cotton bud.

Definition.

If you have large eyes, you can get away with lining the inside of your eyes. This is not advisable to do everyday, but for special occasions it's fine.

Using a slightly sharpened eyeliner, wipe the pencil with a wet wipe; this will remove any traces of sharpenings and dirt.

Draw a line on the inside of your lashes; one coat of eyeliner should be plenty. Pull the eyelid very slightly to avoid drawing on your eyeball.

Hold the pencil vertically and draw a line on the inside of your top lashes. Gently close your eyes for a couple of seconds, this will help to spread the colour more evenly. This can also be done with a white or flesh coloured eye pencil to reduce the appearance of any redness.