Secrets for Beautiful Eyes

Bright eye makeup looks great in a magazine, but are you wondering how to really use those colors? Blending them with the neutrals you already have is a great approach. Start with a light base over your lids and place sheer color in your crease. For a night on the town, replace your basic black or brown liner with a colorful pencil.

Make the most of your natural eye color. For green or hazel eyes, try shadows and liners in the purple family. Neutral shadows make green eyes pop. Deep navy and other blues make blue eyes brighter. Brown-eyed girls can wear just about any hue, and neutrals with red and brown undertones really enhance darker eyes.

Eye creams are made just for the thin, sensitive skin around your eyes. They may be less irritating than regular face creams. Use fragrance-free eye creams because fragrance can irritate eyes and cause swelling or even allergic reactions. Tip: Keep eye creams in the refrigerator. The cool temperature can help ease puffiness.

Bright eyes mean health and beauty, but sometimes we need a little help. Redness-relief drops offer an instant pick-me-up, but don't use them for more than three days or they can make redness worse. Line your inner rims with white pencil to make your eyes look brighter, or use black liner at night for the same effect. Yellow-based foundation or eye primer can help with red skin around your eyes.

Nothing says "I need a nap" like dark circles! The key to covering them up is moisturizing first. Next, apply primer before putting on your concealer. Be careful not to overdo it. Too much concealer draws more attention to the area. For really dark circles, go for a smoky eye, which draws focus away from the under-eye area.

Dark under-eye circles are caused by too much pigment, swollen vessels, or fat loss -- and yes, lack of sleep. Rest up! Retinol, brightening ingredients, chemical peels, and lasers can help, too. Still can't get rid of them? Hyaluronic-acid-based injectable fillers help by adding padding to skin under the eyes.

Puffy eyes? We've all been there! Next time, try an eye cream with caffeine to help get rid of extra water. Cool compresses can be a quick fix. And cutting back on tea, coffee, alcohol, and salt can help. If you notice more bags as your birthdays start to pile up, a CO2 laser or surgery can tighten your skin.

If your eyes are deep-set, stick with medium tones on the lids, go lighter in the contour, and stress the lash line. Skip colors that are too dark. For close-set eyes, highlight the outer corners and avoid dark shadow on the inner corners. Pull wide-set eyes together with dark shadow in the inner corners.

Sheer, delicate sparkle is ageless. It brightens your eyes and adds texture to your eye makeup. Just remember to moisturize your lids before applying. And stay away from shadows that are too metallic.

You smile with your eyes, too! Years of squinting and smiling etch lines into thin skin around the eyes. Eye creams with retinol and hyaluronic acid plump up wrinkles and renew skin. Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, and Xeomin shots ease crow’s feet. Lasers or injectable fillers can erase any creases left behind.

Layering makes eye shadow and eyeliner last. For maximum staying power, use eye primer over your whole eyelid. Then, dust your lids with loose or pressed translucent powder. Apply eye shadow, blend, and apply powder again.

Look for eye creams with antioxidants, retinol, and peptides. They can prevent and improve sagging skin. Laser treatment tightens skin for a non-surgical lift. For extremely saggy skin, eye-lift surgery (blepharoplasty) removes extra skin for a firmer, younger look.

Girls with glasses have a few makeup tricks to make their eyes stand out. Medium colors and intensity make eyes look fresh and bright. Heavy makeup makes your eyes disappear into dark shadows, because your glasses act like a shield that keeps natural light from getting to your eyes. Avoid dark colors in the crease, especially if you wear reading glasses. It can make eyes look hollow.

Comb your eyebrows with a brow or spooly brush so you can see areas that need to be filled in. Use a pencil or powder to add color to gaps, then use your brush again to pull color through. You never want your brows to look like they were drawn on. Finish with brow gel to keep color and shape in place. Think of it like hairspray for your eyebrows!

As we age, our lashes grow straighter. Use an eyelash curler to help open up your eyes and prep your lashes for mascara. False lashes offer a dramatic change to your eyes, but they don’t have to look fake. Make sure you trim the strips to fit your lashline. Use a minimal amount of glue, and let it dry a bit before placing lashes on with tweezers.

You can easily get thicker, fuller lashes for your alluring eyes. There are many over-the-counter lash-lengthening serums. There's also one FDA-approved prescription serum, Latisse. It lengthens and thickens lashes and is safe and effective.