When you think of high-impact beauty, you think more—more makeup, that is. But in fact, a little mascara or eyeliner can go a long way. Don’t believe us? Keep scrolling for five easy looks that’ll make your eyes pop.
1. Upside-down cat eye
Ditch your basic winged liner for an upside-down cat eye. This look makes eyes appear extra wide because it doesn’t enclose them the way lining your top eyelid and waterline would. Oh, and did we mention how easy it is? All you have to do is flip your cat eye!
First, apply an eye shadow primer (we love MAC’s Pro Longwear Paint Pot [$21] in Painterly) below your lower lash line. Using a bent eyeliner brush like Sonia Kashuk’s No. 107 ($5.99) dipped in an eyeliner such as Inglot’s AMC Eyeliner Gel 77, draw a strong line. You’re good to go once you’ve curled and double-coated your lashes!
2. Color mascara
Color mascara is the lazy-but-chic girl’s holy grail. Skip eyeliner altogether and give your lashes some edge using a mascara like CK One Color Mascara ($18).
When choosing a shade, keep in mind your eye color and what mascara color would accentuate it best. For girls with green, hazel or brown eyes, use a green, violet or brown shade. If you have blue eyes, opt for an electric blue shade.
Another important tip for pulling off color mascara is to not match it to your eye shadow. To further avoid clashing with the look, wear clothes that have neutral shades. Not ready to commit to color mascara? No biggie—you can wear regular black mascara on your top lashes and color mascara only on your bottom lashes.
3. Ultra-bright eyeliner
Here’s the thing about ultra-bright eyeliner: It’s wearable and flattering on every skin tone as long as you keep your face and lips simple. Playful colors like seafoam and emerald on the waterline lend eye-popping allure to any look.
To recreate this simple look, start with Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes Eyeliner ($19) in turquoise or Stila’s Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner ($20) in Mint Julep. If you’re still dubious about trying bright eyeliner hues, create more contrast by making your eyebrows a little bolder than usual.
4. Lustrous inner corners
Why are we smitten with this look, you ask? Because of its versatility! You can use any dark color gel or kohl eyeliner, as long as you illuminate the inner corners of your eyes.
Start with MAC’s Technakohl Liner ($16) in Jade Way, a sultry green, or L’Oréal’s Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner ($9.95) in Dark Slate, a gorge taupe color. Now, for the critical step to achieving this eyes-wide-open look: Dab NYX’s Jumbo Eye Pencil ($4.49) in Milk on the inner corners, then swipe Make Up For Ever’s Artist Shadow ($21) in Crystalline White over it.
5. White on the waterline
To instantly open your peepers, glide a white eyeliner like MAC Eye Kohl ($16) in Fascinating, which has a matte finish, onto your lower waterline. It’ll banish any redness and cover up any all-nighters you’ve pulled recently. Offset the white by curling and double-coating your lashes, then painting your pout a bold color. Since marsala (an earthy wine red) is the 2015 color of the year, we suggest using Tarte’s LipSurgence Lip Tint ($24) in Deep Berry or Sephora Collection’s Rouge Infusion Lip Stain ($14) in Cherry Nectar.
If you haven’t already, don’t be afraid to give these looks a try. The runway vibes they give off may be intimidating, but you can pull them off as long as you follow our tips! Check out this article for even more eye makeup inspiration.