As a college student and your routine night owl, my morning routine is incomplete without makeup. I need something to hide the blemishes and bags under my eyes so I can go about my day as if I got a healthy amount of sleep. With sensitive skin, I’ve learned that makeup product quality is a must and while my thirteen-year-old self was a sucker for dollar store concealer, nineteen-year-old me breaks out at the thought. Today, I want to share the palettes that make my world go round.
As a young woman with brown eyes, I grew up believing that there was nothing I could do to make brown eyes stand out. Every time a boy complimented me on my eyes I felt queasy rather than flattered. What I didn’t realize then was that there were ways to highlight the unique aspects of my brown eyes.
The list of essentials for bringing out the best in my eyes includes: Brown Eyeliner > Black Eyeliner
Whereas most people take advantage of your staple black eyeliner, I encourage nothing more than a brown to match your eye tone. Up until sophomore year of high school, I couldn’t fathom wearing brown eyeliner. After reading an article featuring Lea Michelle and her dark brown eyes, I found that brown eyeliner could really bring out the color in my eyes, rather than letting them be darkened by the heavy black. Depending on your eye color and shade, I recommend darker eyes sticking to darker shades while lighter colors go with lighter shades. Try to match the eyeliner as closely as you can with your natural color! My favorite product is Nyx Professional Makeup Retractable Eyeliner.
Using Neutral Colors
In almost every palette you can find similar colors of pale white, brown, and sometimes tan and peach. Usually these colors are used as base shades, but I find that they’re the best for accentuating the natural brown color of my eyes. My go-to product is the Tarte Tarteist Pro Palette, which has about twenty different shades of white, maroon, orange, and brown. I use this palette for most of my makeup looks whether I’m aiming for a casual day look or a night out on the town.
Lashes for Days
When I first started doing my makeup in eighth grade the first tip my mother told me was to always do your mascara. Even if you’re not putting eyeshadow on a little mascara never hurt anyone. I particularly like Arbonne’s “It’s a Long Story” as it has a really nice color and doesn’t clump very much. Although slightly pricey at $39, I recommend this brand as it lasts much longer than any other ones I’ve tried.
Eyebrows on Fleek
The second tip my mother gave me was always do your eyebrows. I’m not sure if she decided these rules herself or if she learned it somewhere else, but I’ve stuck to them. The first test is to find an eyebrow pencil that matches your eyebrow color and finding whatever style you like. Some people like to use powder on their eyebrows, but I’m a loyal believer in using eyebrow pencils. Every day I use a pencil, not a mechanical one but the type of eyebrow pencil that you can actually sharpen. Although this is harder to find, they last longer and provide a more solid color than mechanical pencils. Specifically, I love the Givenchy Eyebrow Pencil as it comes with an eyebrow brush on one side and the pencil goes on well and lasts a fairly long time. It’s worth the $27 bucks because it’ll last longer and provide a better look!
Hopefully these tips are helpful as you go out and try your own makeup looks!