Lots of body parts begin to droop with age, eyelids included. When you couple that with naturally small eyes, you can wind up with a squinty look. But there are makeup steps you can take to open up your eyes again. Try these:

Groom your brows. Even without any makeup, eyes look instantly wider when they're framed by groomed brows. See a pro for the perfect plucking, or try it yourself by using tweezers to remove any stray hairs under the arch of your brow. Fill in sparse spots with brow powder and a stiff brush, and comb into place with a brow comb.

Stick to light colors. Dark shadow shades make small eyes look even littler. Instead, brighten things up with light colors. Bone, taupe, heather, and soft white are good choices for all skin tones. For liner, go with a deeper tone, but avoid a thick line of black or charcoal, which can actually close up the eye.

Shimmer softly. Another shadow trick: Use a shimmery formula, which reflects light and makes eyes pop. Pick a shadow with a subtle glimmer, but avoid very heavy frosts, as they settle into fine lines.

Curl and coat lashes. Curled lashes are the secret weapon in the fight against tiny-looking eyes. Gently clamp a lash curler at the base of top lashes and hold for at least 20 seconds. After curling, apply a coat -- or two -- of black curling mascara to boost the uplifting effect.

read full blog