We're all for anything that will make us look better in pictures. Especially when throwing on our favorite golden butterfly Snapchat filter isn't an option — seriously, why won't Snapchat just make that a permanent thing? If you've noticed your eye makeup — sans filters — isn't doing anything to give you bigger, more defined eyes in photos, listen up.
Despite the makeup news overload that honestly has even us confused as to what you should actually be doing to look your best, upping your selfie game isn't as complicated as you might think. To simplify the process, we turned to Melissa Murdick, makeup artist to Selena Gomez, and Allan Avendano, who works with celebs like Olivia Holt and Lucy Hale. They've shared the best eye-enhancing tricks they've perfected for photo shoots, red carpets, and sold-out arenas. The secrets to faking wide-awake, doelike eyes are right this way.
Lighten and brighten.
First things first: You need to eliminate any dark circles under your eyes, whether you have them because you're sleep-deprived from a study sesh or because you won the genetic lottery and inherited them.
"We all know that when you’re tired, undereye concealer is your best friend — but don’t stop there," Melissa says. "Dot a bit onto your eyelid and onto the skin at the inner and outer corners of your eyes to brighten up the whole area. Curling your lashes and applying a jet-black mascara wakes your eyes up and diminishes the appearance of dark circles, too," she adds.
Allan agrees, sharing one of his red carpet tricks, "Using a concealer that is one shade lighter than your foundation with a bit of a yellow undertone brightens the under eye giving you a well-rested and refreshed look," he says. For complete dark-circle coverage, Allan says to use a pinkish concealer for fair skin tones, peach for medium tones, and orange for darker skin tones, then top with a concealer that matches your skin tone. Just make sure to blend it all together! "Blending is key so that you don't look cakey," Allan explains.
Add definition.
Whether you prefer a full makeup look or a barely there approach, for bigger, more wide-awake eyes in photos, you need to add some type of definition. "Using any kind of eyeliner adds definition and will make sure your eyes don’t disappear," Melissa explains. You can create dimension by lining just the top lash line, lower lash line or waterline (or line them all!) as close to the lash line as possible for a subtle look or thicker for a more dramatic take. "[Another] easy way to add dimension to your eyes is to use products that reflect light, like a shimmery or metallic eyeshadow," Melissa says.
A tried-and-true trick.
It might not be a new tip, but Allan (and we can confirm!) says the quickest way to make your eyes look bigger and brighter is to use a white liner along your waterline. "Line the bottom waterline with a white, beige, or even a soft silver liner," Allan says. "[Then] highlight the inner corner of your eyes with a pearl or champagne shimmer." For a two-in-one approach, use a shimmering white liner like Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Pearl ($24), so you can line your waterline and draw the brightening color at the inner corners of your eyes, then use your fingers to blend it in.
