A Professional Makeup Artist Tells Us How To Apply Eye Makeup If You Wear Glasses
April 30, 2023 by Marissa Matozzo
When experimenting with eye makeup, taking your eye color, shape and size into account is all important, but what about if you wear glasses? What might change, and what additional steps might there be? As seen often on TikTok, the idea of applying makeup while acknowledging glasses is nothing new, and there are several important tips to remember before trying these eye looks for yourself.
We caught up with a professional makeup artist to learn more about finding the perfect makeup looks for you if you wear glasses every day, and how to accentuate your favorite features as well as your eyewear.
There are two essential pointers to keep in mind, an expert tells us, and we’ll break them down. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from professional MUA and makeup expert, Mandie Brice.
When it comes to eyeliner, mascara and eyeshadow, Brice explains why ‘less is more’ is a great mantra for anyone who wears glasses, as your specs can magnify your makeup look and make it more apparent than you might realize. “Makeup with glasses is one reason why I always love my minimum effective dose approach,” she says.
If you only wear “as much makeup as you need,” you don’t have to worry about as “much rubbing off from your nose or cheeks onto your glasses, or being magnified unflatteringly,” she explains.
For a classic eyeliner tip, Brice recommends a light touch, and “just the outer two thirds of the eye on top, and skipping eyeliner altogether on the bottom. You can also go “very light on the outer 2/3 and blend or smudge into the lash line for some slight definition,” she adds.
Anyone with glasses knows that your eye area is very sensitive, and if you’re already applying less makeup than you might think you need, you’re off to a great start if you want to make your look last longer. Brice says that “taking extra steps after applying eye makeup, like using setting powder and/or setting spray, can help your makeup stay in place with glasses.”
In addition, Brice always suggests good skincare “before makeup application,” but it is especially helpful when glasses are involved, “both to help the makeup stay in place, and to ensure it is sitting nicely on the skin in areas it is amplified and magnified.”
“Though I feel makeup for many is and should be an area of personal expression, those who wear glasses may want to choose more natural eye looks, especially if their glasses magnify a lot,” Brice concludes, or are the “focal point (pun intended) of the look,” because the glasses themselves are dramatic.
“Too many bold features on one face can be overwhelming,” she stresses, and opting for less can also help make your epic frames stand out more, as well as your naturally beautiful features!