How to make your eyes look bigger with makeup: a step-by-step guide - Brittany Cosmetics

How to make your eyes look bigger with makeup: a step-by-step guide

Making your eyes appear larger, brighter, and more open is one of the most sought-after makeup skills. With the right techniques and products, you can create a wide-eyed, captivating look regardless of your natural eye shape or size. Here's your step-by-step guide to bigger-looking eyes.

Eyeshadow Palette Levinna by Brittany Cosmetics

Step 1: Perfect Your Brows

Well-groomed, defined brows frame the eyes and instantly lift the entire eye area. Fill in any sparse areas with short, hair-like strokes using a brow pencil or powder, following the natural direction of your brow hairs. Define the arch and set with a clear brow gel. A subtle highlight applied just beneath the arch of the brow with a light matte or shimmer shade further lifts and opens the eye area.

Step 2: Apply a Light Base Shade

Apply a light, neutral eyeshadow — a soft cream, champagne, or warm beige — across the entire lid from lash line to brow bone. This brightens the eye area, creates a smooth canvas for subsequent shades, and makes the eyes appear more open and awake before any other eyeshadow is applied.

Step 3: Add Depth to the Crease

Use a slightly darker matte shade in the crease of the eyelid, blending in windscreen-wiper motions with a fluffy blending brush. Place the shade slightly above the natural crease — this creates the illusion of a larger lid space and more defined eyes. Blend thoroughly until there are no harsh edges.

Step 4: Brighten the Inner Corner

Apply a shimmery, light eyeshadow or highlighter to the inner corners of the eyes. This is one of the quickest and most effective tricks for making eyes appear larger and more awake — the reflective quality of the shimmer draws light to this area and creates the illusion of wider, brighter eyes.

Step 5: Tightline the Upper Lash Line

Tightlining — applying eyeliner to the upper waterline between the lashes — adds definition and the illusion of fuller, thicker lashes without drawing a heavy line on the lid. Use a dark brown or black liner and work it carefully between the lashes for a natural, defined look that doesn't close off the eye.

Step 6: Apply Nude or White Liner to the Lower Waterline

A nude or white eyeliner on the lower waterline is one of the most effective tricks for making eyes appear significantly larger. It reduces the contrast between the whites of the eyes and the liner, creating the illusion of a bigger, more open eye. This single step can make a dramatic difference, particularly for tired or smaller eyes.

Step 7: Add a Subtle Wing

A thin, upward-angled wing at the outer corner of the eye elongates and lifts the eye shape. Keep the wing thin and angled slightly upward rather than straight out. Avoid extending liner too far downward at the outer corner, which can make eyes appear droopy rather than lifted.

Step 8: Curl Lashes and Apply Mascara

Curling your lashes before applying mascara opens up the eye area dramatically. Use a lash curler at the base of the lashes and hold for 5–10 seconds, then apply a lengthening mascara in upward strokes. Focus on the outer lashes for a fanned-out, wide-eyed effect. Apply a light coat to the lower lashes for additional definition.

Step 9: Brighten the Under-Eye Area

Apply a concealer one shade lighter than your skin tone to the under-eye area and blend thoroughly. Dark circles and shadows beneath the eyes make them appear smaller and more tired — brightening this area with a well-blended concealer makes the eyes appear larger and more awake instantly.

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