Beauty

How to fake wide-awake eyes (when you’re sleep deprived)!

Clever new-mum makeup tips and tricks to help you look fresh as a daisy, even if you've been up all night!
Fresh Faced

Being a new mum who exists on zero sleep can be hard on the hair, body and complexion – hellooo, panda eyes!

You may not have the time for your leisurely, pre-child beauty and makeup routine, so we’ve got the quick fixes that will have you looking good enough for mothers’ group in no time…

1. Start with a BB cream & concealer

When you’re rushed for time, you want to use a product that will even out your blotchy skin tones (pregnancy pigmentation, anyone?), provide sun protection, boost you with some anti-ageing ingredients and add a little sunkissed tint to your dull, tired skin.

BB creams do this and more, which is why they must be every mum’s beauty BFF – we love the Garnier BB Cream for price and performance. The other secret weapon in this skin-prepping step is an under-eye concealer – amazing!

2. Use a light eyeliner

Give your eye-whites the illusion of being bigger by lining the lower water line of your eyes with a white or flesh-toned pencil.

You will notice that your eyes have the illusion of ‘popping’ instantly.

3. Choose neutral eyeshadow

The fastest way to make your eyes look small? By using a dark shadow.

Skip the deep hues, and opt for pretty neutrals over your lids instead.

Use a big fluffy brush, blending from the base of your top lashes, up to your brow bone. Follow with a slightly darker colour to contour your lids on the crease if you wish.

3. Choose neautral eyeshadow

The fastest way to make your eyes look small? By using a dark shadow.

Skip the deep hues, and opt for pretty neutrals over your lids instead.

Use a big fluffy brush, blending from the base of your top lashes, up to your brow bone. Follow with a slightly darker colour to contour your lids on the crease if you wish.

4. Embrace highlighting

Ask any great make-up artist the secret to a fabulous face and they’ll tell you it’s all about highlighting the areas of your face that you want to bring out.

For small eyes, apply a luminiser to the inner corners to make them pop, and just underneath your brow bone so it catches the light.

  1. Wing it with kitty flicks

So your eyes are a little narrow or close together? Fake big peepers with a little winged liner.

Simply draw your eyeliner slightly outwards and upwards from the outer, bottom corners of your lashes. You don’t have to go all Angelina for this to work; subtle is best, especially for a daytime look.

6. Curl your lashes

If you haven’t tried curling your lashes before, we dare you to curl just one, step back and compare the two in a mirror. What do you notice? Yep, that’s right: bigger, more glamorous eyes.

Our top tip: eyelash curlers can be a little tricky when you first use them.

The trick is to look down ahead as you place it over your lashes, and don’t just curl at the base: curl at the base, middle and tips, and follow with a coat of curling mascara.

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