How to Fake Bright Eyes After a Big Night

Who needs sleep when you have mascara?

21 March, 2018

How to Fake Bright Eyes After a Big Night

Maybe you danced 'til dawn, or maybe you had one (*cough* three) too many margaritas. Either way, a late night can show up all over your face well into the next day (even after the Excedrin has kicked in). So we asked makeup artist Colleen O'Neill for her tips to looking awake, alert, and blissfully refreshed when you are actually anything but (hint: it's all about mascara). To start, apply a BB cream to a clean face to hydrate and reduce redness, then follow O'Neill's steps to a rejuvenated, bright-eyed look.

1. Dust white pearlescent shadow across your eyelids and a beige-pearlescent shadow along the crease.

Using an eye shadow brush, dust a white pearlescent shadow, like shade no. 1 in Avon's True Color Eye Shadow Quad in "Naked Truth," from lash line to crease to brighten up your eyes. Then, dust a beige-pearlescent shadow (model Lucie Pustova is wearing a mix of shades nos. 2 and 3 from the same compact) along the crease to create depth. This makes it look like the eye socket is receding — which sounds terrifying but just means your eyes look bigger and more awake.

2. Line your upper waterline with black eyeliner.

Starting at the inner corner of your upper eyelid, trace black liner, like Avon Ultra Luxury Eyeliner in "Black," along the waterline so the lashes will appear extra dark and full after you apply mascara.

3. Coat top lashes with mascara.

This is where the magic happens. Apply two coats of mascara, like Avon Big & False Lash Volume Mascara in "Blackest Black," by gently wiggling the wand back and forth as you pull it from root to tip. Special technology in the curved brush allows for coverage directly at the root, so your lash line will have maximum oomph. Switch eyes between coats to give the mascara optimal drying time.

4. Using the tip of the wand, apply more mascara to your outer upper lashes.

Hold the mascara wand vertically, then pivot it inward until it's at a 45-degree angle. Then, using only the tip of the brush, coat the outer upper lashes with a third and final layer to really make them stand out. (Don't worry about overdoing it — Avon Big & False Lash Volume Mascara is clump- and flake-free so you'll get all of the drama but none of the mess). "Mascara is key to making eyes appear bright and open because it creates lift and depth — particularly when lashes are fanned out," O'Neill says.

5. Brush bronzer along your cheekbones and pearlescent pink powder on the apples of your cheeks.

Apply a bronze pearlescent powder, like Avon Glow Bronzing Powder in "Warm Glow," along the hollows of your cheekbones to add dimension. Then, dust a pearly pink, like Avon Ideal Luminous Blush in "Classic Aura," onto the apples of your cheeks for a fresh, natural flush.

6. Swipe on a bold lipstick.

Finishing with look-at-me lipstick, like Avon Ultra Color Bold Lipstick in "Bold Bordeaux," will draw attention to your pout and away from those loads-better-but-still-a-bit-sleepy peepers. There. That's better!