#today's tips

(requested by asylos) 

So if you have smallish eyes and you want to bring them out a bit more, and particularly if you (like me) wear glasses on a daily basis, hear are some things you can try to create the effect you want. 

Wear a light-colored shadow. There are more complicated tricks for a night out or when you really want to go for the gusto, but for every day shenanigans, I suggest applying a shadow just a bit lighter than your natural eyelid to the inner third of your upper eyelid, and just beneath your lower lash line. This visually opens up the eye area, creating an optical illusion that it is slightly larger.  For asylos, I recommend a shade similar to this one, Queen Phyllis by Bare Minerals. But anything light with just a hint of shimmer ought to do. Sin by Urban Decay is another good bet; it depends on whether you want to go warmer or cooler.  (Asylos, on your face I'd probably go with some light neutrals: let your natural color shine through.)

Besides the shadow, it can also help to use a little liner.  If you've got small eyes, you probably don't want to do the full-on raccoon thing I do every day. I love it because I have big blue eyes already and the heavy dark liner makes them really dramatic. But if you have smaller eyes, this can have the opposite effect.  Instead, what you want to do is apply just a bit of liner, lightly, to about the outer 3/4 of your upper lashline: leave the inside 1/4 without liner, because that creates an optical illusion, again, of more fullness and brightness.  And black is the classic eyeliner color and I almost always wear it, but with smaller eyes I might suggest going with a color that compliments your eyecolor instead.  What you want to do is not so much line your eye, as in drawing a line around it, as just sort of accent the outer curve of your eyelid.  It's traditional to wear purple with brown eyes, but I have found that a subtle plum shade can really make blue pop. Urban Decay is traditionally the gold standard in eyeliners, but lately I've been really loving the great texture of Tarte's Amazonian Clay liners (I'm a special fan of Deep Amethyst and Amazonite Blue - gorgeous! - but bronze colors are almost always a good bet for light eyes of any shade).

And if you really want to get hip, here's what's up. Pick an eyecolor trio with rich payoff, like Smashbox's Photo Op.  I have a special love for the one that's listed at the top right in that image, but most of them follow the same general principle.  If you've got smaller eyes, I'd pick something relatively neutral - peaches, golden browns, maybe a plum shade.  Apply the lightest shade in the trio from lashline to browbone, and just under your lower lashline.  Then, apply the medium shade VERY LIGHTLY in your crease (follow the shape of your eyeball, brush gently).  And finally, apply the darkest shade to JUST the outer third of your upper lashline.  This visually increases both the width and the depth of your eyes, without using a lot of heavy makeup.