Help for Hooded Eyes and a Great Tip to Lift Lips

Link to Accompanying YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/uQzcWSk4ccc

A few days ago when I was preparing for a Zoom makeup consultation with a client, I applied makeup on one side of my face and not the other side of my face. I’ll often do this type of makeup application during a Zoom consultation so I can show the results of makeup application on one side of my face and then demonstrate the application techniques to get that look on the other side of my face. (In the accompanying video, I’ve done the same thing for the purpose of the video demonstration.)

As I was looking in the mirror after I finished putting the makeup on one side of my face for the consultation, I was really struck by how using a few specific makeup techniques can almost totally disguise the look of hooded eyes. I’ll share these techniques with you today as well as an intriguing new product for hooded eyes. And at the end, I’ll also share a great tip I just learned to help lift the lip area.

I actually wrote an article and created a video on hooded eyes a little over a year ago, but at that time my eyes were only slightly hooded. Now, a year later—as you can see in the video--they are completely hooded. Because I often lift my brows as I talk, it can look like I don’t have hooded eyes. I can also look a little less like I have hooded eyes because my eyes are quite deep set. But as you’ll see in the closeup on the video, when my eyes are resting and I’m looking straight ahead, you can definitely see how hooded my eyes are.

I’m going to be sharing seven tips with you, but you certainly don’t have to use all of these tips. I just want to give you as many options as possible from which you can choose.

Give Some Love To Your Eyebrows

Anything we can do to lift our eyes will help our hooded eyes look their best. So an area of our face where we first need to give some love is our eyebrows. In the video I’ve already filled in my eyebrows, but if you’d like some help with your eyebrows, I hope these two videos will be helpful: “Tips for Sparse Eyebrows with Demos Using Different Products” and “Eyebrow How-To for Older Women: 1 of the 4 Things We Can Do To Look Our Best.”

Eye Primer is Our Friend

The next step is to apply a very light coat of eyeshadow primer-- that matches our lid color or is slightly lighter. We want to apply a thin coat from the base of our lashes to the eyebrow. The eyeshadow primer is important because it does three things: It brightens our eye area, it keeps the oil on our eyelids from breaking through the eyeshadow which causes smudging or creasing of our eyeshadow and very importantly for many of us, it covers up any discoloration on our eyelid area. And because it brightens our eye area, I also like to bring it into the inner corner of my eye area since that’s a bit of a dark, cave-like area. In the video I’m using Urban Decay’s Primer Potion* in the color “Eden.”

Technique, Color and Placement Are Important

The next five tips focus on the importance of the technique we use, the choice of color and the placement of color. So tip number three deals with our choice of color to make our eyes look bigger. We want to apply a lighter colored eyeshadow than our skin tone color on the entire eyelid area. We want to use a light color because light colors make things come forward and therefore look bigger and dark matte colors make things look smaller and recede. I’m going to be using a vanilla color from Laura Geller called “French Vanilla,”* but you could use a very light version of any color.

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Tip number four involves both choice of color and placement of that color to create an eyelid crease. Since many of us with hooded eyes either lose our crease area because of the skin coming down lower on our eyelid or the crease area becomes smaller, we’re going to create a brand new crease with a medium toned color since we want the crease area to recede. This will create more depth and dimension in our eye area. But in order to do this, we need to find the orbital bone in our eye area. We want to put this mid tone crease color right under that orbital bone right above the middle of our eye. In the video I demonstrate this technique using my Juvia’s Place Warrior Two* palette.

The Most Important Part

Now here’s the most important part: we next want to look straight ahead into a mirror without lifting our eyebrows. It’s likely that we won’t be able to see that crease color that we just applied. But, since it’s important that we can see that crease color because we’re creating a brand new crease, we need to bring that color up higher until we can see it. Then, since we’ve used most of the color that was on our brush, we can bring the brush up higher toward our eyebrow so we get a gradual gradation-- or fading of the color-- as it goes toward our eyebrows.

Color Placement That Lifts Our Eyes

Next we want to bring that color all the way across our eye area. But instead of following our eye area down as we move toward the temple, we want to go straight across which will help lift our eye area and then bring it down to meet the edge of the eye. We’re creating a “backward 7” pattern.

The next step is to use a slightly darker color on the outer area of the crease we’ve created and along the outer lash line and then join those two areas together by patting on or stamping on this darker color. Then we need to do a good job of blending in those colors. I like to use a different clean brush to blend. And many of us—because we may have texture or crepiness in this area—as I certainly do-- may need to lift our brows and very gently stretch that outer area so we can make sure to get the color on all the skin throughout this whole area.

Several Options for Application of Eyeliner

The next step is the application of eyeliner. I like to apply eyeliner along the lower lash line first. Using a lighter color than you plan to use along the top lash line, apply it only along the outer one third of the bottom lash line. I like to use eyeshadow and a small, firm, angled eyebrow brush to create a softer look. The reason I like to apply the bottom eyeliner first is so I can create an upward pattern at the end of my eye that can be connected to the eyeliner above my lashes. By following this natural curve at the bottom of the eye up beyond the eye, we’ll be lifting the eye area. But we want to do this very lightly and tap out the upward end of the line with a finger so it looks very natural. We also want to make sure that there’s not a harsh, obvious start line along the lower lash line where we began to apply the eyeshadow as eyeliner, so it’s important to feather that line out and soften it with a brush or a Q-tip.

Now let’s talk about the eyeliner above the lash line. Most of us with hooded eyes don’t have much space where we can apply eyeliner above the lash line since the hooded area comes down over our eyelid. So we have several different options. We can do any one of these options or several of them. The first option is to tightline. That means applying a waterproof eyeliner along the waterline under the top eyelid. I’m sure some of you are easily able to do this, but for some of us, it’s just not feasible or comfortable to do.

A second option is to place eyeliner color right between our lashes by coming up toward the eye from below the lashes. A third option is to use eyeliner going in from above the lashes as close as possible to the lash line using an eyeliner pencil or using eyeshadow as eyeliner. For many of us, it’s easier—and far more forgiving—to apply eyeshadow as eyeliner using a small, firm, angled eyebrow brush or a flat top brush. Using a brush creates a softer look and we don’t have to do it perfectly since we can use the brush to blend everything together so it looks perfect. With this option, we don’t want to bring the liner all the way to the end of our lashes. We want to stop before the end of the lashes and bring the eyeliner up to create a more lifted look. Then we want to fill in that area between the line we created coming up from the bottom eyeliner and the top eyeliner.

The sixth tip is to use a vanilla-colored eyeliner pencil along the bottom water line. This helps the whole eye area look larger. I like to use the matte end of Anastasia of Beverly Hills’ Highlighting Duo Pencil *in the shade Matte Camille. The other end is a highlighter and I like to use that end around the inner corner of my eyes.

And our seventh and last tip is, as you might guess, to curl our lashes and use mascara. Curling our lashes and applying mascara definitely makes our eyes look bigger!

A New Product for Hooded Eyes

There’s also an interesting product that’s been developed for hooded eyes. I have not personally tried this product yet, but I’ve seen some amazing demonstrations with this product and wanted to let you know about it. This product is called Lids by Design and it consists of eyelid correcting strips made from medical grade materials that are hypoallergenic and latex free. It’s necessary to clean and dry the eyelids first and then carefully place the strip across the area where the eyelid folds. Then you press and hold the strip down for several seconds to insure a complete bond to the skin. It’s available in six different sizes and is a one-time use product. Each box contains 80 eyelid tapes. Makeup can be worn over the strips if the company’s Colorset All in One Pencil is applied over the strip and eyelid before applying makeup.

A Tip for Lifting Lips

Now for our last tip, which is a great tip for lifting our lips. Due to gravity and loss of skin elasticity, many of us notice that our lip area can become more downturned over time which unfortunately makes it look like we’re frowning much of the time. But, there is a tip that can help. I really enjoy researching and learning tips from other makeup artists that I can share with all of you and this is a tip from a fabulous UK makeup artist by the name of Lisa Eldridge. Here’s the secret. Use a little concealer to cover up the top outer edges of your bottom lip. Next apply lip liner, but bring it up before reaching the concealer. This creates an upward rather than an outward line to our bottom lips. It also helps to use lip liner along the outer edge of the lip line and use a lipstick with some shine along with a lip gloss.

*Indicates affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you if you choose to use these links. If you do choose to use them, I thank you for your support of Boomer and Beyond Beauty.

The Easiest Ways to Apply Eyeliner for Older Women

Link to Accompanying YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/A7qNwFij0xo

As we all know, eyeliner application can go very wrong, very quickly and we’ve all been down that road. And as the years roll by, eyeliner application can get a bit trickier for us for many reasons: our eyesight often changes over the years, we may develop hooded eyes, the texture of our eyelids changes or our hands may not be quite as steady as they once were. . . or a combination of the above. But thankfully there are some application tools and techniques that can make the process of eyeliner application a whole lot easier.

Since our lashes get lighter and shorter and become less dense as we get older, it’s more important than ever to highlight our eyes by giving them more definition and dimension. Our lashes can look fuller and thicker with eyeliner and we can also better define the shape of our eyes. So here are some tips that I hope will make eyeliner application easier.

Some Initial Tips to Consider

The first tip is to definitely invest in a magnifying mirror or magnifying makeup eyeglasses. As scary as these products can be, they are definitely essential to ensure that we can really see what we’re doing.

Tip two is for those of us who have issues with shakiness. It can help to sit down, plant our elbows on a firm surface and rest our pinky finger on our cheek. These three things will ensure greater stability as you apply eyeliner which will really help.

Third, apply eye primer over the entire eye area and under the eye as well. The primer will keep all your eye products in place longer—especially if you have oily eyelids or hooded eyes.

Next, choose an eyeliner product that applies easily and glides across the lid so it won’t tug or pull that delicate eye area skin. And since many of us have issues with eyes that water easily, choosing a waterproof eyeliner can also be helpful.

Which Eye Liner Products Are Easiest to Apply?

Next it’s important to think about what type of eyeliner to use. There are so many different options: we can choose creams, gels, pencils, liquid liners or eyeshadow. Whatever is easiest for you to use is best, but I think for most of us pencils or eyeshadows are the easiest products to apply. And if we’re using a pencil that needs to be sharpened, we want to make sure it’s sharpened before we begin our application. (And by the way, here’s a quick tip—to help ensure that the pencil doesn’t break off as you sharpen it, try putting it in the refrigerator before you start your makeup routine.) In the video I’ll demonstrate using an automatic pencil eyeliner on one eye and eyeshadow on the other eye.

Two Techniques Using Eyeliner Pencils

On the eye where I’m using an automatic pencil, I’m going to demonstrate two different techniques. Now it’s certainly not necessary to use both of these techniques, but you certainly can. The first technique is to tightline. This technique involves applying eye liner under the lash line in the water line of the eye. Tightlining is especially helpful if we have hooded eyes since often we don’t have a lot of space on our lids to apply eyeliner. Tightlining can also help our eyeliner look a bit softer and less intense. I certainly know that tightlining can be a bit intimidating and it’s certainly not for all of us, but once we practice it a bit and get used to doing it, it does become far easier.

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

So here’s a technique to tightline: first gently place one finger in the center of the eyelid and gently pull up. Then take your waterproof eyeliner and apply it under the lashes as close to the lashes as possible. Then hold the eye open for a few seconds so there’s less chance that the eyeliner will transfer down to the lower lid. But if it does transfer, just take a Q-tip and gently remove it. If you have very sensitive eyes like I do, you may not be able to tightline with every eyeliner. The only eyeliner I’ve found that I can use to tightline that doesn’t irritate my eyes is eyeliner from the brand Tarte. In the video I’m using Tarte’s Quicksticks * which have cream eyeshadow on one end and eyeliner on the other end.

But if you’re not comfortable with tightlining or you want to tightline and apply eyeliner above your lash line, here are some tips for applying eyeliner above the lash line. First gently pull the eye slightly taut so any texture we have in our eyelid area doesn’t cause an uneven application. Then apply the eyeliner as close as possible to the base of the lashes—or even between the lashes. One tip that can be helpful is to just apply dots or small dashes and then connect the dots and dashes by using a smudging tool, a small brush or a Q-tip.

Try Some Different Tools To Make the Application Easier

It’s also important to know that different tools can make applying eyeliner along the upper lash line easier. For instance, we can take a small angled brush and then rub it against the eyeliner pencil several times to pick up the eyeliner pigment. And then we can use the brush—which is far more forgiving than an eyeliner pencil—to actually apply the eyeliner. Then, if you like, you can smudge out the line with the brush, a smudger or a Q-tip.

And if you’re still not totally happy with how the eyeliner looks, here’s one more thing we can do which works wonderfully: go over the eyeliner color with eyeshadow to smudge it out a bit further. The eyeshadow works wonders to cover up any mistakes.

Tips for Using Eyeshadow as Eye Liner

On the other eye, I’m going to just use eyeshadow as my eyeliner and use my small angled brush to apply it. Now I have one caveat with this technique: not all eyeshadows will work effectively as eyeliner since some will disappear quite quickly. So it’s important to experiment with a few different eyeshadows to see which ones will be long lasting. If you have really oily eyelids or hooded eyes, you may also want to take a very small amount of translucent eyeshadow or powder on a brush and apply it very lightly over the eyeliner so it will stay in place longer.

And there are two products that can be used to turn any eyeshadow into waterproof eyeliner: Makeup Forever’s Aqua Seal * or Inglot’s Duraline. You simply put a drop of Aqua Seal on the back of the hand, pick up some eyeshadow on a brush and then dip the brush into just a tiny bit of the Aqua Seal and apply to the eyelid. You’ve now turned your eyeshadow into waterproof eyeliner. But, you do have to wash out the brush that’s been used right away or it will stiffen and be unusable.

How to Fix a Mistake

Usually it’s possible to easily clean up any mistake by dipping a pointed Q-tip into some makeup remover. Or, it’s possible to purchase an actual makeup remover pen.

*Indicates affiliate link. There is no additional cost to you if you use this link. If you do choose to use this link, I thank you for your support of Boomer and Beyond Beauty.

Are you using a different type of eyeliner now than the type of eyeliner you used when you were younger? If so, what product do you find easiest to use now? What application technique do you find to be the easiest for you? Do you have a favorite eyeliner product? If so, please share.

9 Tips to Bring Your Eyebrows Back to the Front Lines and Gain a Beautiful, Natural Look

If you have any doubts about how important our eyebrows are to our overall appearance, check out the two pictures below of Anne Hathaway which have been circulating the Internet.

Pretty dramatic evidence that our eyebrows make a difference, isn’t it? Now close your eyes and visualize the evil Maleficent in Disney’s Snow White. In Disney products, eyebrows are definitely drawn to denote ‘good’ or ‘evil’ characters.

So, I think we might all agree that eyebrows are pretty darn important to our overall look.

Although, we all knew that many things would start to change as we got older, we may have been surprised by the disappearing act our eyebrows pulled. Not only do those brow hairs start to get thinner, but also sparser. And, on top of that, they may turn white, gray, grow overly long, or get wiry – or all of the above. And some of us may have jumped aboard the over plucking bandwagon a number of years ago and found that our eyebrows just wouldn’t grow back.

Now, you may ask, why go to all this extra effort to bring our brows back to life? The fact is that beautiful brows not only emphasize and frame our eyes, give our face a lift, and impart instant sophistication, but (dare I say it) they can also make us look years younger. And I mean years..

A recent scientific study holds a key to why eyebrows help us look our best. Published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, this research found out what we’ve certainly come to realize with our eyebrows: facial features tend to stand out less as we get older.

The research also concluded that faces with more contrast were perceived as younger and more attractive. So, taking back the lusher look of our brows that we had in our 20s and 30s, which provided stronger contrast to our skin, can truly help us look our best and feel more confident.

The Good News

You might be surprised, but reclaiming our brows is one of the easiest things we can do to look our best! One caution: before heading to the makeup counter, do head to your doctor to get your thyroid checked. Sparse and thinning brows can signal a thyroid issue. Supplements, diet, and exercise have also been known to help. A good multivitamin that includes biotin and zinc can make a difference.

In general, blondes will probably want to go one shade deeper than their eyebrow color and those with darker brow hair should try to match their hair color or go slightly lighter. When in doubt, taupe can work well for many people. If you have grey brows, you can choose either grey or taupe – it’s up to your personal preference. And at all costs, avoid a harsh, ‘drawn on line’ look!

Whether you end up using a brow powder, gel, pencil, or pomade, always brush the brow with a brow ‘spoolie’ (which looks like a mascara wand and is often at the other end of a brow pencil) after you’ve used a brow product to give your brows the most natural possible look.

Some Additional Tips

Of course, there is more to it, and you can follow the tips below for guidance.

Seek Professional Help

If you feel uncertain of what you should be doing, it’s a good idea to go to a pro brow stylist once to get the perfect shape for your brows.

Use an Outline

Some people find it helpful to ‘outline’ the brow shape they want before filling it in. So, with short strokes to mimic the look of brow hairs, outline the top of the brow and then do the same with the bottom. Then, fill it in. You can also purchase brow stencils if you’d like more guidance.

Tattoos May Not Always Work

Though some people have had good results with eyebrow tattooing, you may want to give some extra thought to this process for two reasons. One, when skin sags, the tattoo will very likely go in a direction you’d prefer it not to go! And, two, tattooed brows can change into interesting colors as the ink fades.

Not a Mirror Image

Your brows are sisters, not twins. One will always be higher, fuller, or arched differently, so don’t aim for perfect symmetry.

It Takes Time to Accept a New Look

When you create a fuller brow with makeup, give yourself some time to adjust to this new look of your face. Any change (think new hair cut) takes some getting used to. Also, adding some mascara and/or eyeliner/eye shadow can help balance the look of a more filled-in brow.

Choose the Option That Works for You

Brow powder applied with an angled brow brush is perhaps the easiest approach. But if your brow hair is sparse, consider using an eyebrow pencil or pomade which can adhere better to skin.

Gels Can Be an Option, but Not Always

Brow gels can be used to control wiry, unruly brow hairs, but most likely you will still need to fill in with a powder or pencil to get adequate color. And here’s a makeup artist tip to save you money: try a little hairspray on a disposable mascara brush to keep those brows tamed.

Beginning to End, It All Matters

Where your brows start and stop is important. Hold a pencil vertically along the outer edge of your nose. Where the pencil ends is where your brow should start.

Now, gently move the pencil so its bottom is at the outside corner of your nose and the top is at the outer corner of your eye. This is where your brow should end. Be careful not to fill the brow in lower than this point to avoid a droopy look.

A Concealer Can Work Magic

For a beautiful, polished look, use concealer to draw a line right above the upper brow line. Then blend out the concealer.

Don’t Hesitate to Get Expert Advice

Since just about every major high-end and drugstore makeup line has brow powders, gels, pencils, pomades, and various brow kits, choosing the right product can prove difficult. That’s why I highly recommend making an appointment or stopping by any one of the department store makeup counters to ask if one of their consultants can recommend the brow product that would work best for you. Don’t hesitate to ask the consultant to put it on for you and teach you how to use it. It’s a good idea to try several different products at several different makeup counters to see which brand, product, and technique looks the most natural and beautiful.

Yes, this will take a little time, but it’s far better to invest time upfront to ‘test drive’ various products and techniques than to try them out on your own and experience the frustration of a product that doesn’t work well for you, returning it, and then starting all over again.

And hey, why not take a friend along and go on an eyebrow adventure together! A little extra socializing, laughter, and camaraderie can not only benefit your brows but also (and more importantly) your well-being!

What kinds of changes have you noticed with your eyebrows? If you’ve tried some eyebrow products, what type of product do you prefer using? Have you found that using eyebrow products can really make a difference in your appearance?