Make-up tips all about EYES….. 

If your eyes are wide set “Shrink” extra space between the eyes by focusing the darkest color at the inner corner. Blend a medium color on the lid’s inner half and diffuse it over the rest of the lid. Keep your eyeliner thicker at the inner corners and thinner at the outer.

If your eyes are close set Focus color at the eyes’ outer corners to draw them apart. Apply medium shadow in the lid’s center and graduate it to the crease. Dab highlighter on the inner corners to end with a winged cat-eye look.

If your eyes are deep set Dab lids with shimmery shadow to help bring the eyes forward. Line just along the top lashline.

KEEP A LID ON IT

Easy tweaks for common lid complaints:

Hooded: Blend a medium-to-dark shadow from the lashline to the crease. Skip shimmer shadows, which make lids look larger.

Crepey: Try shadow primer, which prevents creasing, and cream shadows, which de-emphasize wrinkles.

No crease: Use a dark shadow along the lashline and blend it to the brow bone.

Get in Line

Without a doubt, eyeliner is the one makeup tool that delivers the biggest impact. Here, a primer on the latest in liners.

1. Pencil: Portable and versatile, many offer a blending tool or an additional color on the opposite end.

Our Pick: The two richly pigmented colors in the Vincent Longo Duo Eye Pencil , $26, glide without tugging.

2. Powder: Any dark, matte shadow can be transformed into liner with a liner brush. Apply dry for a soft, natural finish.

Our Pick: e.l.f. Professional Eyeliner Brush, $1, has stiff thin bristles to define eyes (and brows) with precision.

3. Liquid: Liquid liner can be dramatic — ideal for the classic cat eye — and has the longest staying power.

Our Pick: Prestige Liquid Eyeliner, $5.25, has a felt tip for a smoother line and comes in five shades.

4. Cream: Cream liner combines a powder’s soft finish with a liquid’s precision. Its smooth texture is ideal for blending.

Our Pick: Shiseido The Makeup Accentuating Cream Eyeliner, $25, comes with a portable angled brush.

Baby Blues

Neutrals flatter blue eyes.
Try Isadora Creative Shades in Goldfields, $13; L’Oreal Paris HIP High Intensity Pigments Cream Shadow Paints in Secretive, $12; Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo Stay Matte in Pink Slate, $17.50.

Lash Lessons!

Find the perfect mascara and an application trick for every lash issue.

Lash Class: Short and Sparse
Old Snag: Ordinary mascara wands are too big and bulky to properly define and separate tiny lashes; they also deposit an abundance of formula, making way for messy clumps.
New Strategy: Start by blotting your mascara brush on a napkin, which helps prevent a blobby look, suggests Naomi Warden, a professional makeup artist from New York City. A mascara with a smaller wand will not only deposit less product but it will define each and every petite lash. End by dotting eyeliner between the lashes along the upper lashline to create the illusion of fuller lashes. Two quick coats of mascara will also up the volume.

Lash Class: Straight or Droopy
Old Snag: Unfair but true — mascara doesn’t seem to do much besides weigh your lashes down further.
New Strategy: An eyelash curler, pre-mascara, provides unbeatable lift. Position the curler against the base of the lashes and gently pump once or twice. Next up: curling mascara, which relies on polymers to shrink and contract, pushing the lash into a curl. Another clever trick is to wiggle the wand at the roots of the lashes, helping to deposit most of the mascara at the roots and less at the tips for more upright lashes.

Lash Class: Overly Curly
Old Snag: Curly lashes seem like a dream come true, but there are some disadvantages. Stray eye shadow clings to the tops of lashes and makes it tough for mascara to adhere, notes Warden. Also, mascara easily transfers from the tips of your lashes onto your lids, leaving behind a trail of messy dots along your perfectly applied eye shadow.
New Strategy: Before applying your mascara, it helps to brush off any stray powder with a clean, disposable mascara wand (sold at any beauty supply store). Coat lashes with mascara as you normally would, but quickly tilt your chin up and look downward to allow the mascara to dry for a few seconds before blinking. This extra step will keep your mascara exactly where you want it — on your lashes!

Tools for Lovely Lashes

Try…

1. Jillian Dempsey for Avon Lash Professional Mascara, $9.50, ensures that all lashes are covered by using a standard-size brush on one end and a mini wand on the other. The volumizing formula is packed with lash-thickening waxes and anti-clumping technology.

2. L’Oreal Paris Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara, $8.15, contains polymers that cling to the ends of the hairs to extend lashes. The wand’s plastic bristles separate each individual lash.

3. Sally Hansen La Cross Mini Eyelash Curler, $3.95, lets you curl lashes in smaller sections or just where you need a little lift.

4. Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara, $7.99, builds natural-looking volume and hydrates lashes to the core with olive extract, meadowfoam seed, and sweet almond.

Emerald Eyes

Flatter hazel and green eyes with shades of glimmering green and gold.

Try Body Shop Shimmer Buds in Golden Dandelion and Green Nettle, $15.50; Estee Lauder Pure Color Eye Shadow in Sea Grass, $17.50; N.Y.C. New York Color Wheel Mosaic Eye Powder in Beyond the Sea, $3.99.

Brow How

Q: How do I control my wiry, unruly brows?
A: “Gels work really well for taming wild brows,” says Rachel Gangemi, a brow specialist at Valery Joseph Salon in New York City, who has worked with Kim Cattrall and Brooke Shields. Simply comb brows into place with gel wand and let them dry for a few seconds. Try Benefit Speed Brow, $16.

Q: I want my skinny, overplucked brows to look fuller. Help!
A: Take a vacation from your tweezers. While hairs are growing back, use a brow pencil that is one to two shades lighter than your natural brow color to lightly fill in sparse areas. Take it further by setting the pencil with brow powder, which both softens the effect and makes the pencil last longer.

Q: What’s the best way to shape my brows?
A: First of all, be conservative. “It’s better to keep brows full and thick,” says Gangemi. Also, keep in mind proportions. Clean up hairs between the front of the brow and the arch, and between the arch and the end of the brow. (Note: The arch should peak at the diagonal that hits your brow if you aligned a pencil between the end of your nostril and the outer half of your iris.) Avoid magnifying mirrors, which only encourage you to overpluck.

UNDERCOVER
Try these stealthy concealer tricks to counteract:

Puffiness: With a concealer brush, place the concealer on the shadowy area underneath the bags and gently press against skin with your fingertip.

Dark Circles: “A yellow-based corrective concealer will counteract any red, purple, or blue tinting,” says Joanna Schlipp, celebrity makeup artist from Los Angeles. Dot under the eye and blend with your fingertips. For additional coverage, top with regular concealer, which should be two shades lighter than your foundation.

Creasing Concealer: To prevent concealer from settling into fine lines, start with a hydrating eye cream. Let it sink into your skin, then dab away the excess. Schlipp also recommends that the concealer be the same temperature as your skin to get the smoothest application, so warm it with your fingertip before blending under the eyes. Finally, dust loose powder over your handiwork to keep it from moving.

The Best for Brows

Try…

1. Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Concealer Stick SPF 15 in Soft Yellow, $6.95, banishes dark circles and conditions skin with vitamins A and E.

2. CoverGirl TruConcealer, $6.99, has a creamy texture that blends easily.

3. Alison Raffaele Concealer Brush Duo, $27, offers two small brushes. Use the larger one to apply and blend concealer under the eyes and the smaller to conceal blemishes.

4. Wet n Wild Color CorRx Eye Brightening Concealer, $6.99, is a handy compact with corrector, concealer, and powder.

5. Too Faced Brow Envy Kit, $35, gives your brows the full treatment with mini tweezers, brow powder, shaping wax, a pencil, and stencils.