Makeup does many wonderful things. Teens and young women often use it to look more mature, while older women typically want to appear younger. If your eyelids sag due to heredity or age, you can use a few makeup tricks to camouflage them.
Reduce Sagging Eyelids With Makeup
As well as minimizing the appearance of sagging eyelids, the right eye makeup application can help women achieve a more rested, youthful look.
Prepping the Eyes
Before you apply any makeup, you can try products that help reduce the sagging. A good eye cream can be worn morning and night underneath makeup to revitalize the eyes and moisturize the surrounding area. Then there's eye primer that conceals dark circles and puffiness. Apply one of these products generously and let it sink in before proceeding to the first step.
Step-By-Step Eye Makeup Application
Follow these steps to tone down sagging eyelids instantaneously for smart casual or everyday occasions.
- First, apply a base eye shadow in a light shade. Use a flat padded eye shadow brush that comes to a point at the tip to provide a moderate amount of coverage across the lid, on the crease, and just below the brow bone. Light eye shadow makes the eye area more visible and brings it forward. The aim is to create radiance, so use colors that work well with your skin tone. Fair skinned women may use pearl or white shadow, while women with medium or dark complexions may find peach, light taupe or gold shadows work in highlighting their eyes.
- Once a base shadow has been applied, it's all about careful contouring. Contour just the crease of the lid with a small amount of a darker color using a small fluffy applicator brush. Swipe the outer corner of this contour line slightly up at a contrasting angle to your drooping lids to lift them.
- Once your shadow is in place, you can work on your highlighter. Apply a highlighter right under the browbone in the form of an illuminating stick or flat, angular highlighter brush, which will draw the eye upward and away from those sagging lids. Afterwards, dust the highlighter over your upper cheekbones for good measure.
- Then, it's time to line the right way. Thick, harsh eyeliner won't complement those sagging lids, so apply eyeliner thinly across your top lash line in an eye-brightening color that will open up your eyes. Avoid the waterline, because this is likely to have the opposite effect. Instead of black, choose deep purple, sapphire blue, or forest green. Some liners contain hints of metallic shades and help bring out your eye color, which can also downplay drooping.
- Once your eye shadow and liner is in place, it's time to work your mascara magic. If you aim to make your eyelashes longer and more voluminous, it allows your lashes stand out, decreasing attention on sagging lids. Use an eyelash curler before putting on mascara; this easy trick really opens up the eye area. Next, apply two to three coats of mascara, paying special attention to the outer corners to elongate them as much as you can.
- The final step is to work those eyebrows. If you make them bold and defined, they will draw focus away from your sagging eyelids and onto your brows. Use an eyebrow pencil or gel in a shade that matches your hair color for a soft, authentic look. Alternatively, you can go for a shade that's slightly darker than your natural hair color to make a serious style statement.
Additional Makeup Tips
While genetics and age play major roles in whether or not you end up with drooping lids, you can always find ways to downplay them, mostly by playing up another area of your face. For instance:
- Choose bright and vibrant lip colors to draw attention to your mouth.
- Take great care of your skin to increase the clarity and make it glow.
- Add a flush of pink or bronze to emphasize your cheeks through blusher or bronzer.
- Highlight your upper cheek bones, chin, either side of your nose, and cupid's bow to make these areas more prominent.
Experiment With Eye Makeup
Knowing just a few tips and tricks on when it comes to applying eye makeup for sagging eyelids can help women feel more confident in their looks. Short of plastic surgery, cosmetics can shift the focus away from an area you don't want to draw attention to. If you experiment and find out what exactly works for you, it's only a matter of time before your sagging eyelids fade into the background.
