You know how in 90s makeover films (we’re looking at you, She’s All That!), the already-hot nerdy heroine wears glasses at first, but whips them off for the prom to reveal her new, sexy self? Yeah, well, the 90s are long gone now (even if its grunge style apparently isn’t). Specs are now a serious fashion accessory in their own right. And just because you wear glasses doesn’t mean you don’t get to play around with eye makeup. Just try one of these looks:
The bare eye:
This is the no-brainer look for glasses-wearers. Open up your eyes with a sweep of champagne or taupe shadow, an eyelash curler, and a couple coats of mascara. It might not be very creative, but on the plus side, you may not need much more than that to make your eyes pop. Plastic frames have the advantage of accentuating your peepers without a lick of makeup.
The retro eye:
Contrary to popular opinion, a strong eye won’t necessarily compete with your glasses. If you have cat’s eye or otherwise retro frames (and lots of us do), play it up with some winged black liquid liner. Hint: Add some matte red lipstick to up the old glamour ante. The glasses somehow mitigate the overdone look you’d usually get from dressing up both your eyes and lips.
The bright eye:
If you have smaller frames, using a lot of shadow might crowd the eye area. If you want to add some colour, stick to eyeliner in saturated colours, instead. Somehow, a minimal swipe of bright blue, green, or purple is less likely to clash with your glasses than a wishy-washy pastel shadow. Or, ditch the eyeliner and have some fun with a coloured mascara instead.
The smoky eye:
If you have the big Buddy Holly squareish frames, you actually have more room to play with eye-shadow than you would with other styles of glasses. Try going all out with the traditional smoky eye and lots of mascara “ the contrast between the staid, boyish frames and the vavavoom makeup will give you that sexy librarian allure.
* Tip: Well-groomed eyebrows are the key to looking polished while wearing glasses. Pluck any strays underneath or between your brows and use an eyebrow pencil to add some definition to your arches.
Credit: Charley Gallay/London Entertainment
