The colourful eye makeup trend, which took over a makeup addict’s life in 2021, is spilling over 2022. To make eyes pop more in a world of masks, celebrity and couture makeup artists across the world are experimenting with the lower lash line.
There is so much to play with. Many makeup trends are revolving around Y2K and high school looks (think face stickers and gemstones), and colour and glitter obsessed looks thanks to the popularity of the show Euphoria. The best part? It’s one of the easiest ways to look cool, even if you aren’t into makeup.
Also read | The makeup theme of 2022: euphoria
The lash effect
One of the most common ways in which you can dramatically enhance your lower lashes is by using falsies. You can either draw (with a thin eyeliner tip) or stick on individual lashes for a 1960s model look. If you don’t have individual lashes, you can even cut upper lash falsies and place the hair in the right spots with the help of a tweezer. And if you don’t have time for falsies, just a single coat of a thickening and lengthening mascara formula will also help.
If they clump together (unless that’s the look you are going for), you can use a toothpick to gently separate them. Another mascara trick is to use a coloured one instead and you are good to go. “A simple way is to create a 1970s mascara is to clump lashes and use a thin brush to apply mascara instead of the mascara wand. Keep a cotton wand or an earbud under the lash and then apply mascara to avoid it smudging on the skin,” explains celebrity hair and makeup artist Bhavya Arora.
Shadow play
“One of my favourite and most basic ways of jazzing up the lower lash line is applying eyeshadows just on the bottom, keeping the eyelid clean. This is called a reverse smoky eye and is very impactful if you’re a beginner. You can start with brown matte eyeshadows and move to colours and glitters once you get used to this,” says Arora. You can go for matte pastels, bright blues and pinks, even glitter eye shadows (or just cosmetic glitter; craft glitter has bigger chunks that can scratch your cornea).
Crystal death
For all those who played with crystal bindis to create jazzy eye looks for a college dance or a wedding, it’s time to bring the annual day look back. Stick-on jewels are a big part of the show Euphoria, with crystals adorning eyebrows, forming winged liners, and even used all over the face. You can also use stick-on pearls if not crystals. Add just one to your inner corner or the corner of the eye. You can also line your lower lash line with it, or just accent your winged liner. “Take a lash glue and get creative with crystals of various colours and shapes,” says Arora, if you wish to keep your stones on for long.
Know your lines
If you don’t wish to buy any new products to up your lower lash game, you can make do with just an eyeliner, black or bright colours. Geometric and graphic eyeliner looks were seen across fashion weeks for 2021 and 2022 shows.
You can either just line your lower lash line with a neon liner, or draw a flick that goes parallel to your winged-eye on top (go crazy and add some crystals in between too). Tap on some colourful eye shadow to your lower lash line and top with a bold liner.
“A great product to work with is an eyeliner. A gel pot or a liner pen is a great tool to create beautiful shapes to enhance your lower lash line. If you’re using a liner pencil, make sure it’s not very creamy and is a long-stay formula. A tip would be to use a small angular brush to blend your lines for a beautiful smokey look,” suggests Arora.
Also read: Why influencers are guiding your beauty routine
