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It’s a fact (*not a fact) that throughout the festive season the number of ‘night-time’ eyes increases by 87%. However this vast boost in shadow blending occurs during a time when late nights are the norm and with the lack of sleep comes the inevitable tired, red eyes. To nix over-zealous redness and fake eight hours of sleep, call on the classic expert trick – white eyeliner.
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A go-to move for many celebrity make-up artists, including Jillian Dempsey, who takes of Jennifer Lawrence and Patrick Ta, who counts Taylor Hill, Gigi Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio and Olivia Munn as clients – when done correctly it will instantly awaken the eyes without a trace. Done incorrectly and it can be jarring and look unnatural.
“It’s really the perfect trick to brighten up tired eyes or refresh make-up at the end of the day before heading out,” says make-up artist, Elsa Morgan. “If you’re doing a smoky eye, a white or flesh toned eyeliner is also a nice alternative to black, which can close up the eyes.” Here Morgan helps demystify this versatile tool.
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Nude or white eyeliner?
Often it will come down to trial and error to find the right shade for you, but the general rule is to pick a shade no lighter than the whites of your eyes. “A true white might be too light for some darker skin tones, but saying that, often that pop looks great if you’re doing a darker eye and the contrast works for balance,” explains Morgan. “Generally though the warmer your complexion, the warmer the white.”
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Watch for fall-out
Fact: Fall-out happens and it’s even worse when it’s white and crumbly, but Morgan has a trick to nix it. “Many people apply white eyeliner after mascara, but it’s important to do it beforehand otherwise the fall-out will be a dead giveaway,” warns Morgan. “Use a clean mascara wand to brush off any fall-out.”
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RECONSIDER IF YOUR EYES ARE ROUND
“If your eyes are very round or prominent I would recommend using a darker eyeliner on your waterline as white can be overly jarring and overemphasise their shape,” advises Morgan.