Michelle Devereux, founder of The Edit Cosmetics.
With face masks now a compulsory accessory when we’re out and about, eyes now take centre stage when it comes to expressing ourselves.
From subtle neutrals, lengthened lashes, a touch of shimmer, to striking pops of colour, bold and defined, or rich textured statement eyes, this spring through summer is all about eyes!
The Edit Cosmetics Founder and international makeup artist Michelle Devereux knows exactly what it takes to achieve a beautiful eye look. Whether hydrating and refreshing tired eyes after hours behind the screen at home or looking for a more creative way to express your mood or match an outfit.
Devereux offers insider tips and tricks of the trade to express yourself:
Tip 1:
Ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic has resulted in extended time looking at our screens. Keep eyes hydrated and happy with a couple of drops of lubricating eye drops to minimise discomfort, redness, and irritation.
Tip 2:
A quality eye cream like The Edit Divine Eyes Firming Eye Gel applied morning and night will help boost circulation aiding in cellular renewal and keep skin under eyes healthy, plus smooths and tightens to keep eyes looking fresh and ready for your makeup application.
Tip 3:
Once you’ve set your base, a good quality under eye illuminator is your best friend. This will lighten, brighten and disguise any discolouration under the eye, instantly taking away any tiredness. An illuminator is different than a concealer in that it reflects light back from under the eye and is generally a very light consistency.
It also concentrates more on colour correcting than coverage. Normally they will come in light/med/dark depending on your skin tone or just one tone for all. Devereux’s Recommendation; Velvet Concepts Abracadabra under Eye Brightening Pen or YSL Touché Éclat.
Tip 4:
Once under eyes are taken care of, the next important step is the lid of the eye which is often red or mauve in colour and we generally want to neutralise the tone.
Either a lid primer or a neutral ‘skin’ shade cream shadow dabbed on the centre of the lid and tapped out with a finger will create a lovely neutral surface to work on, or you can simply leave it “au natural”.
Devereux’s Recommendation; Smashbox do a coloured primer or something like YSL Full Matt Shadow in #4 (a nude cream) is a great neutral primer too.
Tip 5:
With eyes perfectly prepped you can now focus on creativity and the eye look you’re wanting to achieve. For a simple, natural look with a little edge for summer, I love to do a coloured liner.
Incredibly striking to see a pop of colour along the top lash line when wearing a mask.
If you’re adventurous or experienced with application, a flick at the outer corner is great. There are some super cool liner looks at the moment, such as sharp liner in the socket and winging out into a triangle shape, or coloured liner under the eye in a straight line. Be bold with colours, think turquoise, pink mauve, green or even white.
If doing this look you don’t need any shadow, keep a nude lid and just add a good mascara like Indigo & Iris and you’re good to go! Keep it clean and simple and let the graphic shapes and colours do the talking!
Devereux’s Recommendations: Mecca Zoom liners come in 12 funky shades and are not too expensive so you can have several on hand to play with!
Tip 6:
At the other end of the spectrum for mask wearers is a bold smoky eye if you’re going somewhere a bit special or just want to make a statement. Keep this look simple too by smudging a metallic cream shadow in copper, bronze or gold on the lid, and blend slightly up past the socket. (You aiming for a few shades darker than your skin tone and warm colours work best)
Then simply rim your eye with a nice soft black pencil liner in the upper and lower water-line. (That’s up under the top lashes and inside the rim of bottom lashes). This is called “tight lining” and is an easy way to add instant smoke and drama.
Devereux’s Recommendation: Velvet Concepts Velour eye pencil in Noir is perfect and their Eye Gems eye crayons in Topaz or Amber are great eye shades.
Tip 7:
Now you just need a couple of coats of a beautiful bold mascara for either look, taking time to comb out lashes into a clean separated shape with no blobs or lashes stuck together.
A lash curler is a must if you have straight lashes as it accents them further and creates more length and drama. Also consider a lash growth serum like RevitaLash. A lash serum can really make a difference in the long term and eliminate the need for lash extensions.
Tip 8:
And last but not least, perfectly groomed brows will be centre stage so make sure they are shaped and tinted professionally (hard for us all right now, so the best you can do yourself to keep them tidy with no strays.)
Fill in any gaps with a good quality brow product and brush them up into a soft fluffy shape. Devereux’s Recommendation: I love Madara Brow Pomade, it comes in three shades and gently fills in any gaps while still looking natural.
Your Spring through Summer Skincare Essential For Eyes:
Divine Eyes Firming Eye Gel 200ml (Boosted with Gotu Kola & Barbados Cherry.) – A soothing, calming, de-puffing eye gel that firms up your most delicate skin.
It gently hydrates, smooths and reduces lines, all at the same time. Infused with Gotu Kola and Barbados Cherry plants, which are high in amino acids, fatty acids and phytochemicals which boost collagen production.
Along with Macadamia and Cannabis Seed oils this gel is very high in antioxidants and Vitamin C that will also repair cells and protect the skin. Great for sensitive skins, this eye gel will leave your eyes feeling refreshed and soothed. Excellent prep before makeup!
Devereux says “Divine Eyes should be used morning and night, and definitely before any makeup application to help makeup last all day.”
