Aaaahh eye makeup! It is indeed the most time consuming and fiddly part of makeup application. Over the years, working playing with makeup, I’ve also adopted some simple techniques that can save a lot of time – especially on those days where you want to look presentable but don’t quite have the time to spend on application.

So here are some of my favourite tricks which will not only save you time but also make you a mini makeup artist in your own right ;)

LINE & CURL

I’m definitely an advocate for curling the lashes. It’s amazing what a difference they make to your overall look. It’s this love of curled lashes that also helped me master this “2 for 1” technique of lining the eyes as you curl them. It creates a soft, smudged-in look which is great for daytime.

You need: a pair of lash curlers and a soft eye pencil – just your regular eye pencil will be fine, as long as it’s easy to apply.

With your eye pencil, draw a thin line right along the edge of your lash curler; you can make the line as thin or thick as you like.

Make sure you get as close to your lashline as possible and press the base of the curler against your skin. Squeeze and release the handle a few times to make sure the eyeliner smudges well into your lashline, and to help your lashes curl.

Voila! you not only curled your lashes but also lined them! It’s that easy!

The way your lash curler sits against your eyes is the most important thing; so if you miss any bits, just smudge and fill in the color with your brush. I’ve always used either Kevyn Aucoin lash curler here or the Shu Uemura lash curler (available at select department stores) as both have the perfect curve to fit over most eye shapes

THICKEN YOUR LASHES

If you love thick voluminous lashes but don’t have the time to build up a million layers of mascara, or bother with false lashes, this trick is for you! It’s the powder technique, which helps you achieve thickness in the lashes with just 2 coats of mascara – but the result is about as equivalent to 3-4 coats.

You need: your regular mascara and loose face powder (preferably mineral powder as they are finely milled and won’t clump up)

Curl your lashes (here I kept the line from the Curl & Line method to show you the full effect). Apply one coat of your mascara.

With a small fluffy brush, lightly dust some loose mineral powder over your lashes. Be careful not to get any in your eyes.

Apply your second coat of mascara and watch each strand thicken up before your eyes.

When the first coat of mascara is still wet/damp, dusting the powder over the lashes help them bind to the lashes and soak in. So when you go in with the second coat, it helps build more volume than if you apply it over your natural lashes.

PERFECT LINE, EVERY TIME

using cards, tape or sticky notes

Some of you probably know this well publicised trick but I had to include it as it never fails. Unless you’ve got your eyeshadow or liquid liner placement down pat, achieving a perfect edge or line (and matching both eyes!) can be quite a task. If you have a guide to work off however, it really takes minutes to get a perfect finish.

You need: Eyeshadow or liquid/gel liner – depending on your choice. Credit or business card, white tape or a sticky note.

With Eyeshadow: Place the card (or stick the tape or sticky note) from the outer edge of your eye going up towards the end of your brow. Apply your eyeshadow against the edge of the card first – blending what’s left on your brush towards the middle of your eye. This will give you a perfect line, and also the gradient smokey effect. If you don’t want the line to be too harsh, buff the edges with a clean brush til the line softens.

With Liquid or Gel Liner: Again, place the card (or stick the tape or sticky note) from the outer edge of your eye going up towards the end of your brow. Apply either liquid or gel liner, starting from the outer corner of your eye going upwards – against the card’s edge. Extend the line as far as you want it to be. Right where you end the line, start drawing back towards the upper lash line, to complete the look.

When using tape for this method, make sure it’s the translucent (cloudy) white tape. Cut a piece and stick it to the back of your hand first, peeling and sticking on and off a few times to make it less sticky. The eye area is very delicate so you need to be careful that you don’t pull at it when removing the tape.

So there we are – 3 very quick and easy tricks to help with your eye makeup application. I will continue to post more makeup tips in the future so make sure to check back ;)

Do you have a favourite makeup trick? xx