How to: Get stunning spring eyes

Under-shadow

If you’re expecting to pull a few all-nighters with finals coming up, your eyes may not be at their brightest. This technique plays on the tried-and-true trick of using blue eyeliner under your bottom lashes to make your eyes look more awake. Instead of liner though, use a very fine brush to apply a thin line of eye shadow from the outer corner to a little past the center of your lashes. By using shadow instead of liner, there’s more room for error, and it has a softer look.

I like to use a seriously bright turquoise for this, like Urban Decay shadow in “Peace” ($16), mostly because it’s a great excuse to use an amazing color – one that runs the risk of making you look like a cross between an ’80s nightmare and Drew Carey’s office-mate if misused. But bright greens and fuchsias will work, too.

If you want to be really daring, try white – it creates a completely different look. For the steady-handed pros, dipping your brush in water before you apply will make the color richer on application and more smudge-resistant throughout the day. Finish off the look with a neutral shadow on top, like gray or pink, and your favorite mascara.

Spring

Sunrise

I was talking to my GSI once, and couldn’t concentrate on what she was saying because I was so transfixed by her eyes. Instead of focusing on the assignment, I took notes about her makeup, went home and studied how to replicate her look.

Start by using a large brush to sweep a light pink shadow (I use Urban Decay’s “Scratch”) from the inner corner of your eye to a little past halfway of your lid. From the halfway point, blend a gold color (e.g. Urban Decay’s “Honey”) to the outer edge of your eye to create a lateral gradient of color. These are light colors, so don’t worry about being precise.

For the final touch, use a small brush to apply just a dab of the most brilliant green shadow (I’m still going with UD for this – “Graffiti” is fantastic) to the very outer corner of your lid. Top off with a low-key mascara, or don’t.

The Smoldering

Smoky Eye Look

Spring means it’s mating season once again. If you’ve got the fever, rocking this perfect bad-girl look will give you the necessary confidence to get what you want.

You should use three shades of color for this: a dark, medium and neutral (or pale) to create a color gradient on your lids. The classic look uses black, gray and cream (try the Hard Candy eye shadow quartet in “Techno,” $28), but any parallel color palette works. Use a dark black or gray pencil, like Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in “Star Black” ($16), to line your top and bottom lashes. Don’t pull your eyelid when you apply, because otherwise your line might end up going in awkward directions. Then, take a medium-sized brush and apply the darkest color with two strokes: one along your lash line from the outer corner (or a little past for a more drastic look) to about halfway, and one from that same outer corner along your eyelid crease, also to about halfway. It should form about a 30-degree angle.

With the lightest color next, use a large brush to swipe from your inner eye to up near the outer edge of your brow bone. If you want your peepers to look bigger and doe-eyed, put a dab of the lightest color in the very center of your lid between your lashes and crease. Finally, take the medium color and apply from the outside in, blending the darkest color with the lightest. Wipe your brush off, and with just the brush, blend again from the inside out, swiping the light colors back over the dark.

Note: You do not want to wear any kind of drastic lipstick with this. There’s a fine line between bad girl and call girl.