Body: The eyes have it
| 23 February 2010
Helen Razer on peeper prep
If eyes truly are the window to the soul, then today I am doomed to drown in a river of boiling blood as an eternal soundtrack of Hannah Montana seals my soul’s damnation. These are the eyes of a blasphemer. Thank Beelzebub, then, for an array of hellish tricks that can have us looking like choir girls by midday.
If your eyes are registering age or fatigue, there are some fixes. But, she-devil, you really do need to remember a few basics of ocular health.
This just in: smoking is a terrible idea. It dulls your glint, depends your crow’s feet and, long term, boosts your chances of macular degeneration.
Sleeping in one’s makeup is strictly for cougars. Always use a spanking new cloth or cotton pad. Borrowed bacterium is strictly for cougars.
Don’t overuse contact lenses. And, please, wear goggles when attempting any DIY. After a bout of amateur plumbing this year, I found myself in the emergency ward of an ophthalmic hospital. Not only was I crippled with pain and mortification, I couldn’t dye my eyelashes for months. A practice, by the way, you can outsource to a reliable beauty therapist or, very carefully, attempt yourself with 1000HOUR lash and brow dye for $18.95.
Snub a good eye serum at your own peril. I’d suggest Lancôme Renergie Morpholift and Intraceuticals Eye Contour Gel. They’re both absurdly expensive but work in reducing wrinkles. I’ve blathered about the Skin Doctors range which delivers results at a modest price point.
Skin Doctors’ eyecircle potion targets dark under eye circles specifically. If your panda eyes make you fret, the preparation Hylexin may provide some relief. For camouflage, don’t choose a heavy concealer but something light like YSL’s indispensible Touche Éclat. Or, point your dreams toward an independent blog that deals exclusively with this beauty bugbear. www.mydarkcirclesblog.com
A quick-fix era offers plenty of instant solutions. Happily, Clarins now makes a version of its Beauty Flash Balm for eyes. And MAC will caffeinate you with Fast Response Eye Cream. Years ago, I asked a Festival Director how she managed to look so human after staring at a stage for hours on end. She pointed me to Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye Mask which I continue to use in emergencies along with the hydrating powers of Thalgo Wrinkle Control Eye Patch Mask. I’ve just tried the spanking new Instant Lift for Brows from Clinique and have become utterly convinced I look at least five years younger.
Speaking of brows: unless it is your will to suggest the charms of Groucho Marx, groom. If you’re afraid to pluck, the 1000HOUR lighted tweezers might assist. Personally, I prefer to assign this dangerous chore to my beauty therapist. Between visits, I brush or dab on a little Shu Uemura eyebrow gel as I am very vain.
For lashes, never spend too much on mascara save for rare occasions. This is the most disposable item in your cosmetics arsenal and should be replaced every month or so. For evenings, bolster with primer. MAC’s Prep + Prime Lash works wonderfully as does the pneumatic Lancôme Oscillation Power Booster.
I’ve never been one for a technical challenge until I learned just how much liquid eyeliner and judicious shadow application got me laid. For liners, choose only black from either MAC or local legends, Mirenesse. A company, who in the view of many lashonistas, make the world’s BEST extending mascara. For application the Lancôme eyeliner brush is tops.
If you’re bothering to paint your lids, use a primer. Clarins has Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base. For lid colour, MAC and Stila rock the shit. And so, unexpectedly, does Lauder. I’ve always been a fan of their product but colours have not provided the drama I crave. Until I saw the smoke from their Blacker Than Black range.
So, smoulder, sisters. And do so while avoiding the devil.
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