My! What big eyes you have!

October 11, 2007 5:55 AM

In a few weeks we're traveling to Czech to visit my in-laws. I've lost 30lbs since the last visit and I think I'm looking pretty good, but I need help with my make-up. The challenge? I have Graves disease and "the eyes".

I've had Graves disease for 10 years, so you think I would have gotten the make-up thing down by now, but I honestly haven't. I've had a lot of well intentioned people, but no one with a real expertise on how to deal with my big eyes.
I don't look as surprised as I used to, but they're still quite noticeable and large. You can see more white of my eyes than you can my eyelids.
I've tried writing to professional make-up artists, tv shows (just requesting make-up tips), going to make-up counters, and putting out craigslist ads. I thought I would try my luck here. I would like to apply eye make-up to make them appear smaller and less noticeable, or maybe even pretty? They do draw attention, stares, and even some giggles. My husband has had to defend me more than once. I just want to be able to walk the streets of Czech without sunglasses or my head bowed.
I can disclose a picture if need be...

posted by czechmate to clothing, beauty, & fashion (18 comments total)

Killer red lipstick?
posted by emilyw at 6:19 AM on October 11, 2007

I've always read that dark liner or shadow on both the top and bottom of the eye makes them look smaller. Things I've read include lining only the "inside rim" of the eyelids.

Seriously, though, if you are in the States, you should be able to go to a make-up counter and ask this question. A make-up artist who knows his or her shit will know what to do.
posted by Brittanie at 6:30 AM on October 11, 2007

Any eye makeup that you use is going to draw attention to your eyes, in a manner of speaking. The trick is to create a balanced effect. The reason that garden-variety makeup counter people don't know what to do for you is because "eye minimizing" is not a common request -- most people want their eyes to look bigger.

Offhand, I would say low-key, neutral eyeshadow shades and a brown (instead of black) mascara on your eyes to soften the "look" of your eyes. Very soft eyeliner if any at all. And then, as emilyw points out, killer lipstick.

Try going back to a makeup counter and discuss with them that you wish a soft look for your eyes and to play up your lips. Speaking their lingo may help you get better results.
posted by desuetude at 6:49 AM on October 11, 2007

Oh, and try the forums for graves disease support?
posted by desuetude at 6:49 AM on October 11, 2007

Seconding Brittanie on lining the inside rim of the eye. In fact, I'd say line the inside but not the outside. This creates sort of a false outline. Use mascara, but avoid curling the lashes outward too much; usually, people want to avoid the lashes hooding over the eyes, but it might help here. Otherwise, I'd avoid doing much else; unless you're going for a dramatic evening look, shadows and colors will just draw attention. emilyw's suggestion of a bright lip is worth playing with, too, to see if maybe it will add balance.
posted by Help, I can't stop talking! at 6:50 AM on October 11, 2007

Oh, and concealer underneath the eye is key. Dark circles are nobody's friend.
posted by Help, I can't stop talking! at 6:54 AM on October 11, 2007

Lining the inside of the eye may look cool but it is stupid to put eyeliner right next to your eye itself. It can cause all kinds of problems if the goop gets in there.

Lauren Hutton has some good make up to help trick the eye, and also tells you how to apply it, on her web site.

There are some good aethesticians that work in salons, sometimes they can help too. They often will have a line of makeup they sell, which can be pricey, but someone trained can help you put it on. I think these people have more training than the make up people in department stores.
posted by chocolatetiara at 7:07 AM on October 11, 2007

loosing 30lbs will probably impress your in-laws and I'm sure you look great to just about everyone else. For the few truly sad people out there who might actually comment on your eyes, well... you know already how little they matter.

the best thing i can think of is making sure if you have any dark shadows under your eyes or between them on the sides of your nose, that you use a really good, thick and highly pigmented concealer to cover them up. Lighter colors or highlighted areas, as I'm sure you well know, have the effect of making the highlighted area appear to come forward, and darker colors add depth and appear to make them recede.

A picture would definitely help (my email's in my profile), but I think you'd look great with the concealer, and black or dark brown mascara, and depending on your coloring, an dark eyeshadow next to the lashes and to the crease. And like emilyw said, maybe some great lipstick. Email me a photo, and we can come up with some more ideas.
posted by buka at 7:25 AM on October 11, 2007

i vote against the recommendation of lining the inside of your eyelids. i do that just about every day to make my eyes look bigger. it works because you're creating a strong, darkly pigmented line as close to the whites of your eyes as possible and thereby contrasts sharply with the whites, making your eyes (to use make-up artist speak) "pop."

the part about creating a "false" smaller outline is good, but because your main problem so to speak is that the whites of your eyes are proportionally bigger than you'd like, there's no need to draw further attention to them.
posted by buka at 7:35 AM on October 11, 2007

Pale neutral colours for your lids, which should make them look bigger (and more balanced).

I would skip eye liner and mascara all together, or maybe experiment with just a tiny bit of eyeliner right on the middle of your lash line--avoiding the corners of your eyes.

Fake (flat lens) glasses of a shape to complement your face so long as that shape is not round. I think you could get a lot of mileage out of these, from flattering to concealing depending on how you're feeling.
posted by anaelith at 8:30 AM on October 11, 2007

Make your eyes appear smaller

Also, are there any cosmotology schools in your area? It may be worth booking a makeup appointment there. This is what they study, so they should have an idea. As an added bonus, getting beauty treatments at these places is fairly cheap as you are their guinea pig, so to speak.

Also, don't underestimate how a hair cut or style can change your face. This may be something else to look into.
posted by triggerfinger at 10:54 AM on October 11, 2007

I'm still voting no on lining the whole eye. Yes, this advice is given to "make eyes look smaller," but the purpose is still to draw attention to the eyes. And, as buka points out, this technique is using the contrast between the whites and the lids -- exactly the the thing that you do not want to emphasize.
posted by desuetude at 11:41 AM on October 11, 2007

oh. other ideas. like triggerfinger said: haircuts can make a big difference. how about long bangs that sweep just about over/into your eyes? i can see that that could be both incredibly annoying, but very effective at minimizing the largeness of your eyes.
posted by buka at 12:38 PM on October 11, 2007

I would totally investigate fake eyeglasses for the occasions you'd like to hide a bit. If there's a little bit of glare on them (there will be, unless you're paying for antiglare coating, which wouldn't happen on fake lenses), the light will reflect back a bit and your eyes will be slightly harder to see. There are tons of cute ones out there - Target has lots of cute plastic frames in darker colours.
posted by barnone at 3:37 PM on October 11, 2007

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I am going to do an Elton John thing and buy a lot of different coloured glasses. They'll be easy to hide behind.
As for make-up I am going to try each and every tip and see where it leads me to. I'm also going to seek out a good hairdresser and get a professional cut that suits my face. I'm considering going to the cosmetology school also... maybe it would benefit students seeing me in case they ever come across someone like me.
posted by czechmate at 8:11 PM on October 11, 2007

Not just coloured glasses. I was really thinking about Dame Maggie Smith as McGonagall in Harry Potter... Her eyes aren't really bulging, but they are pretty large if you look closely--but the glasses really pull her face together.
posted by anaelith at 3:21 AM on October 12, 2007

anaelith, great example...you know that Maggie Smith had Graves disease, right?
posted by desuetude at 6:28 AM on October 12, 2007

My eyes do look a lot like hers, but you see less of my upper eyelids. I'll look into getting some fake stylish glasses.
I had an odd dream last night that a pair of thick brown-rimmed glasses looked good on me. Maybe I channeled a fashionista in my sleep and they gave me helpful tips.
posted by czechmate at 6:36 AM on October 12, 2007