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The eyes are the windows to the soul. What better feature on your face to highlight than the place that expresses the most depth of thought and emotion? The biggest mistake I see women making with their makeup is being far too heavy with both their eyes and their lips, making a person overwhelmed when they look at her. The most basic rule of makeup is that you need to decide which is your best feature – your eyes or your lips – and highlight the favorite feature and go light on the other feature. Of your lips are not so crazy, then your eyes will stand out more.

Aside from makeup, your eyes need proper care in order to look their best without having to use so much product. Moisturize the area around your eyes for age prevention. Find a good oil-free anti-aging cream made for your eyes to help control wrinkles and prevent more wrinkles from forming. I usually use Oil of Olay for anti-aging creams, as I discussed in my previous blog. Always remember that you are never too young to start an anti-aging skincare regimen and it especially applies to the eyes because that is where you get wrinkles first most of the time. Lay off the grease, sugar and fat. Eat natural, fresh foods, and drink as much water as you can. Sleeping is the best way to keep your eyes looking young and fresh.

e.l.f. Essential Eyelid Primer, $1.00

Preps your eyelid for smoother, longer-lasting and crease-proof eyeshadow. The ultra sheer nude color works to increase eye color longevity. The lightweight liquid formula quickly absorbs into the skin for comfortable wear.

The most overlooked aspect of applying eye makeup is the fact that it’s very important to put on a primer first. It acts as a buffer between the oils in your skin and the pigments you put on your eyes. A good primer will make the pigments brighter and prevent your eyeshadows from sliding, fading or cracking as the day passes. It’s no different than preparing a canvas or a wall before you paint it. This particular primer is my everyday primer because it’s only a dollar and I don’t have to worry about conserving it. Dab some on your eyelid and spread it from your lash line to your eyebrow with your finger. Let it set for a minute before you begin putting anything else on your eyes. This one is pretty good considering it’s only a dollar. It looks very pink in the bottle but it dries smooth with your skin color.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Tube, $19.00

An eye shadow primer that preps, brightens, and provides all-day wear. Packaged in a new squeeze tube with a precise needle nose, these bestselling primer potions glide effortlessly onto the skin providing the ultimate eye prep for smoother, more vibrant shadow and all-day, creaseless wear. The original, award-winning formula disappears completely when applied—ideal for the purist who wants a straightforward primer. Eden, Greed, and Sin work triple-duty as primers, highlighters, or eye shadows. If you want to avoid shimmer, Eden provides a matte, nude wash of color. Greed and Sin both feature a sensual shimmer that makes eyes pop. Formulated in an array of textures, the shades in this line truly offer something for everyone.

Since this one costs more money, I use it less often, more for special occasions. It works very well though and it comes in several varieties to help you achieve a light, matte, shimmer or natural look. If you have an odd skin color or you like to wear more eye makeup than other people, this is more of a heavy duty primer that will work better for you than the e.l.f. primer shown earlier in this blog.

Sedona Lace 88 Ultra Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette, $19.95

Long lasting with high quality ingredients suited for professional makeup artists. Includes mirror and two sponge applicators.

I love, love, love Sedona Lace makeup palettes! There are several different kinds ranging from shimmer to matte to warm to cool to neutrals. I got this 88 color shimmer palette first but they are palettes with almost 200 colors in them and they are built like color books. I find these pigments to be stronger, smoother and longer lasting than anything I have picked out at the drugstore. Be careful with the mirror though. I took it on a cruise and the mirror shattered in my luggage and we had to take a hammer to it to get the pieces out. You will need to buy brushes as well. I prefer not to use the little sponge applicators that come with these color palettes because they are short and the pigments work better with brushes. The basic looks I do begin with a light color from the lashes to eyebrow, followed by a darker crease color, and finally a highlighter under my eyebrow.

MAC Eye Shadow, $14.50

Highly-pigmented powder. Applies evenly, blends well.

I love MAC even though their products are a bit pricey. I find these pigments to be longer lasting and stronger than other pigments and the color selection is great. They feel a bit heavier to me than other things I have used in the past, so if you don’t like to feel your makeup, you might want to use this sparingly or use it just slightly on top of lighter feeling products. They are worth the money though and you can build your own custom palettes in the online MAC store. That way you will use everything you buy instead of buying a pre-made palette just for one or two shades and everything else goes to waste. These are especially good if you’re looking for a bright, expressive face.

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Glimmer Eyecolor, $13.00

Eyecolors in a variety of brilliant shades and versatile textures. These eyecolors provide a variety of coverage options, from opaque all-over lid color and crease contouring to shimmering, translucent shades that add subtle or dramatic highlights. Use them wet or dry and mixed together with other bareMinerals products to customize colors as you desire. Their consistency makes them incredibly easy to apply and blend.

I’m a big fan of every product Bare Escentuals makes but I especially like the glimmery eyeshadow pots. I would not use these for daytime looks though unless you’re more adventurous with makeup and you can pull it off. I usually put matte colors on and then a complimentary glimmer shade on top of it for a night out. The glimmer is a little bit glittery but subtle too. I suggest you put these on with a damp brush because it makes them stick better and the pigment stronger.

Make Up For Ever Glitters, $13.00

A catwalk just wouldn’t be a catwalk without glitters. These lightweight, fine particles of bright light add glamour to any type of makeup – on the face or body. A little bit goes a long way. Just pat on the skin with a wet brush for a long-lasting effect. Dany’s Tip: “Sprinkle onto lip gloss in the evening to emphasize lip volume. To make glitter adhere to the body or hair, first spray these areas with water, then place a small amount glitter in the palm of your hand and gently blow onto the dampened areas.”

If you’re looking for serious blinging glitter, this is the eye pigment for you. I definitely advise against using this much glitter during the daytime because you will look overly done, but this is a fun way to dress up at night or for a party. There are several colors of glitter to choose from and I suggest that you wear a solid color without much embellishment because glittery eyes should really be used as an accessory. Don’t overdo your whole look.

MAC Eye Kohl, $14.50

A soft-on pencil liner that lines, defines and shades the eyes with rich colour and a silky-smooth, matte/pearl finish. Ophthalmologist tested.

My general rule of thumb is that I use eyeliner pencils in the daytime and liquid eyeliners at night because pencils tend to be more subtle. I like this pencil because it goes on very smooth and I don’t have to rub it in and aggravate my skin in order to see any color. Eyeliners of every kind will bleed up your skin if you are naturally oily, so my suggestion is to be sure that you have enough eyelid primer on and start off light with the eyeliner. It’s easier to add more pigment as you go than it is to try and remove it if you accidentally put on too much. If you don’t have a steady hand, use short strokes and connect the short lines across your lid. You can blend it with a brush later if your line isn’t straight enough.

e.l.f. Essential Waterproof Eyeliner Pen, $1.00

Get no smudge with no-budge eyeliner, which creates a fabulous and fresh look of precision that lasts for hours. The smooth pen applicator easily glides on color for very fine to bold lines for effortless beauty.

Most people are very intimidated by liquid eyeliner because it has to be painted on from a bottle like nail polish. One slip of the brush and you have to start over again. I personally prefer eyeliner pens like this one from e.l.f. because they are easy to control while still giving you the strong liquid liner look. Use short strokes and angle the pen to give you the thick or thin line that you want. Be careful of the color bleeding up into your eyelid if you have oily skin – just be sure there is enough primer. This pen comes in several colors. I have used black and brown but I find the brown too much like copper, so I stick to my brown pencil if I want that color. Don’t be afraid to try new things with eyeliner.

Tarte EmphasEYES™ Inner Rim Brightener, $18.00

A brightening eyeliner for the inner rim of the eye. This multitasking pencil liner gently glides along the lower inner rim and inner corner of eyes for a wide-awake effect. It can also be used to highlight the brow bone to give brows added shape and definition.

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a highlighter like this one because it really opens your eyes, especially in photographs. What you do it pat dry your lower eye and roll this pencil along the waterline. It may feel weird at first but it really makes you look more awake. Then you outline the inner corner of your eye and blend it into the beginning of your eyeliner for a fluid look. Although this product is specifically made for your waterline, you can achieve the same look on a budget by buying a white or soft peach eyeliner pencil from the drugstore. It just takes a little more effort.

Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Waterproof Mascara, $8.99

The biggest brush ever from CoverGirl, for a blast of lush, volumized lashes. Lashblast’s volume-boosting formula and brush are designed to max out each and every lash leaving you with the ultimate big lash look.

I’m not an expert on mascara but this one has been my favorite for a while. I do have to make several passes over my eyelashes but that’s because I like my mascara and eyeliner to be heavy. Black mascara and eyeliner brings out blue eyes but be careful of looking too harsh with black if your hair is blonde or red. You may want to go with a dark brown or medium brown if you are lighter complected. It’s also very important to keep your brush clean or you will find that clumping becomes more frequent. I just wash mine out from time to time with soap and water. The brush on this particular mascara does great with combing through my lashes and I don’t have a problem with tarantula eyes.

Tomorrow we will be talking about lips.