The Best Makeup Tips for Glasses
Due to my job and hobbies, I’m staring at a screen on any given device probably about fourteen hours a day. Yep… during the day I’m blogging, taking photos, watching TV, and even when I’m at the gym I’m reading a book on my iPhone to pass the time. So I recently picked up some blue-light blocking glasses to help with eye strain and headaches caused by the light these devices give off.
Since I’ve been wearing glasses, though, I’ve definitely had to tweak a few steps in my makeup routine. The two glasses that I have from JINS Eyewear both have relatively thick rims, so I have to really take them into consideration when doing my makeup. How can I get my eyes to stand out from behind my frames? How can I make my face look more balanced?
After much trial and error, I’ve mastered these makeup tips for glasses to make my look pop from behind my glasses.
Watch the video above for a step-by-step tutorial using these makeup tips for glasses!
If you like the glasses I’m wearing in the video, check out JINS Eyewear— they have a ton of affordable frames starting at $60, and many of the glasses have the cost for your prescription and coating bundled in with their price (or you could go for the JINS Screen lenses like I did!). Again, I can’t let my Slashed Squad pay full price so shop with 10% off here.
Black Frames
Cat Eye Frames
Mod Sunglasses
Hollywood Sunglasses
1. Highlight the Undereye
While this isn’t part of my normal day-to-day makeup routine, it’s essential when wearing glasses! Most frames will cast a shadow on your skin, so using a highlighting concealer like the Physicians Formula Touch of Glow Concealer will help brighten things up.
2. Accentuate the Arch of Your Brow
You don’t want your brows to hide behind your glasses. Accentuate the arch of your brow by shaping them with a brow crayon like the Chella Eyebrow Color Pencil, and use a highlighter like the Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil to add extra lift so they look tall and defined over your frames.
3. Use Satin Eyeshadows and Keep Definition Light
Satin or pearl finish eyeshadows will bring your eyes forward and make them pop, especially if you use shades that bring out your eye color, like the essence All About Roses palette does for me! Also be sure to keep the crease color relatively light (or skip it altogether) since your glasses will create a shadow there naturally.
4. White Liner for Wide Eyes
To make your eyes look wider and more awake, pop some white or nude eyeliner on your lower waterline. Use a pencil that is waterproof and long lasting, like the NYX Slide On Eye Pencil.
5. The Thicker the Frames, the Thicker the Liner
The thickness of your eyeliner on your top lid should correlate with the thickness of your glasses frames. Thin liner behind thick frames will cause your eyes to shrink back and totally get lost. For thin or frameless glasses, keep to a thin eyeliner to still add definition. For thicker rims, play it up with a nice bold wing. The Jesse’s Girl Liquid Liner can help you achieve both looks.
6. Triple Curl Your Lashes
Curling your lashes thoroughly at the base, middle, and tips will keep them lifted and away from your lenses. As if feeling your lashes hit your glasses isn’t annoying enough, leaving mascara smudges is even worse! Use a long lasting and defining mascara like the No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara.
7. Keep the Foundation Light on the Bridge of Your Nose, and Blend, Blend, Blend!
It’s so annoying when your makeup comes off onto your glasses, or when your glasses start slipping due to foundation that’s not quite set. The truth is, you probably don’t need all that much coverage on the bridge of your nose (especially with your glasses blocking it), so use a long lasting foundation– like the Rimmel 25 HR Lasting Finish Foundation— in a thin layer and blend it out with a damp sponge just to even out your skin tone. Set with a mattifying powder like the Make Up For Ever HD Powder to prevent it from becoming slippy.
8. Balance Your Frames with Your Lips
To avoid looking top heavy and having your makeup look unfinished, use a lipstick to bring harmony and balance to the face. If you have thicker frames, you have a lot of room to go bold with your shade. I used the Jesse’s Girl Matte Finish Lip Color in Sassy, but you don’t have to go as bright. Even adding a your-lips-but-better shade will help round out the look.
What are your favorite style of glasses?
Glasses sliding down my nose is the worst. ugh.
These are great tips. I have worn glasses since I was thirteen so I learned how to apply makeup as a glasses wearer, it’s second nature to me. 😀
I wish I had known these tips when I had to wear spectacles 🙁
I wear glasses all the time so I pay a lot of attention to how my eyes will look when they are on. I chose glasses without a rim on the bottom so that there’s less of a chance of dark shadows under my eyes. I’ll have to look into the blue blocking tint. I never heard of it.
Great tips, thanks for this post!
Thanks for the tips!
I’ve never heard of blue light blocking lenses before. Is it a coating on the lenses or something built into the lenses? My glasses cost about $900 & no one mentioned that as an option. The blue light keeps me awake!
I believe it’s built into the lenses but don’t quote me on it– you should see if you can get your prescription through JINS because the price you see on the website is with your prescription included, and then you can add on the JINS screen for blue light blocking!
I need to find out about the blue light blocking glasses. Please spill the beans!
What other information are you looking for, Allison?
Great tips especially the one about foundation on your nose. I wear sunglasses every single day so that is such a great tip.