How to Help Make Your Eyes Look Brighter

Getting a full eight hours of sleep every single night is sadly probably close to impossible for most of us. Don’t get us wrong: It’s not for lack of trying (we really do try!). It’s just that life happens. And we all know that staying up late and not getting enough sleep leads to tired-looking eyes the next morning. Whether you were binge watching the latest popular TV show or you accidently scrolled through your social media feeds for hours (hey, we’ve all been down this road before), your eyes are usually the first thing to give away the fact that you skimped on sleep the night before. The good news is, you can help your eyes appear brighter with a few easy makeup tricks. Want to help your eyes look fresh, no matter how late you stayed up the night before? We’ve compiled a list of our fave makeup tips and tricks that will give your eyes a brighter and refreshed look. Read on to see how you can look more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Makeup Trick #1: Apply a Dot of Highlighting Concealer in the Corners of Your Eyes

As we said before, your eyes can be a dead giveaway that you haven’t gotten enough shut-eye. Get the attention away from this area by using a highlighting concealer in the inner corners of your eyes. Apply a small dot of highlighting concealer, like the L’Oréal Paris Magic Lumi Highlighting Concealer, which is available in three shades: fair, light, and medium.

Makeup Trick #2: Line Your Waterline with a Nude or White Eyeliner

Using a nude or white eyeliner is a great way to help distract everybody’s attention away from your tired-looking eyes. Use a pencil eyeliner and apply it to your waterline (a.k.a. inside your lower lashline). These colors—and this eyeliner placement—can help to make the whites of your eyes look even whiter!

Makeup Trick#3: Curl, Baby, Curl

Curling your lashes is another way you can help make your eyes look brighter. Before you apply your mascara, grab an eyelash curler and get to work. Then, apply a volumizing mascara, like the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara.

Makeup Trick #4: Work on Shaping and Filling in Your Brows

Focus on your brows by shaping and filling them in. It doesn’t matter what grooming method you prefer: Just make sure you give your eyebrow a defined shape, which can help to frame and open your eyes. If your eyebrows are on the sparse side, use a brow pencil to fill them in to help make them look fuller. Try the L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Sculptor, which is available in three shades: blonde, brunette, and dark brunette.

Makeup Trick #5: Embrace the Color Blue

Did you know that blue is one the best colors to use to help make your eyes look bright? This hue can help to counteract dull, yellow hues (since they’re opposites on the color wheel). Blue can also help to make the whites of your eyes look even whiter. Try a blue eyeliner, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Paints Eyeliner in Electric Blue, or a blue eye shadow, like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Eye Shadow in Grand Bleu.

Makeup Trick #6: Rock a Bold Cat Eye

Another eyeliner trick you can use to help look more awake is creating a beautiful winged cat eye. Use the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Paints Eyeliner in Black Party and follow these instructions to nail the look:

Step 1: Prep your lid with eye primer to help ensure your look lasts.

Step 2: Using your eyeliner, draw a line from the outer corner of your eye, stopping just past the crease.

Step 3: Starting at the center of your upper lashline, draw a line that connects with the end of the line you created in Step 2.

Step 4: Trace all of your upper lashline, starting at the inner corner of your eye.

Step 5: Fill in the remaining gaps so that you have a thick winged shape. Meow!

Makeup Trick #7: Apply Under-Eye Concealer in a Triangle Shape

Do you have dark under-eye circles that make you look tired? Use a peach-hued concealer (peach can help to disguise dark circles since they’re opposites on the color wheel) from the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Total Cover Color Correcting Concealer Kit. Apply it in a V-shape and blend it outward. This triangle or V-shape can help create a lifted appearance.

Makeup Trick #8: Wear a Neutral Lip Color

Oftentimes, you might think of going for a bold, red lip or another bright hue to draw everyone’s attention away from your eyes. But next time, choose a neutral shade. Here’s why: Applying a softer shade on your lips can help to draw everyone’s eyes upward and make your entire look feel fresh.