How to Do Eye Makeup with Glasses; Best Glasses for Your Face Shape

There are so many cool new eye makeup trends to try these days, from glitter tears to blue eyeshadow to Kendall Jenner’s black light-activated shadow palette.

But for those with glasses, sometimes it’s hard to nail the look while wearing a pair of thick-framed specs. Demi Lovato doesn’t seem to have that problem, though — she looks adorable in any pair she wears. So we went straight to her makeup artist, Jill Powell, to find out exactly how to do our makeup to complement a pair of specs, and reached out to the founder of Oren Isaac Eyewear to ensure those specs are perfect for our face shape and coloring. Get ready to see your beauty routine in a whole new way.

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First and foremost Powell stresses that for anyone with glasses, the eye makeup approach should be centered around simple looks with a hint of shimmer.

“I love to pair more neutral eye shadows with a bit of shimmer with glasses,” Powell explains. “Add some liner and mascara to open the eyes up and a touch of shimmery shadow below the bottom lash line for an added brightening effect. Since frames already are a statement and makes the focus the eyes, you don’t need much to make them stand out behind the glasses.”

But for those who just must do a smoky eye when they go out, try “a softer gray shadow with shimmer on the lid and diffuse outward.” It won’t look as heavy behind thick frames as a jet black shade.

To save your mascara from wiping off onto your lenses, there’s three things to consider:

1. Spend more time curling your lashes than normal — Powell recommends one curl at the base of the lashes and a second curl about two-thirds of the way toward the tips of your lashes.
2. Stick to a waterproof formula.
3. Load up on mascara at the roots of your lashes to help lift them. “You can do this by placing a lash guard or tissue on your lid (to avoid the mess) and really press the wand into the base of your lashes,” Powell advises.

There are also some things to consider when applying foundation and concealer before putting on your glasses:

Foundation: Apply a sheer layer of foundation along the bridge of your nose and cheeks to avoid smudging and transferring makeup to your frames. “I love using a damp Beauty Blender sponge to smooth out and remove excess foundation once applied, and then a light dusting of translucent powder to set,” Powell says.

Concealer: She suggests applying a color-correcting peach toned liquid concealer under the eyes. (Her favorite is Sephora Collection Bright Future Concealer.) “This will correct the darkness but leave a natural finish to brighten the eyes,” she says.

RELATED VIDEO: Demi Lovato Posts Makeup Free pic on Twitter

But even the best makeup can’t fix things if you’re not optimizing your full frame potential with the best pair to complement your face. So PeopleStyle tapped Oren Isaac Eyewear founder and optician Emmanuel Aboucaya to learn his three do’s and don’t’s when it comes to choosing new glasses.

1. Never cut the eyebrow line.
2. Make sure your eyes are centered in the frame. If they are too close to the middle part of the frame, the glasses are probably too big for your face.
3. They shouldn’t sit too low on your face or nose. If the nose bridge is too wide, the frames will sit on your cheeks and that’s not a cute look. (And if you find a pair of glasses you love that don’t fit your bridge, a skilled optician should be able to adjust them for you.)

In addition to fit, the shape is very important to consider. Turns out you don’t want to match your face to the frame shape. “Always try to balance your face shape with the opposite of it. Balance your round face with a rectangular frame. Oval faces works better with round shape frames,” he explains.

Here’s an easy-to-follow cheat sheet to remember:

Round faces look best with… rectangular shapes.
Oval faces look best with… round and oversized frames.
Heart faces look best with… Wayfarer-style squared-off round glasses.
Square faces look best with… round frames. (Note: Dr. Aboucaya advises not to go too thick. You have to soften and balance the shapes.)
Triangle/Diamond faces look best with… cat eyes frames.
Oblong faces look best with… square shapes.

When it comes to choosing the hue of your new specs, you can never go wrong with black frames. “They’re usually a hit because they are a statement.” Also keep in mind your skin tone and hair color. “A blonde woman with a light brown pair of glasses will stop traffic. And if you want to try red or purple glasses, they usually work on all skin tones, so if you like to be unique, go for them. Tortoise is a real stunner on dark skin tones.”

Do you have trouble doing your eye makeup with glasses? Share with us in the comments below.

— Colleen Kratofil, with reporting by Sarah Kinonen