Having worn glasses and contact lenses for most of my life, I’ve discovered the hard way that a full glam and a full frame aren’t always a match made in heaven. But fear not; here are some of the tweaks I’ve learned to make sure that makeup with my glasses can be just as fun and just as easy…
When it comes to the bridge of your nose, go hard or go home
With makeup and glasses, the most difficult balance to strike is to avoid those dreaded red indentations where your glasses sit, but still to apply adequate coverage. In theory, if your glasses stay in the same place all day, you won’t see these indentations until you remove your glasses.
Some of us, however, wear and remove glasses interchangeably (like for reading or driving). If this is you, for comfort and ease of being able to move your glasses around a little, we can do one of two things.
If you can, avoid any makeup on the bridge of the nose. This will make for an altogether cleaner makeup experience and keep your glasses clean too. If, like me, you like to wear a full coverage base, go for something velvety and long-wearing. The bareMinerals original powder foundation gives great coverage and lasting power, but the velvety finish will sit well under the frames of your glasses. It’s talc-free too, so if you want to top up through the day it won’t look cakey.
Powder through the day
A dusting of Aimee Connolly’s Velvet Veil will help to lock everything into place. This now comes in a tiny compact version, perfect for taking with you to top up throughout the day.
Makeup artist Joy Adenuga is a glasses wearer, and she shared this video recently to explain how she preps not only her nose, but also the bridge of her glasses in powder.
Tidy your brows
The eyebrows are the frames of the face, but now that your glasses are in the mix, they’re going to be more important than ever.
Benefit’s new Fluff Up Brow Wax is ideal for adding volume and density to the brows. As for shaping and shading them, the NYX Micro Brow Pencil is a personal favourite. With a tiny, thin nib, you have complete control as to whether you create a soft, feathered brow or a completely sculpted look.
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If you don’t have much time for makeup, a bold brow and a bold lip will set off your glasses beautifully.
Use a hand mirror to completely perfect your makeup
Before I got my lenses, doing my makeup was quite the gamble. My vision wasn’t the clearest (because I needed my glasses!) and by the time I was finished applying and put them on, I was always horrified to spot things I’d missed.
Using a dedicated hand mirror (rather than relying on the mirror on the wall) can be especially important if you’re short-sighted. Ciate do some of the prettiest limited mirrors, and my current favourite is this vibrant, beautiful offering they’ve created in collaboration with Iris Apfel. You can angle this as close to your face as you need to in order to create neat and tidy makeup.
Make your eyes pop
It’s such a myth that glasses will detract from your ability to make your eyes stand out. In fact, they can do quite the opposite!
To make sure your eyes are striking, frame them in a classic way. Use lashings of your favourite mascara and a bit of smudgy liner to add some definition.
A new mascara on my radar is from indie brand Bella, the Wanderlash Mascara. This is truly one of the most volumizing, dramatic mascaras I have tried in an age.
Use an eyeshadow stick in a colour that contrasts with your iris in order to make them pop. If you have green eyes, for example, a cranberry shade will help them to look brighter. For this task, look no further than the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow Sticks. Available in a variety of colours and finishes, these blend quickly and easily, and create the most effortless of smoky eyes.
Do you have another remedy I should be sharing here in the column? I’d love to hear it! Let me know on Instagram @RoseGallagher.
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