When’s the last time you wore lipstick? Perhaps a quick slick for a Zoom call, granted – but outside the house? We can’t remember either. Mask wearing has pretty much killed off our love affair with lippie; our faces are covered up most of the time anyway and whenever we have worn a slick of red in recent months, it’s smudged on the inside of our masks when we finally whip them off.

It’s the same cosmetics conundrum with contouring and blusher, too – but one part of our make-up routine that masks can’t touch? The eyes, peeping out above our face coverings. We’ve put together a round-up of our favourite statement makers that will add drama to your daily face. Well, the top half anyway. Here’s how to make your peepers pop.

Dark Star Mascara, £26


Pat McGrath
Dark Star Mascara - Extreme Black

Mascara is, without a doubt, the hero product of your cosmetics bag right now. It’s the one item you can guarantee will pull your make-up look together above that mask, and Pat McGrath’s Dark Star Mascara is the best we’ve found. Super black pigment is distributed evenly over lashes with a special contouring wand to avoid clumping, imbuing not only length but a fuller fan of lashes, too.

Under Eye Brightening Correcter, £21


Becca
Under Eye Brightening Corrector

You’d be forgiven for looking for a more heavy-duty under-eye concealer right now. Whether it’s longer working hours, childcare juggling or just, you know, the stress of the global pandemic keeping you up at night, this colour correcting under eye concealer from Becca is a brilliant crème texture that melts invisibly into skin. The pink tones camouflage the blue hue of dark circles, while pearlescent particles subtly reflect light to brighten and blur imperfections. Staying put all day, it’s a great base to really help your eyes stand out for all the right reasons.

Boy Brow and Brow Flick Duo, £25


Glossier
Boy Brow + Brow Flick Duo

Glossier’s brow duo is all you need to frame your peepers, whilst still keeping them natural looking. The Boy Brow mini mascara wand comes in four colours; billed as a ‘grooming pomade’, it dispenses just a hint of colour onto brows to make them look thicker and more groomed. If you want to add even more structure, add a stroke of the Brow Flick liquid pen – the precision tip allows you to mimic tiny hair-like flicks to fill in gaps and elongate sparse brows.

High Pigment Longwear Eyeliner, £19


Nars
High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliner - Broadway

A little hint of colour along the lash line is all you need to elevate your everyday look as well as a great way of adding some fun to your make-up without a pop of lip colour. Nars has a jewel-like range of super pigmented pencils. Try Grafton Street, a smart forest green for brown eyes or the gorgeous midnight blue, Park Avenue. For a bold on-trend statement, go for the raspberry toned Broadway, or for a flattering everyday brown opt for the Last Frontier.

Easy Eye Palette, £45


Charlotte Tilbury
Easy Eye Palette

As its name suggests, the Queen of Palettes has created a fool-proof edit of super easy-to-wear, build and blend shades. Bringing together six signature colours from across her range of palettes into one compact, there are beautiful autumnal powdery terracottas, as well as molten metals to add drama when night falls.

Long-wear cream eyeshadows, £24


Bobbi Brown
Longwear Cream Shadow Stick

Bobbi Brown’s long-wear formula of ‘twist, swipe and go’ eyeshadow sticks are the original and the best for a reason; they’re brilliant for anyone put off by fiddly powder eyeshadows, or unwieldy palettes. Available in ten wearable nude shades, they’re perfect for on-the-go touch-ups and elevating your everyday look without feeling too done.

Arch de Triumph Eyebrow Shaper and Highlighter, £9


Soap & Glory
Soap & Glory Arch De Triumph Eyebrow Shaper & Highlighter

A great high-street buy, this two-in-one pencil has a shaping pencil to add back colour and volume to brows, and then a highlighting cream shade to lift and open the brow bone and socket to make you look more awake in one sweep. Ideal.

By Lydia Mansi
September 2020

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