Hi Kelly, I hope you can share eye makeup tips for monolids. I read once that you recommend a soft smoky eye for chinita. What else can I try aside from this?

It’s just as easy to apply makeup to monolids, or lids without a fold or crease, as to any kind of eye shape. What you really want is the illusion of deep-set eyes, which is pretty much a standard how-to for any chinita to learn. I remember finding it so confusing to do before, because I assumed it would be the same for all eye types. My sister’s eyes are big and deep (she is more mestiza while I am chinita), and so were my best friend’s, and I really wondered before why I didn’t get the same results when I would copy their eye makeup.

What’s important to remember here is that darker eyeshadows have a tendency to “push back,” while light and shimmery shadows “bring forward.” This is how you create deep-set eyes, and is the premise behind the smoky eye. Here are useful tips on how to make eyes appear bigger and more defined.

Go for the smoky eye. If you are chinita, then you know your eye makeup should be all about creating a smoky eye and lengthening those lashes. Matte brown eyeshadow is your best bet, so make sure you have it in the shade that complements your skin tone (look for shades in sand, nut-brown and coffee). To get that smoky eye right, apply the shadow from your lash line, blending outward until just under your brow bone (you can feel it, just follow the outline of your eye socket). The important thing here is to blend, blend, blend, until your eye shadow softly fades outwards. Then, gently line the insides of your lash line with a soft black or brown waterproof eyeliner and apply two coats of mascara after you’ve curled your lashes.

Line to define. Another trick to make your eyes look bigger is by using eyeliner. To do this, apply gel liner with a brush on the upper lash line and blend it like an eyeshadow, giving it a smoky effect and additional contour. With the remaining color on the brush, line three-fourths of the lower lash line starting from the outer corner of the eye. This will create the illusion of bigger eyes. Avoid lining it fully, as doing this can make eyes look smaller. Finish the look with volumizing mascara.

Use a highlighter. A soft and shimmery highlighter or eyeshadow really does wonders to give your face a “3D effect,” and prevent makeup that looks flat. Like I said, light shadows bring your features forward, so applying it on key points will help accentuate the structure of your face. Using a makeup brush, sweep the highlighter on the bridge of your nose, on your brow bones, the top of your lips and on your chin.

Define your brows. My final recommendation for you is to define your eyebrows. Our brows give our face depth and character, and when worn a little thicker, they can make us look younger and give our expression a softer look. There are many ways to make our brows more defined. First, pluck sparingly. Maintain the thickness of your eyebrows but also remove the stray hairs that make them lose their shape. Tip: Hair should start at the inner eye and end past the outer corner, and don’t forget to add a slight arch on the point where your outer iris ends (when looking straight ahead). Then, fill in sparse areas with an eyebrow pencil, using short, hair-like strokes. Soften the look with powder eyeshadow in the same color, and groom your pair with an eyebrow comb or brush. Lastly, use a tinted eyebrow gel to keep every hair in place. Use only a little at a time though, as too much can look messy and heavy. Transfer a little of the product at a time from the wand to a clean brow brush.