Breathe new life into your eyes

Your preference when it comes to makeup may be the natural look, or the perfectly polished look. Either way, you have a beautiful set of eyes ready for experimenting with so you can decide...

If you were lucky (and wise) enough to have not messed around with tweezers, unhealthy free mascaras that you got from a magazine or dyes and tints when you were younger, you will have the perfect blank canvas for starting a new look if you wished. You may prefer to shy away from the dramatic and opt for a quieter and more discrete look or really go to town on those eyes so that their story is told the second they walk into a room. Either way, eyes can become tired and they don’t hide it well, so bringing back their sparkle can light up a room without giving everything away at first glance.

When we think about our eyes and how to make them shine, it begins gradually, unfortunately makeup alone is not always the quick fix we want it to be. Sure, if you had a bit of a heavy night the day before, or if you have been up all night working, a heavy douse of dark eyeshadow and thick liner might be what you need to get through the day, but you need to start skin deep to really get those eyes to perk up and bring back the sparkle.

Breathing new life into your eyes doesn’t just stop at your eye, it goes as far as your eyelashes, your makeup, your eyebrows and even the skin around the eyes. You can have the brightest of blue eyes, but what is going on around them will tell the true story, so let’s see how we can bring them back to life and take off years of those tell-tale sleepless nights in the process.

The skin around our eyes is very delicate as the layers are very thin. It is a tell-tale sign of ageing as it is quick to lose its elasticity if not looked after and can darken with lack of sleep.

So, step number one: Get some rest! There are plenty of scientific studies that show 8 hours sleep per night is what we all need for our bodies to fully rest and recuperate and this includes our eyes as our circulation of fluids slows down which leaves us with puffy eyes in the morning when we haven’t had enough time to break them down while resting. Of course, 8 hours sleep is a luxury we can’t all afford with busy lifestyles so there are other things we can do to help the process of reducing puffiness and redness in the mornings.

Step two: Avoid foods and drinks that encourage the retention of fluids such as alcohol or caffeine, fried or salty foods. The skin around our eyes is thinner than anywhere else on the body so it is important to keep hydrated to maintain the springy texture and keep it from drying out which can cause wrinkles. Certain foods and drinks will do this, and some cannot be avoided in every day life which brings me on to...

Step three: If you cannot avoid these types of food and drink in your lifestyle, then try to counteract it with hydrating fluids which can be found in things like cucumber. We have all seen the image in a magazine of someone in a spa in a relaxed pose with cucumber slices over their eyes. It isn’t just there for show and tell, cucumber really does help to reduce swelling and puffiness in the eyes. Cucumber is known for its cooling and antioxidant properties. They are mostly made up of water so this helps with the hydration. The antioxidants help to fight off every day toxins that may make your eyes puffy and can reduce the swelling. Cucumber is also rich in Vitamin C which helps massively with cell regrowth and renewal so there is literally nothing to lose by placing a few of these slices over your eyes. Also, who doesn’t love the refreshing and natural smell of cucumber! It’s the best way to either kick start your day or even relax before bedtime.

Step Four: Get yourself a great serum or moisturiser, then make sure to keep up with regular applications to keep the skin around your eyes looking healthy, smooth and young! The skin as we already know is thin and delicate so it doesn’t require heavy moisturisers that sit on the skin or produce too much oil. And if you’re planning a day out in the sun, don’t forget this ever so tender skin when applying lotion, it is not an idea place for sunburn! Whatever you choose, remember to use a light cleanser when washing the day off, you don’t want anything that completely removes all oil and promotes dryness and you definitely don’t want anything that is going to sting or irritate. So stick to something water-based and remember your good old friend the cucumber to relax those eyes for the night!

When you think of bright eyes and how to make them stand out, your first thought may be to go straight to mascara! Afterall, it does temporarily add volume, colour and length to our lashes so really make them sparkle. But mascara isn’t your only option! There are things you can do to bring out the best in your eyelashes and make sure your eyes sparkle for days, weeks and even months to come.

• Identify the problem or what you want to improve about your eyelashes. Are they shorter than you would like or maybe very thin? Do they fade into the background or perhaps break away or fall out easily? Maybe they are just looking sparse lately and need a bit of encouragement to grow back. Sometimes it isn’t even about the problem at all but working with what you have, for example having longer but straighter lashes or really curved eyelashes but not in the direction you want them to curve. Whatever your wishes, once you have gotten to the root of the problem, you will be able to find a solution that will help you get the eyelashes you’ve waited for.

• Watch your dietary choices and vitamin intake. In order to maintain healthy hair growth your diet and lifestyle factor in hugely. This includes your eyelashes and eyebrows too! Vitamin B-3 is known for its stimulation in hair growth, and it promotes the production of keratin which keeps individual hairs and lashes strong and prevents them from drying out and becoming brittle. Vitamin B-3 can be found in foods like peanuts, mushrooms and sunflower seeds along with seafood like salmon. Vitamin C is what keeps your immune system strong, which is why you may hear people tell you to eat oranges when you start feeling those first signs of a nasty cold coming on. It does the same for your hair and follicles, so eyelashes feel the benefits when follicles are stronger, less prone to any infections and free to grow fuller that before.

• Wishing for longer and thicker lashes. As mentioned earlier, we aren’t all blessed with long, smooth super-model style eyelashes and sometimes we have to work to get what we want in this area. But if you are looking to brighten up those eyes, then looking to lengthen and thicken eyelashes can be the best way to do it while keeping the look completely natural but making your eyes stand out to people straight away! With a good serum for eyelash growth, you can have longer and thicker lashes and even get more than you bargained for. Xlash Eyelash Serum does all of the above with use of natural ingredients and even helps your eyelashes look darker with every application. It is great to use a serum that harnesses natural ingredients as they specifically target lashes, lash follicles and the skin surrounding them. Cooling effects of a serum also feel great and you can have envious lashes within 1-2 months. So if you have a big event coming up this year, get your hands on an eyelash growth serum and get ready to have fantastic looking eyelashes all in time for your big day.

• Go for home made remedies. Sometimes you hear so much about how certain ingredients have hair growth and hair strengthening properties that you don’t know what is true, what is proven to work and what is just an old wives’ tale. The problem isn’t really worrying about whether it’s working straight away but whether the specific ingredient is suitable for you and the way you want to use it. Take honey for example, it contains the perfect mix of vitamins and antioxidants and can be bought organically, but the last thing you want to do is slather honey across your eyelashes to see if it encourages eyelash growth! Coconut oil is packed with Vitamin E which is what makes hair and lashes smooth and silky and feeling nourished. This is a good home remedy as it is easily applied at night with a cotton bud and the oils can get to work while you get some well deserved shut-eye. Castor oil can be applied in the same way and it is great for providing the fatty acids that your hair needs to feed on to become strong. After a couple of months of following this routine, you should be sure to see a difference in those lashes!

• Make an appointment for eyelash extensions. When we can have this luxury with a simple appointment with a trained technician then it surely must be worth it? Eyelash extensions are the big fix to all of most of our worries from short lashes or lashes that just fade into the background. The great thing about getting eyelash extensions is that they last longer and are safer to use than fake eyelashes and also that you obviously se quicker results than with an eyelash growth serum. But if it is the instant sparkle you are after, than extensions may just be for you. The good news is that you can carry on applying Xlash Eyelash Serum with extensions as it is safe to use, will not disrupt the holding glues and will still help your eyelashes to grow strong underneath. Eventually when it is time for your next lash appointment, you want to be able to see that your natural lashes are doing their thing too. Who knows, maybe you won’t need that next appointment at all!

So, your eyelashes are very versatile and they can really give your eyes that extra feeling of confidence if you get your lashes just how you want them. There are plenty of other options such as an eyelash lift, but this is mainly to give shape to your eyelashes on a more permanent basis than say just using your eyelash curler. I never thought I would see the return of the perm, but here we are, a perm for your eyelashes! The top tip is just to never neglect them when you want your eyes to shine brightly, they are key to giving you the added sultry vibe to any look.

I cannot stress enough how much a good brow can set off a pair of eyes that are trying to sparkle. Our eyebrows are a key part of our expression and they can change the shape of your face if sculpted well. Complimenting your natural contours and angles, you can use your eyebrows to their advantage by grooming them to frame your eyes and eyelashes perfectly.

• Identify your eyebrow shape vs. your face shape. This might seem a bit far fetched to someone just trying out a few grooming techniques for the first time but it can really have a massive impact on your look by either softening a square or rectangular face or by adding more definition and smooth lines to a round or oval face. It is easy to find out what category you fall into by following our guide to Finding the Perfect Face Shape for your Eyebrows. It might just change how you think your eyebrows should look to how much they flatter your face shape instead.

• Invest in a good pair of tweezers. Now a lot of the time, we find we go for an appointment to get waxes or threading rather than pluck at our eyebrows ourselves. This is fine, but you will find times in between appointments where you have a few strays that need taking care of. If you are confident enough with your eyebrow shape and that you won’t just keep plucking until there is nothing but a thin line there, then grab a pair of tweezers that are angled to allow for more precise clutching of individual hairs and that have a sold grip so you don’t end up pulling at eyebrows without removing the hair and leaving the skin read and inflamed. Its not a good look, nor does it feel too good either!

• Keep the skin moisturised. Normal moisturisers will work on the face and skin and will keep it from drying out. The areas around and under the eyebrows are very delicate and moisturisers with soothing properties such as aloe vera, cucumber extract and honey extracts can do wonders for your skin to make sure it is ready for any makeup application.

• Keep the hairs nourished. We talked earlier about providing naturally occurring fatty acids so that your eyelashes can feed off of them and stay strong, the same works for your eyebrows, so think about what foods, vitamins and minerals you are including in your diet to ensure that your eyebrows stay nourished all year round.

• Pick an eyebrow growth serum that works for you. Similar to an eyelash growth serum, this will help give your eyebrows a boost to becoming thicker and fuller the natural way. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you will need to start booking your wax in twice as much, but it will make sure that you don’t have to rely so heavily on make up to get you through the day with a full set of brows! Eyebrow growth serums work by stimulating the follicles which also means the natural growth cycle of your individual eyebrow hairs can be prolonged. Fantastic news if you need that extra boost for some fuller and thicker brows, and also great for maintaining hydration and nourishment without having to carry around another big pot of moisturiser. Most serums come in a handy little tube so you can take it anywhere with you.

Eyebrows aren’t as simply to extend as eyelashes unfortunately, or maybe that is fortunately depending on how you look at it! I don’t think eyebrow wigs will be taking off anytime soon anyway! But we can use make-up very cleverly to define our brows once we have done a little grooming and are happy with the shape we want as a base.

It is pretty normal these days to wear make-up. There was once a time where it was just for the rich, or people high in social status. Nowadays, make-up is so readily available that the choices are changing every day. When it comes to making the eyes shine brightly again, here are my top tips.

1. When choosing what make up you need to brighten up those eyes, check the ingredients and make sure it is not something that will irritate your skin, lashes or brows. There can be a lot of fad make-up kits advertised and while it might work for some people, it won’t for others. So get the boring part out of the way and then you can safely apply your new shadows or mascaras and get the best out of your new item.

   
   



2. Experiment with colour! There are so many great eyeshadow kits now that are really high in pigment so they are vibrant and will last on your skin. Don’t be afraid to try out a few different colour combinations to really bring out that sparkly in your eye.

   
   



3. Choose a mascara that doesn’t clump and switch brushes if you need to. The key to applying mascara is to start off with a small amount that evenly spreads over your lashes individually and you can then build a few layers to really make them stand out. Sometimes the brush is what makes the mascara so get the brush that gives you the best outcome. Don’t re-use old brushes as they can contain bacteria that can cause infections if too old, so always try to keep your make-up fresh and replenished at the right time.

   
   

Your eyes have a huge mart to play in how confident you are. Of course, you can’t see them, but they are the first thing everyone else will see when you meet them, so it is important to not be afraid to show your true style and groom for the occasion. If you follow some of the top tips like getting enough rest, treating your eyes to a mini spa day, and keeping up with a great diet, you are already most of the way to breathing new life into your eyes. When you are ready to embrace the serums, moisturisers and even the tweezers, you’ll never look back!