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How do you apply eye makeup if you wear glasses or have vision problems?


How do you apply eye makeup if you wear glasses or have vision problems? Share!

I can’t speak from personal experience, since I haven’t needed to wear my glasses on a regular basis! I just started wearing ortho-k lenses, but I only have to wear them while I sleep. I know that a magnifying mirror can help a lot, though, and if one wears contacts, I would be mindful of any glittery eyeliner and tubing mascara.

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trilo Avatar

speaking of which, is there a rule of thumb for what kind of style of eye make up one should wear when wearing glasses? i’ve always heard that less is more since the frame detracts from the make up so i just do natural eye make up with winged liner, but i wonder if there are ways to work in more color without it being too much.

Quinctia Avatar

That will depend a bit on the type of lenses you have. If your vision isn’t very bad, the lenses won’t change a lot. I am near-sighted, so my lenses actually shrink my eyes if you look at them through my glasses. I feel that makes a lot of things look less dramatic, so I can wear whatever I want. If you were far-sighted, though, the lenses would magnify the appearance of your eyes, so I could see where that might exacerbate any application mistakes or blow-up anything a bit dramatic.

Also, I feel that, since I wear thicker acetate frames, I want my brows to be strong to go along with that.

Brenda Avatar

I have found (being nearsighted) that I prefer to have a little bit heavier eye makeup if I’m wearing my glasses, as they tend to hide my eyes or make them look smaller. I will wear a thicker liner on the top lashes only (no liner on bottom lashes) and make sure my brows are well groomed/filled in. This helps bring my eyes out more and not look so lost behind my frames.

Catie Montoro Avatar

I’ve had to wear glasses since elementary school, and unfortunately my eyesight has deteriorated over the years. When it comes to makeup application, I absolutely have to wear contacts because I simply can’t see my face. Foundation is okay, but I have definitely had some not completely blended lines. But eye makeup??? Forget about it, I’ve left the house lookin’ crazy and noticing till I get my glasses on and look in the review mirror. But with contacts I haven’t noticed any particular sensitivity to glitter (thank god. I do love my glitter!)

Ginny Avatar

Contacts don’t make people sensitive(contact users should have healthily watered eyes, though) but they’re pretty fragile. Large grain particles can tear contacts(and eyes) which is why they recommend you don’t use glitter. However, the more finely milled, the better. Also, if you’re careful, you can put your contacts on after letting eye makeup set, but you have to make sure the contacts don’t touch any of it.

Nekona Avatar

I’m incredibly near-sighted. (Apparently without vision correction I count as legally blind) I can get up close on the mirror and do my makeup. If I were farsighted I have no idea what I would do.

Thea Avatar

I’m extremely nearsighted (my prescription is over -6 in both eyes), and my solution is generally to lean in as close to the bathroom mirror as humanly possible. The only time I ever have issues is when I’m doing my waterline and the angle means that some longer eyeliner pencils are tricky to maneuver (the ends bump into the mirror).

Polly Avatar

I’d love to be -6! My prescription in over -20 in both eyes, including loss of central vision in one eye (myopic macular degeneration.) Realistically, my solution is that I rarely wear eye makeup (I compensate with a bold lip.) When I do wear eyeshadow, my main method is to slide my glasses down my nose a little, and sort of get my brush in over the top. I can just about do a simple wash and maybe a bit of outer v/crease colour, though I’m not sure it counts as very good! Then I go in under my glasses for lower lash liner. I never line the waterline, and haven’t figured out a way to line my upper lashline. I would like to try using a super-magnifying mirror very close to my nose, but I’m not sure I would then physically have room to manoeuvre between my eyes and the mirror!

Dilyana Avatar

I;m like you. I have -14 and have lost the vision in one eye. Even my best efforts tend to be a little mismatched. I usually try to tone down the colors or seamlessly blend similar hues to balance makeup out on both lids. I also have different eye colors (from loss of vision) so I avoid drawing too much attention to them.

Quinctia Avatar

I use a hand mirror in one hand and an applicator in the other! Also, this isn’t an option for everybody, but I actually apply mascara on the left with the left hand and on the right with the right hand. It helps keep me from getting my mirror in the way. Somehow, I never trained myself to do that with eyeliner, and it can get annoying. Maybe one of these days, I’ll attempt it. 🙂

Quinctia Avatar

I’ve just always applied mascara that way! So luckily, I’ve never had that mishap. My mother bought me my first couple of pieces of makeup: blush, gloss, mascara, when I was in 7th grade. I never got into eyeliner into way later, so it’s less second nature.

I know some people are really, really dominant handed, so it wouldn’t work for everyone. If you don’t have too much trouble learning how to do things with your weaker hand, I do recommend trying to do mascara that way. No more wand marks, and no blocking your line of vision during application.

Nicole B Avatar

I can’t. I have to wear contacts when I put on makeup because otherwise I can’t see anything I’m doing. If I must try to apply makeup without my contacts in I have to get super close to the mirror and hope (through muscle memory) that it’s going to turn out okay. Usually it just looks awful. For reference, I’m -7.00 in each eye.

Hannah Avatar

I have very bad vision, missing over 1/2 of it from both eyes.
Can’t wear contacts as my eyes are very sensitive..
so.. I just keep a little mirror VERY close to my eyes when doing my makeup! 😀

Sunny Avatar

My makeup for glasses isn’t that different from my everyday looks at all! It’s mostly a shimmery/satin shade on the inner 2/3, a matte in the outer third and “crease (I have to put it in parentheses because i don’t REALLY have one, but that’s where others’ crease color would go),” winged-out gel liner on my upper lash line, and a dark eyeshadow to smudge my lower lash line out.

The only things I pay more attention to is a) having my eyebrows a bit more defined. My glasses are geeky huge and I really need some brow power to frame my face. b) Less to no foundation/concealer where glasses touch my nose, because otherwise they get icky.

CeeBee Avatar

I’m incredibly short sighted so I lean r.e.a.l.l.y close to the mirror. I figure if it looks good from an inch away it looks immaculate from normal distance. Plus with my glasses on no one really notices over much, unless it’s really bright or something.

I never wear anything on my waterline either – my eyes are pretty tough but I don’t want to tempt fate!

julia Avatar

As someone who is quite short sighted, When the glasses come off I’m barely an inch away from a severe magnifying mirror.

Carmen Avatar

I apply my make up with a 10x magnifying mirror which works great and I never apply glitter, fibre mascara or khol in the waterline. Any strange body in your eyes might ruin your day and your make up as your eyes start to cry until the wipe the body out.

Mardi Avatar

I have a mirror that swings out from the wall so I pull it out so it’s really close to my face. There’s a mirror on the wall behind I lean back and look into to see the bigger picture.

Jo Avatar

When I was younger I just put on quite a bit of black eyeliner! My mum told me I could get away with more because my eyes were behind glasses. I’m not sure if that was the best tip for a 14 year old! Then when I first got contact lenses, I used to put make up on first and then put my contacts in which was a disaster for smudging everything really! I often have a damp cotton pad around to wipe my eye with if I’m using lots of shadow/liner in case the fall out gets in my eyes. I have also learnt the hard way about getting liquid liner too close to the waterline – blink and everything turns grey!

WondersReviews Avatar

When i wear glasses, i curl well my lashes, otherwise there will be a mess on the glass with the mascara.
And i dont do a heavy eye makeup.

When i wear contact Lens, i do my makeup before to put them.
I cant avoid to hit my eyes with eye makeup. To avoid them to touch the contact lens, i put my contact lens at the very end of the processus.

Xoxo

Michelle

Emma Avatar

I just stand 6 inches away from the mirror! I usually have to do my makeup standing up by a full-length mirror for this, leaning over a bathroom counter is very difficult. I also use primarily travel brushes, especially for eyeshadow, so the handles don’t hit the mirror as I’m putting makeup on.

KaseyCannuck Avatar

I’m horrendously near-sighted so I have to be no more than 12 inches from the mirror to see what I’m doing. Most of my eyeshadow brushes have been shortened to keep from hitting the mirror by accident.

Chelsey Avatar

Although I sometimes wear contacts, I wear glasses on a day to day basis. I find that using a lighted and magnified mirror tends to help me to see better when I do my makeup. For eyesi always try to make sure that I wear darker shadows and thicker liner so that it’s visible behind my glasses. I do find that my mascara tends to flake more because I think that it rubs against my glasses. I also find that my foundation on the bridge of my nose wears away by the end of the day. I also think that my glasses causes my liner to smudge easier because they are larger and I think that it’s easier to sweat a little and have your eyeliner smudge.

Phoebe Avatar

If I didnt have contacts, I don’t know what I’d do! I have to get way too close to the mirror if I don’t have any corrective lenses… to the point where it’s impossible to put on makeup. If I want to wear glasses that day, I’ll put on contacts, do my makeup, then take out my contacts and put on glasses. it’s that bad!

Hannah Avatar

I’m horribly nearsighted to the point where without my glasses, things less than two feet away are blurry, so doing my eye makeup has always been tricky. I sit on the floor in front of a mirror on my closet door and try not to clink my brushes or pencils against the glass while I do my eyes. Short handled brushes are a lifesaver for me, haha!

Quinctia Avatar

My travel angled liner brush is the best! I don’t have a huge issue with regular eyeshadow brushes, because I tend to use domed ones for everything, so I can angle the brush more than with a liner brush.

Dana Avatar

I have really sensitive eyes, and cream eyeshadow and UD 24/7 liners are my best friends when I wear contacts. I use powder eyeshadow in my crease though without any eye irritation problems. I avoid mascara that tends to flake a lot. I wear glasses most of the time, and I use the same products but only put mascara at the base of my lashes so it won’t smudge my lenses. I know a lot of advice about makeup for glasses says to curl your eyelashes and use waterproof mascara, but I don’t like dealing with mascara that’s stubborn to remove.

GUSnail Avatar

If I’m wearing my glasses, I tend to keep my eye makeup simple. I do use a magnifying mirror if I want to be precise with my eyeliner, and I take off and put on my glasses often.

If I’m wearing contacts, I’m careful as to what eyeliners I use, especially in the waterline. I’m very careful not to get anything in my eye, (I’ve gotten gel liner in there before) because if it gets under the contact, it can be painful and in cleaning the lens, you end up ruining all the make up.

Lizzi Avatar

I wear contacts out of the house, glasses in the house, and have chronic dry sensitive eyes. I never use shadows with chunky glitter, it’s gotten stuck under contacts and in the bottom lid. Many of my Urban Decay palettes have a few shades that I cannot use unless I use it wet as a liner. I do follow expiration dates for mascaras and liquid eyeliners, I don’t mess with bacteria near my eyes. And my eye makeup has to come off at the end of the day, no exceptions. When I do wear my glasses out, I use a tiny light coat of mascara just to blacken my lashes. No volumizing, lengthening, etc. otherwise the mascara rubs on my glasses and transfers the black. I’m also picky and very hesitant to try new eyeliner formulas. I don’t want to risk a bad product near my eyes. The UD 24/7 is the only formula I trust enough to buy blindly.

LaDana Avatar

I’ve worn glasses forever and it has never occurred to me that it could present a problem with applying make up. I just use a hand held magnifying mirror and hold it with my left hand while applying make up with my right.

Gina Avatar

My left eye can’t see well closely, so I really just got used to putting on makeup on my right eye with both my eyes open !

Lee Avatar

I’m nearsighted but I always put my contacts in before I put on my make-up so that’s never been a problem. A bigger issue is that I’m aging and my up close vision is getting worse. I use a lighted magnifying make up mirror but it’s so frustrating when getting closer to the mirror doesn’t get any better. I’m very careful to make sure I can see adequately tho’, I don’t want to wind up one of those old ladies who’s just spackled make-up on!

Clio Avatar

I hate how mascara gets on the lenses of my glasses when I blink. This is especially bad if I put my glasses on when the mascara’s still a bit wet, but some does get on there over the course of the day depending on the formula. Since I love my glasses and hate to forego them, it usually means my uber-lengthening formulas lay unused in my makeup bag in favour of ones that leave my lashes stubbier. It’s a shame because I love me some dramatic lashes, but that “brush brush brush” sensation of the lashes hitting the glasses is SO annoying, not to mention the hard to remove black streaks… 😛

Samira Avatar

I always put my contacts in first so they go in clean, but I think if they were out I could do makeup pretty easily if I was close to the mirror. I work fairly close to it anyway unless I really need to see my whole face, like for blush.

I use tubing mascara and have used glitter once or twice. Have never had any problems.

I know people say use less makeup if you wear glasses (which I haven’t for years) or have bangs (which I do) but I find the opposite is true – eyes can get lost behind glasses or under bangs. I erred heavier when I had glasses on. But that’s just my personal preference.

Samira Avatar

Btw, I have a girlfriend who has horrible issues with eye makeup clouding her contacts. There are certain eyeliners (like gel formulas) that she can’t wear at all. I’ve never had those issues myself though. I even wear gel to tightline. No problems.

Jane Avatar

I’m nearsighted and I have a slight astigmatism, so I can’t do anything without my glasses. I do 95% of my makeup while holding a compact mirror quite close to my face. If I need both hands for something, I have a stand-up magnifying mirror that I can prop up right in front of me.

Sometimes I get annoyed that my glasses hide so much, but sometimes when I’m doing my eyeshadow I think I totally overdid it, and then I put my glasses on and it looks a lot more sane.

rachlovespenguins Avatar

I wear glasses so I do the whole mirror six inches from the face while using short handled brushes thing. I never really thought about my methods being an adaptation to account for my lack of vision, it’s just how I’ve always done and had to do it. I’ve also never been one to think that I couldn’t wear a certain look because of my frames. In fact, sometimes I think I can get away with even more because of them! They’re kinda heavy and a neutral brown colour, and I think they hide all sorts of stuff. I’ve gone to the grocery wearing crazy editorial looks and no one has ever glanced at me twice. I think the first impression people get is “glasses” not “why is she wearing blue and yellow eyeshadow to the grocery store?” Don’t get me wrong- I’m not ALWAYS that brave, and I would probably never ever attempt such a thing for say…work (hahaha) but other times, why not?

Dana Avatar

I am legally blind, and wear pretty thick glasses and cannot wear contacts. Certain things are easier than others — but if you take your time, use a good light source, magnifying mirror and a careful hand, you can create any look as well as a sighted person even with vision issues 🙂 The most difficult thing for me personally is eyeliner; getting a good, straight line — especially if I don’t want it to be terribly thick — that I can see before my glasses go back on can be challenging! Mascara can be difficult sometimes too — being patient enough to let it dry before I put my glasses back on so I don’t get stripes, lol!

Quinctia Avatar

You know, I think part of the reason why I like liquid liner a lot is because I can “feel” it going on, and I’ve got that tactile feedback to help with application.

Dana Avatar

That’s a good point — I tend to prefer pencils just because I personally find that I can control the line better with them than I can with a liquid liner brush — but I didn’t think about that tactile guidance…..

Quinctia Avatar

It’s definitely got a learning curve. I think pencils are a good middle of the road liner, though many of them migrate on me, especially on the outer corner.

If liquids seem intimidating, gel with a brush you like is a good way to learn application technique that helps with liquid. I always forget how easy gel is to use, since I usually reach for liquid or pencils. (In the morning, the extra step of “find small pot, pull out the brush, wipe off the brush” is sometimes too much effort…all the pencils and liquids are stored together and easy to find!)

Judy Czarnecki Avatar

I’m very very nearsighted, so I just get up real close to the mirror. After I’m done I put my glasses on and check for foundation lines etc. – anything that needs “fixing.”

As for eye makeup “rules”, my prescription tends to make my eyes look smaller, so I avoid anything that would also make them look small. I put eyeliner & mascara only on the top, never all the way around the eye. I use a white or light bone color highlighter on the inside corners (again, top only) to help open up the eye.

Alyza Avatar

I wear glasses all day everyday and personally, I get sort of bothered when I see tutorials or suggestions for “doing makeup with glasses”… it just seems so ridiculous to me. I do my makeup however I want to… subtle, neutral, bright, bold. However you like to do your makeup is how you should wear it. I don’t think there are (or should be) any “rules” about makeup with glasses.

Karen Avatar

I usually put my contacts in first… unless I’m tightlining because when I tightline, I always end up getting eyeliner on my contacts and it’s just a disaster. So if I’m tightlining or if it’s just a day where I decided to wear my glasses, I use a hand held mirror that I hold pretty close to my face so that I can see what I’m doing.

Kim Avatar

I’m not sure if this is available in de USA, but in Holland we actually have make up glasses. when putting on makeup on your eye, you just simply click one lens upward so you can see it with a glass in front of your other eye. Never had to use it though, I’m not wearing glasses but I do prescribe them 🙂 but I hope this might help for some beauty lovers out there.

Bonnie Avatar

I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 6 and I still haven’t found a good eye makeup look! Can anyone give me suggestions? Like I feel that a neutral eye wouldn’t be visible behind my frames, and if I do a dramatic look it would be emphasized even more with glasses and the look suddenly becomes “too much”! What do you ladies and gents suggest? I won’t consider getting contacts since I look better with glasses on anyway haha 🙂

Kari Avatar

lol like normal?

but no, sarcasm aside, i’ve worn glasses since elementary (contacts off and on for soccer purposes, hate them and prefer my glasses) and like many others, have extremely bad vision. i just use a full length mirror and lean really close into it. for some reason i can’t use one of those magnifying flip mirrors? it’s not the same. so it sucks for me if i’m in a hotel or at someone’s house that doesn’t have a full length or some kind of flat mirror against the wall with nothing in front of it coz i’m kind of screwed lol leaning in over a sink counter when you’re nearly blind as is? i’ll pass :p

Brenda Avatar

lol, i had to laugh at this, cuz somedays I really just want to sit in my sink instead of trying to lean in close enough over it to see what the heck I’m doing!! I thought geez,maybe I’m just a big wimp, getting back cramps from putting on my makeup!!!

Nice to know I’m not alone 🙂

Lisa Avatar

I have low vision in one eye, and if I close the good one to put on eye makeup such as eye liner, I have to put that on mostly by feel. Then I open the good eye again and make corrections as necessary with a q-tip and a little eye makeup remover. I’m used to it, so it’s not a big deal.

Toni G. Avatar

I am nearsighted and have been wearing glasses since I was 9 years old. I wear my glasses more often than contacts; when I wear my glasses, I just get really close up on the mirror in my bathroom. I would love to have a lighted magnifying mirror on my wall like the ones you see in some hotel bathrooms. When wearing contacts, I usually put my lenses in before applying makeup. My makeup regimen doesn’t change when I wear my glasses; I wear eyeshadow, liner, and mascara the same way I do when wearing contacts. I have learned the hard way to use oil-free eye makeup remover only; I had an incident where some of the oily residue from an Almay remover got into my eye and wouldn’t dissipate for a while, even after using an eye wash! It was doubly irritating when I tried to put on contacts. I rarely use any kind of liner on the bottom lash and/or water liner; when I do, I stick to a regular pencil. Good question…I never thought some people with corrective vision might approach applying make up differently!

Jessica Avatar

Since I do not like wearing contacts, my optometrist recommended magnifying makeup glasses. It’s a frame with only one lens that you can swing back and forth between your two eyes so you can see clearly while applying makeup. Then I just put my regular glasses on after I am done.

Kelsey Avatar

I am legally blind with a condition called Achromatopsia. Not only is my vision basically total crap (it’s something like 20/800), but I am 100% colorblind as well. Makes things interesting, to say the least.

Everybody has mentioned magnified/lighted mirrors, but being someone who’s incredibly sensitive to light, I found out the hard way that the lighted feature on these mirrors actually makes the application process so much more difficult. So, dim lighting, being super close to a mirror (we’re talking a few inches at most) and/or magnified mirrors, and the #1 thing I’ve found that helps me: SHORT HANDLED BRUSHES. Because of how close I need to be to the mirror, this is something that I have found to be CRUCIAL, especially with eye makeup. I’ve gotten a general feel for my face, so that’s not TOO bad, but anything that requires detailed work (eye makeup, namely)…forget it. Short handled brushes. Must have, lol.

Lynne Avatar

Great advice here for those of us 24/7 glasses-wearers – thanks! I use a well-lighted magnifying mirror and keep a pair of bad readers at hand since I can’t read the labels on my products. Takes 2x as long – on and off, on and off – but it prevents me from getting lazy and only grabbing the shadows and lipsticks I recognize. I too have started going simpler on the eyes and doing a bold lip. Here’s maybe my most useful advice: if you’re buying new frames, be sure to try them on when you’re wearing your most frequent eye makeup and a version of a favorite lip color. Some otherwise great frames will make your eyes look in desperate need of concealer or light (they’ll suck the light out of your eye areas) or will be too close to your lipstick and look like you’re trying to match. Bought a wonderful pair of dark red frames that made me look tired and kept me away from burgundy and wine lipsticks.

Georgia Avatar

I just stand VERY close to the mirror and use a hand mirror for mascara. I recently did get contact-type lenses but I still do most of my makeup the way I’m accustomed to do doing it and then inserting my lenses usually after my liner is perfect, insert lenses, and then use a magnifying mirror to finish up the eye shadow, mascara, brows, etc. It works for me

Georgia Avatar

P.S. Good lighting is key. I use 100 watt Verilux bulbs throughout my house – they mimic natural sunlight. I have dry-eye syndrome and my eyes are EXTREMELY sensitive to bright light so lighted mirrors are out for me.

Brenda Avatar

I had never heard of Ortho K lenses, I had to google it!! Doubt that would work for my severity, but that’s cool!

Applying eye makeup when you wear glasses – eek. It’s a challenge! I normally wear my contacts, which get put in first, so I can see what I’m doing!!! On the days when my eyes are just too tired or sore for lenses, I have to rely on my magnifying counter top lighted mirror. At least even on the non magnified side, I can get close enough (12 inches or closer, I have TERRIBLE vision) to see what I’m doing without having to climb into the bathroom sink.LOL!! And I find I have to stick to fairly simple makeup, no crazy contouring or whatnots, because it’s hard to do that close up, hard to see without my glasses on (to get the overall full face view) and hard to put on whilst wearing my glasses!!!!

Terri Avatar

I have a really inexpensive (IKEA) swing out mirror at my vanity that has both regular and magnified sizes and it works really well in a small space like mine. It’s mounted next to my large regular mirror and I just swing it out and then push it back. I am 48 so I am now dealing with presbyopia (old eyes) so I can’t see ANYTHING up close and I hate it! Oh and I also got a pair of glasses on the internet…only one lens and you swing it over the middle to do one eye at a time. Don’t really use them because my system works but for those who don’t have the space, etc they DO work.

Saniya Avatar

Its the most difficult thing ever!!
I have sit too close to my mirror.. or keep another small mirror on my vanity table!! At times i wear lens and do it which makes it simpler !! 🙂

Ginny Avatar

When I don’t have contacts on, I just get really close to the mirror. I’m near sighted, so I can see only about a half a foot away from me clearly with no visual aid. A magnifying mirror doesn’t help as much as people think it does because my eyes won’t be that physically farther in order to see. Otherwise, I wear contacts(though sometimes, it’s easier to apply contacts after). When I want to wear makeup with glasses(usually for a quicker morning routine), I put on my glasses on a natural position on my face and outline the contour of where the eye makeup is visible on my eyes with my transition shade. Then, I try to do the basic lid color and blend before I start doing finer details with my glasses off. This sounds kinda useless, but it makes it faster in the morning.

Brittany Avatar

I apply makeup with a medium sized hand mirror so I can get close enough to see. If I’m wearing glasses, (which is more often than contacts since my dry eye is hard to deal with), I make sure to wear a mascara that curls and lifts really well so the lashes won’t rub against my glasses. I also will usually do a nude/brightening eyeliner in the waterline instead of black since my eyes look smaller through glasses.

If I’m wearing contacts, I can do whatever and wear fun false lashes since I don’t have to worry about them hitting glasses all day.

Kristen {A Modern Mrs.} Avatar

I have vision problems, and normally wear contacts, so that makes makeup application a lot easier. However, if I can’t/am not wearing my contacts, I usually just go without makeup because it’s impossible to see even with my little mirror. I wish I had some nifty tricks, but my vision is so bad I can’t see a thing without glasses/contacts.

Pteetsa Avatar

I put my face very very close to the mirror. And I wear contacts! That’s some bad eyesight, my friends. The closest mirror is the medicine cabinet on the side wall, so it’s a nice awkward angle, too.

As much as I would love to try those lash extension mascaras because I have no eyelashes, I’m scared it would just be a shower of eyelash-type fibers falling into my eye. You don’t know pain until you’ve gotten an eyelash stuck behind your contact!

I also never line my waterline, and I kind of cringe when other people do (though admittedly it does look pretty cool in certain colors). I once let a makeup artist go crazy, and she lined my waterlines. Afterwards, it was just like a windshield wiper smearing blurriness all over my eyes.

Sarah S. Avatar

I’m far-sighted in my left eye and near-sighted in my right eye, so I do my right eye at a normal distance from a mirror and my left really, really close to one. It’s annoying because I can never get them completely the same. But I do the best I can, and I guess since I wear glasses no one can really tell anyway!

Ester Avatar

Use only glasses to see up close and read and almost always have trouble doing makeup, especially the eyes, then I get very close to the mirror and then put the glasses to see if it was good.

Haley Avatar

I wear glasses or contacts and I still wear eye makeup. While I wish I had great eyes and didn’t have to worry about either I don’t let it stop me from rocking so fancy eyeshadow!

Jen Avatar

I have tips on both HOW to apply and WHAT to apply. My vision is -10/-12 and I do not wear contacts. My vision is getting borderline too bad even for my techniques, though, so they may be of help only to the better-sighted among you.

First, I get very, very close to a regular mirror in a well lit spot; full size is ok but the 6-8″ round ones on a stand that you can angle upward are better because you can put your hand and pencil or brush end PAST the mirror and not run in to it. You can also angle them to catch the light and reflect it on to your eye, which helps! I find that magnifying mirrors do not help at all because they make things larger but not sharper, and they are curved so the edge gets in the way more than a normal flat mirror.

Second, I use very short brushes or a short chubby liner. I have had success with some of the brushes in the commercial liquid liner bottles – I don’t like the fluid so I just discard the bottle and keep the nice short, cheap brush! Then I use it with a gel liner (hooked on Bobbi Brown but haven’t tried others.)

My other favorite that requires very little precision is the fat crayon-style liners – Ulta makes a good one with a smudger on the other end, as does Tarte. These apply very smoothly and you don’t have to see it clearly to apply – I feel even the -15’ers can probably manage with these.

Finally *what* to apply: I use a slightly brighter than nude shadow all over lid and brow bone (you can apply this by feel, even with your finger), crayon or liner done fairly thin on top and even thinner on the outer 3/4 of the lower lid line, and fill in my brows slightly with an auburnish pencil. No mascara because it makes my lashes touch my lenses, which is both annoying and makes a mess of my lenses. No dark or fancy shadows on the lid because my rims cast a bit of a shadow, and my lenses already don’t transmit 100% of the light (no lenses do) so my eye area is always a bit dimmer than the rest of my face. I may add a bit of light, shimmery shadow to lid and very outer brow bone or go thicker with liner for special occasions, but I keep it simple!

Good luck and thanks for your tips!

Jen Avatar

Oh, and a tip on choosing frames these days: have someone take digital pictures of you in ones you like and then compare the photos. You actually get to see how you look in the frames, not just in the mirror from 3″ away!

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