Far from being a ‘flash in the pan’ teenage beauty crush, eye gloss is an easy peasy makeup trend that grown women can get on board with
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You might normally associate a sticky eyelid with some kind of conjunctivitis type infection, but I promise you, glossy eyes are a thing, and they’re possibly the lowest effort, highest impact look in beauty in these filtered, contoured, Kardashian-crazed times. If you’re yet to dabble in shiny eye, you’re missing a whole lot of fun, plus there’s something about a gleamy lid that makes you look glowing and healthy yet doesn’t involve heavyweight highlighting or any shadow blending skill or exertion on your part. Whether coloured or clear, there’s an eye gloss look for day, night, weekend, weddings...basically every occasion is light-reflective lid appropriate, and even a quick, mirror-free smoosh on the go will have onlookers thinking you’re an expert. Not that we’re saying you’re not, but everyone loves a shortcut to fabulous.
How to apply eye gloss
Eye glosses can either be applied alone, blending with your ring finger, or applied over a coloured cream shadow for a vinyl effect. You can use a small, flat synthetic eyeshadow brush if you prefer to diffuse gloss around the edges of lid, just whatever you, don’t go fluffy, for obvious reasons. If you want to add in some definition, follow Tom Ford makeup artist Francesco Fabiano’s smokey lead:
“Smudge a kohl pencil across the lashline, then apply an eye gloss over the top and blend. Add mascara and you’ll get a kind of rock star-esque 'morning after the night before' eye makeup effect instantly.”
There’s only one glossy no-go in Fabiano’s books:
“Wearing eye gloss over powder shadow can be tricky in real life. It can look very beautiful and intense in photos, but as the colour moves around a lot and lids can sometimes stick together, it can be messy and impractical.”
Worried about gloss migration and creasing? Don’t be. It’ll happen. Go with it. Heed glossy eye expert, Glossier makeup artist favourite and all round shiny eye guru Katie Jane Hughes ’ wisdom on this one:
“Guess what...eye gloss creases! I get the ‘how do I stop my eye gloss from creasing?’ question all the time, and the answer’s pretty simple- you can’t. That’s what makes eye gloss unique and different. When applying, always start in the center of the lid and work your way around the lid, because it will move around throughout the day. To move it back into place or smooth out any creases, just run your ring finger across the lid.”
Image: @katiejanehughes
Basically, messy and imprecise is the name of the game, and if this sounds a bit scary, I urge you to check out Katie’s many glossy eye creations (Instagram @katiejanehughes ). There’s something for everyone, from naked gloss to baby blue sheen and glitter+gloss, and the fact that she carries all of them off with aplomb, with no photoshopping or over-complicated technique involved, should serve as inspiration that shine eye is for all, regardless of age, skin tone, gender or makeup inclinations.
Image: @katiejanehughes
The best eye glosses
Just a heads up: eye gloss can feel weird at first. It can be a bit weighty and sticky if you’re not used to it, but the initial cling-film feel fades and you’ll soon be so entranced by a glistening lid that you don’t give a monkeys. Plus, compared to trying to nail a liquid liner flick or red lip outline pre-work, eye gloss is a godsend. It’s basically your invitation to press the snooze button for the foreseeable.
The colourful one: 3ina The Eye Gloss , £14.95
With a sponge-tipped applicator, you needn’t even get your paws dirty with this. It dispenses just the right amount of eye goo at a time (glam), and the burgundy toned 503 is particularly glorious.
The clear one: Morphe 2 Gloss Pop Face and Eye Gloss, £12
This non-sticky gloss subtly illuminates wherever you place it, be it on top of makeup or over bare skin. It gives a fresh, dewy gloss look.
The pro one: Danessa Myricks Colorfix Glaze, £18
Loved by makeup artist Lisa Caldognetto, this is an MUA favourite for creating wet-look sheeny makeup. Lisa recommended it for creating statement Euphoria inspired eye makeup looks.
The budget one: Eyeko Galactic Lid Gloss, £8
For an ultra-shimmery look, this adds an out of the world element to any eye makeup. Some of the shades are more creamy, so go for golden Solstice for a truly wet look.
The multi-purpose one: Gucci Éclat De Beauté Effet Lumière Gel Face Gloss, £18
This little pot can be used on your eyes, lips and cheeks for an all over glowing finish. It has a gel texture that makes you look ultra-luminous. Think high end dolphin skin and you'll be along the right lines.
The stick one: Glossier Haloscope , £18
Technically a highlighter, Katie uses Haloschope over lids for an instant, straight from the bullet glow over the eyes.
MORE GLOSS: 26 reasons to get very excited about makeup again
Image credits: Image: @3ina . Photographer - Hanna Hillier @hannahillierphotography , Makeup - Sophie Cox @sophiecoxmakeup , Hair - Carl Campbell @carlcampbellesalon and model Hannah Shakespeare at Models 1
Image: @3ina. Makeup - @wilmamua for @notionmagazine with @mariapizzeria and @disco_mode