Behind the Frames: How to Make Your Eyes Shine When Wearing Glasses
Behind the Frames: How to Make Your Eyes Shine When Wearing Glasses
For years, beauty advice seemed to treat glasses as an inconvenience.
Take them off for the photograph. Keep eye makeup minimal. Don't wear too much eyeliner. Choose something discreet.
Thankfully, that attitude has slowly started to change.
Glasses can be one of the most distinctive features of a woman's face. A beautiful frame draws attention to the eyes, adds personality and can become as integral to a look as a favourite shade of lipstick.
The secret isn't learning how to disguise your glasses.
It's learning how to make your makeup and your frames work together.
The Beauty Lesson I Never Forgot
One of the first makeup books I owned was by Bobbi Brown, and something about it immediately stood out to me.
There were women wearing glasses. I got instantly excited and bought it straight away- the first of a little pile. Bobbi approached things differently. Maybe because she is wearing them as well? I can only guess.
The glasses were simply part of the woman's face—and the makeup was designed accordingly.
It's an idea that has stayed with me ever since.
It might sound like such a small thing, but at the time I felt like I was on cloud nine because of it. Beauty books and magazine photographs tended to remove glasses altogether, as though a woman suddenly stopped being a beauty subject the moment she put on a pair of spectacles. For a girl who started wearing glasses at 10 years old, it was a huge moment. I found my style.
Think of Your Frames as Part of Your Makeup
Before reaching for an eyeshadow palette, look at your glasses.
Are the frames delicate or bold? Black, tortoiseshell, gold, translucent or brightly coloured? Are they oversized, cat-eye, round or angular?
Frames create lines around the eyes much like eyeliner does.
A strong black frame already provides considerable definition, for example, so very heavy eye makeup can sometimes compete with it. A delicate gold or rimless frame, on the other hand, leaves more visual space for defined liner or stronger lashes. A white frame works wonders if you like bold, statement eye makeup.
The aim is balance.
Give the Eyes Definition
Behind lenses, subtle eye makeup can sometimes disappear.
That's where eyeliner becomes particularly useful.
Rather than automatically making it darker, think about definition and proportion. A fine line along the upper lashes can make the eyes appear clearer without overwhelming them.
If your frames are substantial, you may find that slightly stronger eyeliner balances them beautifully.
For softer or more delicate frames, a finer line can be enough.
Brown, charcoal and deep navy can also provide definition when black feels too severe.
And don't forget the lash line itself. Filling the tiny spaces between the lashes can create the impression of fuller lashes without adding an obvious heavy line.
Let There Be Light
Glasses can naturally create shadows around the eye area, particularly depending on the shape of the frame and the lenses.
A little brightness therefore goes a long way.
Concealer placed carefully beneath the eyes can help counteract shadows, while a touch of light-reflecting eyeshadow around the inner corner can make the eyes appear fresher.
Soft champagne, ivory, peach and delicate neutral tones can work beautifully, depending on your complexion.
Don't Forget Your Brows
Your frames and eyebrows sit very close together visually, which makes beautifully groomed brows especially important.
They don't need to be heavily drawn.
Brush them into shape, fill any obvious gaps and keep the overall line soft and natural.
The goal is for your brows to frame the glasses while the glasses frame your eyes.
Think of them as working together rather than competing for attention.
The Mascara Question
One of the most common annoyances for glasses wearers is mascara-covered lashes touching the lenses.
More mascara isn't necessarily the solution.
Curling the lashes before applying mascara can help lift them away from the lenses- always do this before applying mascara! Concentrate the product towards the roots rather than loading the very ends of the lashes.
Definition and separation generally work better behind glasses than extremely long, heavy lashes.
And if your mascara regularly leaves marks on your lenses, consider whether the formula—or simply the amount you're applying—is the culprit. 1or 2 coats is generally enough.
Your Lenses Matter Too
Depending on your prescription, lenses may make the eyes look slightly smaller or larger.
If your lenses visually reduce the size of your eyes, lighter shadows, softly defined liner and curled lashes can help open them up.
If they magnify the eyes, precision becomes more noticeable. Carefully blended eyeshadow and clean eyeliner application become particularly useful.
And Then There Is Lipstick...
One of my favourite things about glasses is how beautifully they can work with lipstick.
A pair of statement frames, relatively simple eye makeup, and a wonderful red, coral, or pink lip can look extraordinarily chic. Definition around the eyes, colour on the lips, and very little else required.
Vintage cat-eye glasses paired with red lipstick remain an enduring combination for a reason.
But contemporary frames can create the same effect.
Modern vintage beauty doesn't require recreating another decade from head to toe.
Sometimes a beautiful frame and the right lipstick are enough to suggest it.
Glasses Aren't Something to Work Around
This is the beauty rule worth remembering most.
If you wear glasses every day, they're part of how the world sees you.
So rather than designing your makeup as though the frames weren't there, include them in the look from the beginning.
Experiment with eyeliner.
Notice what happens when you change your lipstick.
Try a softer eye with stronger frames, or a little more definition with delicate ones.
Most importantly, don't feel that your eyes somehow disappear behind your glasses.
Quite the opposite.
A beautiful pair of frames gives them another opportunity to be noticed.
And perhaps those women wearing glasses in my first Bobbi Brown makeup book taught me something more important than a makeup technique:
Beauty was never dependent on taking them off.