Glossy eyelids are one of those fashion week/internet/Kylie Jenner beauty trends that I’ve found so enticing but, until recently, couldn’t quite work out how to appropriate for the everyday. We’ve seen gloss as an eyeshadow topcoat, as a hit of metallic and in every colour under the sun, but the “just dipping your toes into the trend” trick is to keep this one pared back. Teamed with clean skin and lived-in hair, glossy eyelids become decidedly more ethereal than editorial.
Your tool kit:
– A lip goss with subtle light reflecting pigments (I used Surrat Lip Lustre)
– A clear lip balm (either a lip-specific balm or a multipurpose ointment will work- I like Lanolips 101 Ointment)
– A pearl-toned cream highlighter (I like using RMS Luminizers as they have a coconut oil base so the texture melts really beautifully into the skin)
As much as my complexion preference always errs towards dewy, a demi-matte works better with this look for two reasons. Firstly, it ensured this look doesn’t verge on shiny, as can often happen with glow-on-glow makeup, and secondly, the gloss on your eyelids will look all the more glossy if your base is kept quite natural and slightly matte. I’d been recommended the Surratt Lip Lustre in Etoile, which is clear, for this look, but I chose to use Teinte which has a subtle pearl tint as we were shooting with natural light and this showed up much better on camera. I applied the gloss to the entire lid using the doe foot, then built up a few layers (this product layers surprisingly well given its consistency). I used my finger to press RMS Champagne Fizz Luminizer (this is an opalescent highlighter so the colour worked well with the gloss) into the very centre of the eyelid to catch the light, adding more dimension to the eyelid. I wanted to tie the lips into the look but didn’t want them to compete or appear too thought-out, so rather than using a glossy lip colour I applied a clear balm and pressed some of the same cream highlighter into the cupid’s bow. A balm also works well on the eyelids if you want to tone this look down slightly, however I’ve found that a balm doesn’t last as long on the skin as the gloss as it’s designed to penetrate the skin rather than sit on top of it.
Photographer: Melissa Cowan
Model: Helena at Vivien’s
Makeup: Gemma Watts
