Beauty School for the Blind: Drama Class

Anybody who knows me knows that I'm blind as a bat.  Seriously, the eye doctors can't even get me to see 20/20 anymore.  I can't tell you how many times I've gone to optometrists and heard the surprise in their voice when they give me that initial vision test and I can only see the big "E" on the top.  I'm not even sure if I can actually see it anymore or if I've just memorized it at this point.  And it's complete hell trying to put on makeup without contacts in.  And by "trying to put makeup on", I mean poking myself in the eye with whatever brush or pencil I have in my hand.  And you don't want to know what kind of liner monstrosity I end up with on my lash line.  But I like wearing my glasses and don't want to be restricted from wearing makeup just because of that.  This is why I decided to do a glasses look for you guys.  Not one of those "what makeup looks good with glasses" type of post but instead a "how to avoid stabbing yourself in the eye 50 times and not look like a 3-year old scribbled on your lid" type of post.  Read on for info on how I got this look, list of products, and tips for applying makeup with glasses if you can't see more than 3 inches in front of you!

Eyes

Obviously the eyes are gonna be your biggest problem because you have to either take your glasses off to apply shadow/liner/mascara or try to work around your glasses.  I found it easiest for me to just take them off.  The eyeliner is the biggest challenge for me, since I suck at eyeliner in general in the first place.  I tried practicing with pencils, gel liners, and liquid liners without glasses and it just wouldn't work.  For some reason I find using a black shadow MUCH easier, even when I'm wearing my contacts.  So that's what I do first, apply a line with a black shadow from the middle of my top lashline to the outer corner with a small angled liner brush.  I don't bother lining the whole line like I normally prefer because that's just asking for trouble.  I also try to blend the liner up a bit with the brush by just flicking the brush up.  Don't worry if it's a little sloppy because it won't matter after you're done the shadow, that's why we do the liner first so we can cover it up but still maintain depth at the lashes.  


For the shadow, fancy outer V and crease colors aren't happening today.  In fact, I really don't recommend using any shadow that you would need a brush for.  If you can't see that far in front of you, chances are that there isn't much space between your face and the mirror, so you probably don't have enough room for a brush.  That's why I really suggest using a cream shadow that you can apply with your finger.  Concentrating most of the pigmentation at the lower, outer half of the lid & lashline (where the liner is), apply and blend the cream shadow.  Notice how the mistakes you may have made with the liner get covered up while the darkness of the liner creates dimension underneath the shadow.


There is nothing you can do with the mascara but be careful.  When I'm wearing my contacts and can see properly, I don't hesitate to place the mascara wand at the base and then wiggle up through the lashes.  However, when I'm doing a look with glasses, I just lightly and cautiously approach my lashes with the wand and comb through what I feel comfortable doing.  I don't try for going at the base line because I usually just end up hitting my lid instead.


I can do my brows with my glasses on, so this isn't difficult for me.  Whether or not you can do that depends on the size and position of your glasses and the position of your brows.  If you have to take your glasses off to do this, it's pretty much the same deal as the mascara:  nothing you can do but be careful.  I would suggest just using a brow pencil to make a single line along the bottom of your brow and then using a spoolie to blend it through, repeating until desired darkness is achieved.


Products:

• Wet n' Wild Greed Palette (Matte Black Shadow only) as a liner halfway on the top lashline
• E.L.F. Studio Cream Shadow in Purple Pleaser all over lid
• Buxom Lash Mascara
• Maybelline Define-A-Brow Pencil in Dark Brown

Face

Things get really easy once the eyes are done.  I don't like applying foundation when I'm wearing glasses because I'm always scared when I take my glasses off I'll have a stripe on the sides of my face and nose.  If had to apply something I would probably go with a powder.  I do apply a bit of concealer underneath my eyes to lighten that area up a bit since my glasses can cast a shadow there, making it look darker than it already is.  Concealer may be even more important to you if you have the type of glasses that magnify your eye area as imperfections may become even more apparent, so do take that into account.  I also don't like to do much with the cheeks because with where the bottom of my glasses sit I just feel like it's a little much, especially when doing a more dramatic look.  So all I do is take a bit of bronzer on the cheeks for a small boost of color.  

Products:

• E.L.F. Contour Blush & Bronzing Duo (Bronzer side only) lightly swept over cheeks
• Almay Bright Eyes Concealer in Medium under eyes

Lips

The best thing about doing makeup for glasses is you can get away with more dramatic/bright/colorful looks.  Glasses kind of dull the intensity of your eye makeup so if you want to set your look off to another level, try a bold lip to make up for that intensity lost in your eyes.  

Products:

• Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Berry Queen

I hope that helps those of you who are visually challenged like me.  I spent a lot of money on my glasses so I shouldn't have to be inconvenienced to wear them and neither should you.  Glasses can be a great accessory if you work with them :)    

How do you like to wear your makeup with your glasses?