Your Easter Eyes

Darlings, I’ve been noticing that many of us d’un certain age (French for “don’t ask me how old I am”) are suffering the unnecessary effects of heavily shadowed eyes, and I don’t mean shadowed by Max Factor, but by stress, sleeplessness, and the burdens of serving the Lord. Some of us look like we’ve spent more time in the tomb than Lazarus, but not to worry, dear and reverend friends, PeaceBang is here to help!

Just put a wee pump of L’Oreal’s Infallible Make-Up, which is just genius at creating a nice, even complexion and staying on all day, onto your hand. Make sure your face is clean and moisturized, and that the moisurizer has had a minute or two to soak in (and you know that moisturizer should have an SPF, right? Don’t count on your make-up’s SPF — it’s dinky and doesn’t provide the necessary UVA/UVB protection, no matter what it says).

Dot the make-up on your face and blend, blend, blend but here’s the important tip: DON’T forget to put the merest amount ON your eyelids and under them, and all the way into the corner of the eye. That’s where all the shadows are! Erase them! Don’t feel you have to slap the foundation on every inch of your face. The idea is to get a shade that matches perfectly (Classic Ivory is PeaceBang’s perfect match) and to even out the skin tone, not make you look like a china doll.

Now, if you’re over 25 and you want to protect your eyes from developing crow’s feet (which are a charming sign of character, of course, but charming in moderation), you want to have also applied Kiehl’s Ultra Protection Moisturizing Eye Gel SPF 15 under your eye. Dab, dab, dab, don’t rub. Men, you too. The lovely side effect of using this particular product is that it gives your skin the merest hint of a glow that stays and stays all day. This eye cream is inexpensive enough that I keep one in my bag for touch-ups and between that and my big sunglasses, I swear my crow’s feet are much diminished from a few years ago. Of course I also use a heavier eye cream at night. Find one and use it. Religiously.

If you’re not devoted to eye shadow (and I’m not as of late — too creasy), a dusting of illuminating powder will brighten the area nicely and set off your eyeliner, if you wear it. I do. MAC black liquid, which I don’t recommend if you’re not dramatic and steady of hand.

Clinique makes a nifty shadow duo that comes in a cunning silver case with a sponge applicator AND a little brush (and a mirror that is large enough to actually use! O joy of joys!) that seems to me would work with most complexions. It’s very sheer and it’s called Rose Wine. The Rose is a lovely soft powder color to wear all over your lid, and the Wine is a lovely very light brown/purple shade that works as a contrast color or to smudge on as eyeliner. This is the kind of make-up that women who don’t want to wear make-up can handle. Heavens, I’ve got it on now and you can hardly tell anything’s there.

I’m sorry, but I don’t think mascara is optional. I’m very orthodox that way. I’m devoted to CoverGirl Remarkable in black, because it washes off with gentle soap and you don’t have to slather on a bunch of pore-clogging mineral oil to get it off.

Don’t forget to find that eyebrow pencil we were talking about. Frame the face! Frame the face! Don’t overpluck! Get professional help if you need it! Every decent salon nowadays has an eyebrow specialist and it’s a $10 investment, once or twice a year.

PeaceBang Recommends:

Kiehl’s Ultra Protection Moisturizing Eye Gel SPF 15
L’Oreal Infallible Never Fail Make-Up
Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Rose Wine
CoverGirl Remarkable Washable Mascara