Bigger, Brighter Eyes

Because our eyes are often the first feature that people notice about us, perfecting that 'big and bright' makeup look is a seriously handy skill! Using the right makeup and skincare products, you can make it look as though you've had 8 hours of sleep, even when you only got a fraction of that! Gone are the days where we like to plaster our lids in dark kohl liner, now it's all about going bigger and brighter.

Of course, long term it's crucial to get a good night's sleep (8 hours) and stay hydrated. Especially during winter when our skin gets dry, we need to make sure we are drinking enough water to keep our eyes looking dazzling white. Eye drops can help, but hydration and plenty of rest and sleep are by far the most effective way of having naturally bright eyes.

Choosing a brilliant eye cream will brighten, hydrate, and work to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and fatigue - the best way to start your bigger and brighter eye routine. I may only be 23 but my eye area is already an area of concern and I've recently become addicted to the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye cream. It's a rich gel-like texture which you apply the smallest amount of to the eye area, with short term and long term benefits it fights signs of fatigue, puffiness and dark circles, as well as fine lines and pollution. The difference is noticeable within just a few days of using this cream, I'm already noticing a brighter and more vibrant eye area!

A bright creamy shadow can make your eyes look bigger and brighter, one of my favourites is the Benefit Creaseless cream eyeshadow in the shade Bikini Tini. Bringing the cream into the inner corner of your eyes will make the whites look brighter, and open up your eyes giving you an instant doe eyed appearance. To create more definition, using a slightly darker (but not dark!) eye crayon such as the Elizabeth Arden Eyeshadow Stylo in Sunkissed Pearl over the crease to extend the illusion of bigger eyes.

If you want to give the illusion of larger eyes, apply mascara to upper lashes only. Application on the lower lashes can close the eye area, but using a volumising mascara such as the Pixi Lengthy Fibre mascara (which has silk filaments which add to the volume of your lashes) and curled lashes can make your eyes look bigger in seconds!

Under eye concealer can hide any discolouration as well as illuminating the under eye area. My favourite is the By Terry Terrybly Densilis concealer - it's a fair shade but without being too light, it brightens and conceals, is lightweight and doesn't crease (never a good look!). Unlike other concealers that I've tried, the By Terry concealer not only covers darkness in the short term, but also contains ingredients which work to age-correct and firm your under eye area!

While white eyeliner in the waterline used to be the trend, it always looks a little stark and obvious! Only recently have I discovered flesh coloured pencils, and the Charlotte Tilbury Nude Eye Cheat is universal nude tone which instantly gives the illusion of wider, fuller eyes. It's the smoothest liner I've ever applied with a soft waxy texture, and unlike budget alternatives it stays put for hours and hours and contains ingredients which stimulate collagen production! Oh, and it's waterproof too!

How do you make your eyes look bigger and brighter?

xoxo

New In from Pixi Beauty

Pixi is a brand that I rave about regularly on my blog and YouTube, and their new launches for this Autumn are set to bring about even more lusting, but I thought I'd introduce you to a few of my favourites. As always the packaging is absolutely on point, this time with some rose gold metallic touches, but it's what's inside that really gets my heart racing!

Firstly, there is finally a mascara with those little silk fibres in it, that actually works to give you super fluttery pumped up lashes, without the fibres all flaking into your eye!! I was wary of this when I first tried it having had bad experiences with other brands, but the Pixi Lengthy Fiber mascara gives you all the volume, without the irritation. The silk fibres look like your real lashes, but with twice the volume this really is like false eyelashes in a  bottle!

I would never have chosen Pixi as a top choice for lipsticks, until I tried the new Mattelustre lipsticks. Not only are the colours exactly what I've been looking for for my Summer-going-on-Autumn lip, but the formula is beyond perfection. Although giving a demi-matte finish, the lipsticks apply like a balm, and lips immediately feel moisturised. For a lipstick that feels so good, the wear is surprisingly good, with hours going by before I need to touch up. Fortified with peptides, hyaluronic acid and vitamins, the lips look fuller and feel smoother from just the very first application.

Another newbie is their Hydrating Milky Mist, which is a godsend for those with sensitive skin. An �ber soothing mist which hydrates and calms the skin, it's perfect if you suffer from dryness or sensitivity. With ingredients such as black oat, linoleic acid and provitamin A, this mist is the ideal 'first step' in your beauty routine to bring moisture to the first layer of skin before you apply serums or makeup.

The 24k Eye Elixir is another special product. Not only as it has tiny particles of gold within it but because the results are almost instantaneous. With a cooling rollerball applicator, puffy eyes are given a gentle head start towards de-puffing, and circulation is boosted around the eye area as you massage it in. The formula itself is infused with anti-aging ingredients which work to refresh eyes and also prevent signs of fatigue, and long term use helps to repair the delicate skin around the eyes and plump up any fine lines, thanks to the collagen and peptides within the formula.

I'd buy the Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist based purely on the packaging because it's so darn beautiful! The mist is so pleasurable to apply, it feels gorgeous on the skin and has an incredible fragrance thanks to the rose water and green tea infused formula. It keeps your makeup from budging, melting, or settling into any fine lines or pores and you can apply before or after your makeup (or both!) to set and create a luminous, flawless finish. My only quibble with it is that is sprays quite harshly, in that I mean sometimes my face can become a little wet, so instead of spraying directly onto my face, I mist into a cloud and walk into it. Problem solved.

One more exciting launch from Pixi is their skincare range, which I am still currently trialling. Including face masks, exfoliating pads, cleansers and night creams, the range, as you can imagine, looks good, smells good, and, on first impressions, does good too, so I can't wait to give you a full review once I've tested the products out for a little longer!

Which are your favourite pieces from the new collection?