Awaken Tired Eyes With Easy, Brightening Makeup Tricks

Make eyes look bigger with makeup tips

The biggest giveaway when we're tired? Heavily-lidded eyes. Yet somehow, despite non-stop schedules, celebrities on the carpet never seem to look sleep-deprived. We want in on that action.

So we tapped E! Style Collective member and celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbow—who recently created this eye-widening look for Taylor Schilling—to show us how to create alert eyes that appear bright and wide (even if you're struggling just to keep them open).

Define brows: Shape brows to give them lift. "A well shaped brow is key to lifting and brightening the whole eye as well," Turnbow said.

Illuminate the lid: Create a dewy eyelid for a widening effect. Lightly vail the lids with a luminosity-boasting product, such as a creme eyeshadow, illuminizer or even a lotion like Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, something Turnbow uses on her clients to pick up light and make the eye pop.

Create definition: Slightly shade the upper eyelid crease with an eyeshadow color just a few gradients darker than your skin to create a shadow and give it depth (think: light browns, taupes, or caramel or deeper brown colors, depending on your skin tone). "Stay away from grey and black to shade for this look," Turnbow said. "They can look too dirty and dark."

Embed liner: Tightline the upper lashline with a brown liquid or pencil liner, like MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy, being careful to apply the liner into the root of the lash. Next, do like Emma Stone and smudge the entire length of the line with a cotton swab to make it nearly undetectable. This will give the lashes more pop. Then, use a nude eyeliner or brightening pencil, like Sigma Beauty Inner Rim Brightener, to line the lower waterline of the eyes and open them up even further.

Magnify lashes: Curl lashes and apply a few light coats of defining mascara on top and bottom to help create the doll-eyed effect, Turnbow suggested. Tarte Lights Camera Lashes boasts a buildable formula and a brush that separates each lash for a maximum look.

Brighten with blush: You'd think creating the illusion of bigger eyes would require focusing on eye makeup only. But Turnbow points out that adding color to the cheeks can help attract focus to the eyes and brighten them as well. A creamy formula, like La Prairie Radiance Cream Blush, keeps the overall makeup look natural and dewy.

Instant-alert achieved!