The past decade has brought so much serious style to eyewear, they’ve become a fashion accessory in their own right. You’ve probably even found yourself ditching your contacts in favor of showing off your stylish frames any chance you get. For those times you want to dress to impress, glasses and all, here are some makeup tips to help polish off your look.

Clean your glasses

You wouldn’t step out with a stained and wrinkled shirt, so make sure your glasses are smudge free! Give them a good wipe on the lenses and on the nose pads, too. It’ll not only keep your face clean from bacteria and oil, but will help your glasses sit nicely over your makeup.

Use a magnifying or handheld mirror

Not all of us are bestowed with vision that still allows us to function in the world without glasses, so while doing your makeup, you may need a little help in the vision department. A magnifying or handheld mirror comes in handy for exactly that.

Setting powder is key

On days you’ll be wearing glasses and makeup, don’t forget to use setting powder. It’ll help stop your frames from sliding down your nose and ruining your face makeup but also help keep your foundation in place if your glasses touch your face.

Brighten your under eyes

Glasses can cast a shadow around your eyes, so you’ll want to brighten the area to counteract the effect. To achieve this, choose a light-reflecting concealer, or one slightly lighter than your skin tone for your under eye area. You can also use a very light, almost white eyeshadow in the inner corners of the eye and under your brow bone to amplify the effect.

Define your eyes with eyeshadow

Make your eyes pop by contouring your eyes with eyeshadow. After applying color all over your lid, pick up a medium matte shade onto a fluffy brush and apply it by following your crease, creating a wash of color above the eye. Don’t forget to blend!

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Go bold!

The days you wear glasses are perfect for experimenting with different makeup looks. Bolder is better as you’ll want your eyes to stand out against your frames, so try out that colored eyeliner, cat eye or smoky eyeshadow look. Alternatively, you can choose to make a statement with bright lipstick instead and balance it out with a more neutral eye.  

Choose volume, not length for your lashes

To avoid long lashes brushing up against your glasses and smudging your lenses, concentrate on giving your eyelashes volume instead with a volumizing mascara. You can even go a little thicker with your eyeliner to help give the illusion of even bigger lashes.

Adjust your brows accordingly

Depending on the style of your glasses, adjust your brow makeup to the frames you’re wearing that day. If you’ve got on thick, dark glasses, leave your eyebrows more natural so they don’t overpower your frames. If your glasses are more subtle, don’t be afraid to go for a thicker brow.

No matter what kind of look you’re going for, glasses are a great way to switch up your style and makeup routine so have fun and don’t be afraid to try something new!