How to become a spectacles

Bobbi Brown, the makeup artist who founded a celebrated cosmetics line, wears eyeglasses, so she knows what’s needed to make sure the frames don’t obscure your gorgeous eyes.
Brown’s new book, “Bobbi Brown Everything Eyes”, shows how simple it is in just a few steps to colour your eyes and achieve beautiful “eyes that pop” – even when you’re wearing specs.
After introducing the basic techniques and the right tools and products, the books explains how to get that smokey or retro-glam look. Toward the end is the low-down on making your eyes stand out from under the lenses.
Brown started wearing glasses in the 1970s but only has them on occasionally, mostly when reading. The book reveals how passionate and knowledgeable she is on the subject, even including a history of eyewear from a fashion perspective.
Readers get tips on how to choose the right glasses, given that spectacles make an instant statement. You can be immediately characterised as trendy, a hipster, chic or the classic type.
Finding the right frames to flatter your facial features starts with pulling your hair back to see if yours is oval, heart-shaped, round or square. What you want is frames in a shape that contrasts with your face shape. The top of the frames should follow the line of brows – you don’t want too much eyebrow exposed above or below.
Brown says black and tortoiseshell frames look good on anyone, while bold colours can brighten your complexion. The colour can compliments your eye tone as well. Still, Brown prefers “nude” hues, at least on the inside of black frames, if not to whole rig. It’s “modern and classic” and works on nearly everyone, she says.
Brown next offers her favourite ways to apply makeup when you’re wearing glasses. The eyeliner is the key, adding definition from behind the lenses. Second, define the brows with a shadow that’s the same shade as your hair colour to ensure that the glasses don’t “overpower” your face.
Next, waterproof mascara won’t smudge on the lenses. Fourth, big, strong frames mean you can get away with stronger makeup, but nude-tone shades demand a lighter touch with the makeup. Choose softer shadow colour and create definition with a dark liner and mascara.
Fifth, the colour of your eye shadow mustn’t compete with the colour of the glasses. If you use the same colour, try a base hue that’s a shade lighter and go a few shades darker for the crease colour. Finish off with black liner and mascara.
For an “easy” look, go with a bold colour on your lips and just corrector, concealer and mascara for your eyes. Pop on the glasses and you’re done!
““Bobbi Brown Everything Eyes” is available in April 2014 for Bt494 at Kinokuniya and Asia Books.