[trip style = any]
If you only do ONE thing to your face when you travel—besides moisturizing and concealing—it's this: Apply a nude hue to your waterline. Waterlining, or the practice of tracing your lower lid's inner rim with a lightly-colored eye pencil, gives the eye-opening illusion you're awake and alert, which is a travelista's BFF after an early-morning wake-up or transcontinental flight.
Think of like the anti smoky eye. While black kohl liners create a sexy squint for nighttime drama, the opposite is true for lighter shades—they brighten your eyes.
Make-up artists use this genius hack to make on-camera personalities' peepers pop, and it's the single most important cheat in my travel make-up routine {and the reason I walk off long haul flights looking fresh instead of frazzled}. Bonus: When Baby Styler is teething and I feel {and look} like I'm in another time zone, waterlining masks my red-rimmed eyes, giving the illusion that I have a perfect baby.
As for choosing a barely-there color for your waterline, it's a little like wedding dress shopping—there are a million shades of white. To help you decide what shade is best pour vous, I've sketched my waterline with three different shades: ivory, shimmer and nude:
Wearing a nude pencil. According to my make-up artist friend, this is one of the best overall shades and pencils for all skin tones: MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NW20 {$29}.
Wearing a silver shimmer pencil {drugstore brand} for a daytime glow like JLo. The look is subtle enough for everyday use, and it's my new favorite waterlining shade.
Wearing an ivory pencil {drugstore brand}. This look is best for when you want your eyes to pop in a swinging '60s way, and the most obvious ocular enhancement. Apply only one pencil-swipe per eye or you'll look like you belong on stage at a go-go dancing club.
Trip Styler Tips
- Waterproof liner has the best staying power
- Make sure the pencil isn't too sharp
- Pull your lower lid down when applying the pencil for the most accurate trace
- Some make-up junkies swear by the long-lasting effects of shu uemura's Drawing Pencils {$28}, but it's always a good idea to keep your pencil nearby for re-application
- For an even more enhanced eye, line the inner corner of your peepers with the same eye-opening hue
Related
Travel Beauty :: Concealer Map
Travel Beauty :: Jetlag Busters
Carry-On Creature Comforts
[photos by @tripstyler]