Jodi Urichuk is a makeup artist who hails from Calgary, but has been working in Toronto for the past couple of decades, with celebrities ranging from Helen Mirren to Serena Williams, Metallica to the Rolling Stones. “Makeup is supposed to be fun at any age,” she says, adding that she turns 50 herself this year. “I rocked a full liquid glitter eye out to a concert. Because my eyes are hooded and the lid is hardly seen, that sparkle and loads of mascara brought the look to life.” She says she knows people say that after a certain age sparkle is frowned upon, “but I feel that is a person by person statement. I don’t like to make rules in regards to makeup. I think it’s about your comfort level and what ultimately gives you confidence or ‘swagger’, as I like to say.”
First Urichuk explains why our eyes look smaller as we age: loss of elasticity as the result of age and sun exposure, decreased collagen levels, volume loss (light no longer bounces off your facial contours equally and the high points get more light leaving the concave areas in the dark). On top of which, many of us end up with ‘acquired ptosis’, when the levator muscles that keep your upper eyelids from drooping weaken. The secret is adjusting your makeup to complement where your eyes are at the moment, she says. That means less dark liners around the perimeter of the eye or the waterline. “But you still absolutely can wear eyeliner as you get older, ” she says. The secret weapon is primer. “It’s changed the game for keeping eyeshadow in place, primer creates a smooth canvas for applying eyeshadow.” Her top recommendation is MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base.
The goal in applying makeup to aging eyes is to open them up. Here are Urichuk’s tips for creating that illusion. If you still want to do a cat’s eye or a wing, per our reader question, “Start with a soft matte shadow applied with a fine brush before you commit to something more lasting like a gel,” she says. “Make a soft sweep upwards and out as far as you are comfortable with.” The brush in question is called a pencil brush—its narrow tip gives you more control—and it’s a magnificent multi-tasker. “You can smudge out your eyeliner, soften and blend your lip liner or lip tint, smoke up your eyeshadow and most importantly it gives control around the delicate eye area.” Try Canadian-made Rephr brushes, in sizes 23, 03 or 26. “Start your line thin, and diffuse any hard lines with the brush,” she says. Only then do you commit to the more smudge-proof version of a liner. Urichuk offers a wealth of options for eyeliners with staying power: Makeup Forever Aqua Resist Color Pencil; Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner; and Diorshow On Stage Crayon. For mechanical pencils, she suggests Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Perfect Strokes Longwear & Waterproof Gel Liner and L’Oréal Paris Infallible Mechanical Gel Eyeliner. “Both are self-sharpening,” she says, “which is genius.”
You don’t have to exclusively use eye pencil to line your eyes. “I often use eyeshadows or shadow sticks as liner. They’re so creamy and easy to blend and have zero fallout,” she says. Try out shades in Nars Total Seduction Eyeshadow Stick and L’Oréal Paris Le Shadow Stick, which are both crease-resistant multitaskers. “A tip with anything long-wear or self-setting is to work quickly when blending or smudging, and always do one eye at a time.”
As for powder shadows, these can get stuck in creases on skin as we age, even with primer. But, she says, you can smear-proof your look with clever pro tools, such as Inglot Duraline. This is a waterless clear liquid that transforms powder into a water-resistant liquid while simultaneously intensifying the colour.
Urichuk is a fan of temporary false lashes, and like most makeup artists I know, advocates individual lashes rather than full sets. Now, this may be above your skill level (as it is mine), but I’ve had makeup artists apply them for events and they are truly wonderful. The brand she recommends is Ardell Faux Mink Individual lashes, adding that the short size is her go-to choice. “Using false lashes is a great way to open up and give a lifting effect to any eye shape,” she says. “I find these the easiest to apply both to myself and all my clients.”
For lash systems (I did not know there even were lash systems!), she says to check out Kiss Falscara or Lashify. “These are applied on the underside of your lashes so that they appear more like your actual lashes,” she says. “They lift and open up the look of the eyes, and blend seamlessly”
Her top mascara picks include: L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Panorama Mascara; MAC Extended Play Mascara; Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara. “These formulations are amazing for zero transfer, and they wash off with ease,” she says “The more gentle we are when removing mascara, the better it is in the long run to prevent further degradation of the collagen in and around your eyes.” Big tip there, kids: Do not rub your eyes! I need to be reminded of that on the regular.
“If you’re someone who likes to contour your eyes,” says Urichuk, “it’s important to adjust placement as you age. If you have a hooded eye shape or eyelid ptosis, look straight in the mirror, find where your crease is, and apply your shadow with a fluffy blending brush just above your crease as opposed to directly in it for a more wide-eyed effect.” Another trick for opening up the eye is to keep the inner corners of your eyes soft and bright. Use a satin finish highlight shade on the inner corner to add radiance.
Finally, we get to brows, the all important frame for your eyes. “I’m starting to go slightly grey, therefore it’s looking like I have bald spots,” says Urichuk. To fill in and give back some colour, try using a brow pencil with a very fine tip to mimic individual brow hairs, like Glossier Boy Brow Arch.
There is nothing wrong with pursuing a little bit of tint for both lashes and brows, but Urichuk recommends you do a load of research into practitioners to measure whether they are going to listen to you. “Some people’s idea of subtle or natural is not what you might think it is.” Take a look at their websites, and avoid brow artists who go too heavy on the microblading, or too dark in colour. As we age, skin tones change and fade along with hair colour; you want a brow tech who can tailor your brow colour to complement those changes.
So the message is, don’t give up on having pretty, or even sparkly, eye makeup. Invest in the right tools and products and you can leave the raccoon-eye look to the ones who wear it best, our furry friends.
Always asking questions,
—Leanne Delap
