Bobbi Brown’s make-up tips for girls who wear glasses

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It’s a hallelujah moment for spec-wearers. Make-up artist extraordinaire and glasses-wearer since the 1970s, Bobbi Brown launched her signature line of eyewear last year. ‘It’s no secret,’ she says, ‘that I love glasses – they make an instant statement.’ But a pair of specs needs to be the right one and Bobbi’s aim is to teach women ‘how to select frames that enhance their natural beauty and complement their skin tones and personal style’. Her own black-rimmed ‘Sport’ frames – oversized and rectangular – are so quintessentially Bobbi, it’s hard to visualise her without them. Being glam in glasses is also a matter of getting your makeup just right because your eyes can get lost behind frames: about 70 per cent of eye makeup disappears so you need to emphasise your orbs. Also – something we hadn’t really thought of until we had a Behind the Glasses makeup lesson - some specs magnify your eyes so you don't want to wear as much eyeliner, because that can be most of what the onlooker sees.

Do book in for a Behind The Glasses lesson if you have the time and can get to one: it’s invaluable. Find your nearest option via the website, www.bobbibrown.co.uk, under Makeup Lessons. There’s lots of information on the website too, and also in Bobbi’s book Everything Eyes, which has an extensive chapter (called Hey Four Eyes….) on everything to do with choosing glasses and makeup - lots of good pictures too.

Here are the take home tips that we found the most useful:

• Start by prepping your under eye with corrector and concealer if you have any discoloration: lenses magnify dark circles.

• Moisturise and prep eyelids, sweeping a neutral shadow over the entire lid, apply a complementary colour to the crease and blend, blend, blend.

• Choose shades that complement both your eyes and the colour of your frames. Your eye shadow colour shouldn't compete with the colour of your glasses.

• If your glasses are delicate, in a nude shade, or rimless, choose a soft colour eye shadow, creating definition with dark liner and mascara.

• If you want to do the same colour as your frames on your eyelids, try a base hue that’s a shade lighter and go a few shades darker for the crease colour.

• If you have a bold frame, you can opt for stronger makeup. Eyeliner is key: the thicker the frame, the more eyeliner you need.

• Apply gel eyeliner on the top lash line. Use powder liner for a thin line under your eye and always smudge that so it’s softer: a straight defined line can close up the eye.

• If your eyes are hooded, apply liner under lashes to magically add definition (dubbed a ‘tight’ or ‘hard line’); hold up the top lashes to apply if you’re doing it yourself. It can be a tad queasy-making at first but do persist.

• Use two coats of waterproof mascara, which won’t smudge on your lenses.

• Don't forget your eyebrows: fill in with shadow that matches your hair colour and add definition if necessary. You don't want your brows to disappear behind the top line of the frame.