I’ve been wearing glasses since I was six years old and contacts since I was 10. Pretty much as soon as my mother and doctor let me I made the switch to contacts. Wearing my thick, heavy glasses was torture my entire childhood, made exponentially worse by the fact that it made me an easy target for the mean kids at school. It was like wearing a bulls-eye on my back that I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. On more than one occasion I had my glasses explode off my face when I was hit in the face by a ball, enduring not only the humiliation of being smacked in public, but then scrambling around blindly trying to find them. Needless to say, when I started having allergy-related eye problems after my move to New York a few years back and found myself wearing glasses more often than I preferred, I was NOT pleased.
I’ve long associated wearing my glasses with feeling frumpy — I wear them in the mornings and at night before bed and that’s it. It’s hard to feel put together when they’re constantly sliding down my face. I was in fancy pajamas/no makeup/glasses mode all winter, but now that spring is beginning to show itself I want to feel good about myself while also wearing my glasses. And it’s not to say that I actually think women in glasses aren’t fierce, because I know they are. It’s just that I, Lourdes Avila Uribe, have never felt fierce in them. But that has changed! I knew the key to feeling good in my glasses was to figure out a way to highlight my eyes and make my makeup stand out and I’m here to share it with you!
I like to keep my eyes fairly neutral under glasses, since they are basically magnifying glasses. No need to scare anyone. I start with a nude base called Bootycall from Urban Decay Naked2 palette all over my eyelid and under my brows. Then I use Naked3’s Burnout, a nice shimmery gold on the lid — it’s neutral enough that it doesn’t draw too much attention, but it adds a bit of sparkle. Then I finish it off with Naked3’s Strange in the inner corners of my eyes and on my brow bone for a little highlight. I do tend to draw my liquid liner on a bit thicker with glasses, and I like to add a flick of a cat-eye for a little fun. It’s an easy way to jazz it up without making it overly bold, especially for the every day. I just went with my regular ol’ Maybelline Liquid Liner in Black.
I’m using Son & Park Air Chou foundation since it is magic at making my skin look even, airbrushed, and flawless without feeling too heavy. I certainly don’t want my glasses to be sliding down my greasy lil face! I went with a light dusting of Alima Pure blush in Sahara for a slight glow that wouldn’t clash with the lips, which are obviously the star of the show here.
Son & Park Air Tint Lip Cube in Rosy Coral
I was super excited to try the Son & Park Air Tint Lip Cube, and it didn’t disappoint. I went with the Rosy Coral, a perfectly festive spring shade if you ask me! I love that it’s bright and takes the focus away from my glasses without being too “in your face” about it all. When you first apply it there’s a really pleasant minty tingle that leads me to believe it may be slightly plumping. It’s really hydrating without being sticky, and it stays put. I was worried that I would eat it off really easily because it has a thinner consistency than expected, but I’m pleased to report that it stayed put through coffee, water, lip biting, and a “healthy muffin.”
I think a bold lip will always be the way I go when trying to distract myself from feeling glum in my glasses. It’s a quick confidence builder and always makes me feel like I’m put together and ready to take on the world.