Despite the fact that it’s impossible to generalize “Asian eyes” in a single word, monolids seem to be one of the traits most commonly associated with them. Monolids are characterized by the lack of a prominent crease, and monolidded eyes are usually more almond shaped than round.

I remember thinking how unfair it was as a child that I ended up with my father’s monolidded eyes, while my mother and one of my brothers have a prominent crease. It took me years to see how both were beautiful in their own way, and now my monolids aren’t something I try to work around, but something I enjoy working with!

Sure, round eyes with pronounced creases are beautiful, but so are almond-shaped eyes without a crease.

My naked eye

Now, I know that it’s also impossible to generalize even among people with monolids, as there are different shapes and techniques, and people will sometimes prefer one method over another. Ultimately, it all comes down to what you like and feel comfortable with.

Nowadays, there are even eyelid tapes and glues available to create a crease, if you think it helps you apply makeup, and some even find that applying false lashes gives their eyelids a fold.

In general, I don’t believe in hard and fast rules when it comes to makeup, and I think you should do whatever you’re most comfortable with. The following tips are just some things that have worked well for me.

I know that many readers who come across this post might not have monolids themselves, but why not keep these tips in mind for a friend who does?

The MAC 217 Blending Brush

Tip 1: Blend, blend, blend!

As important as blending is when it comes to eyeshadow application, I think it’s even more important for those of us with monolids, because we lack a natural demarcation between our eyes and brow bones, so if we apply a patch of color right on top of our eyes without blending, it can look a bit unnatural.

Unblended eyeshadow

In the picture below, I’m wearing Urban Decay Verve on the inner half of my eye and Busted on the outer. Personally, I think that once the eyeshadows have been blended, they appear more natural, and add more dimension to the look than a simple patch of color.

Blended eyeshadow

Tip 2: (Don’t) work it into your crease

If you don’t have one, why fight it? I know that dramatic cut-crease looks are gorgeous on our double-lidded counterparts, but if we’re not careful, they can easily look overdone, and dare I say it, a little fake.

While it’s not impossible to emphasize the outer v and bring a bit of the color into our (imaginary) crease, I try to do it with an easily blendable color using a blending brush instead of a pencil brush; otherwise, it can take a looong time to blend the harsh line out afterwards!

Defined outer v

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Spring’s in full swing, and I’m lovin’ almost everything about it. Love the gorgeous green hills, the wildflowers springing up everywhere I turn, the sunny skies, sunsets and longer days, but ah! — that’s not all spring brings. It also brings some seasonal — pardon me — ah-choo! — challenges.

Challenges like…

1. Smudgy eyes

Around this same time every year I develop an inconvenient allergy to nature — pretty much all of it, judging by my watery eyes, itchy throat and incessant sneezing.

Zyrtec usually saves the day, but when it doesn’t, watery eyes often leave me with smudgy eye makeup.

Sure, I could skip wearing eye makeup altogether in spring, but where’s the fun in that?

When my eyes turn to “Aye!” I turn to these time-tested eye makeup-saving tricks…

First, before I apply my makeup, I prime everything — and I mean everything — to lock it down. I apply primer on my lids, in my brows (helps the brow powder stay put), along my lower lash lines and even beneath my eyes. Then, I follow pretty much my regular makeup routine but using long-wearing and/or waterproof eyeshadows, liner and mascara.

2. Fading foundation…

I like these longer days, but the extra sunshine keeps me going from 6 in the morning till 9 at night. My foundation’s gotta last, so again I turn to primer.

Here’s a trick to help your foundation last a little longer: after applying foundation primer, wait 10-15 minutes before blotting with a tissue and applying your foundation.

I’m not exactly sure why, but the extra time seems to help the primer do its thing. My foundation lasts longer before fading, and I find I even use less of it, too.

3. When it comes to hair, wind blows

It’s getting gusty out here in Northern California, and when I wear my shoulder-length hair down, it usually ends up in my gloss. On really windy days, I like headbands, low ponytails and braids.

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Wearing Victoria’s Secret Lipstick in Cabana

The whole world’s obsessed with orange these days! — and by “world,” I mean the fashion and beauty industries. Since Pantone named Tangerine Tango the “Color of the Year,” I haven’t gone two seconds without seeing orange strut down a red carpet somewhere, or grace the pages of a magazine, or pose on a store shelf. Orange is an underrated, bold color, and many people don’t believe they can pull it off.

But they can! Here are five (non-limited edition) wearable orange lipsticks under $13 that are sure to work on any skin tone.

(In all of these pics, I’m wearing Sephora + Pantone Universe’s Apricot Brandy blush.)

1. Victoria’s Secret Lipstick in Cabana ($13)

Cabana is a sheer, coral-orange lipstick with gorgeous specks of gold and staying power of about two hours. It just gives lips a subtle pop of color.

2. Milani Lipstick in Bonfire ($5.49)

Wearing Milani Lipstick in Bonfire

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Having spent a good part of my life in South India, summers really aren’t my favorite time of year, and then there were those days in college walking around a campus without trees! Back then, my summer makeup routine consisted of a shaky line with a black eyeliner, and it hasn’t changed much over the years.

Sure, I take a little extra care with the moisturizer now, and try not to forget my sunscreen, but the last thing I want to do on a glorious (or sweltering!) summer day is spend time in front of the mirror on an elaborate makeup look. In summer, my priorities lie elsewhere, like in the frozen food aisle.

The sooner I get out of the house, the better, and with that in mind, here are 3 quick makeup looks that I depend on each summer.

1. Fresh-faced and natural

This look has always been a favorite with my husband, and for a while I walked around with the mistaken belief that it had something to do with the way I look! Turns out, it has more to do with how fast I can be ready to head out the door.

Much as I hate accepting that he’s right about anything, the lazy side of me has to agree with him on this one. It’s not every day that I have passably clear skin, but on days that I do, this is my go-to makeup.

First, I dab some corrector/concealer on my dark circles to make them a little less scary. Then, I use a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen in it, and apply foundation only to my problem areas. I wait a few minutes for that to set, and then blot with a tissue to remove any excess. I finish with a powder to set — only on the shiny areas that need it the most, like around my nose and chin.

Next, I dust on a matte brown eyeshadow, a black liner for tightlining (I lift the upper eyelid slightly to help with the lining), and a dark mascara to brighten the eyes.

That’s it! All done — well, almost. Rather than using a bronzer, I prefer peach-coral blushes that give a natural flush of colour with a hint of summer tan. And a dab of coral or pink lipgloss.

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Do you remember your first pieces of makeup? I do. I remember one of them. It was a Maybelline trio with three matte neutral shades in it, and I got it when I was a freshman at university.

That’s really when I started venturing into makeup, and my friends had some very good advice: “Just use something that doesn’t scream ‘color’ but gives your eyes some dimension.”

If I remember it right, that trio was roughly the equivalent of Urban Decay Foxy, Naked, and Buck.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Even professional makeup artists would tell you not to underestimate the power of good neutrals, and I remain a fan of them to this day, but what if you’ve been dabbling in the neutral waters for a while and feel like making a colorful change?

You may not feel comfortable leaping from Naked palettes to peacock colors and mermaid eyes right away. So what can you do to make the transition a little easier?

Below are a few tips to help beginners ease their way into the fantastic world of color!

Products mentioned today

Tip 1: Try a colorful eyeliner on your lower lash line

Products: MAC Macroviolet, UD Rockstar, UD Ransom, UD Mildew, UD Stash, Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Emerald Green

From left to right: MAC Macroviolet, UD Rockstar, UD Ransom, UD Mildew, UD Stash, Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Emerald Green

If you feel like keeping most of your eyes neutral, a pop of color along your lower lash line is one easy way to spice things up. You can even go over the eyeliner with a neutral eyeshadow to bring the intensity down a notch.

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