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Shimmer strategically placed at the inner corners of your eyes is the ultimate makeup trick
True story: before YouTube and TikTok existed, I learned how to do makeup by watching episodes of What Not to Wear. The show's resident makeup artist, Carmindy , was—and still is!—an absolute wealth of knowledge on elevating your everyday makeup routine. One of the tricks I learned from her that has stayed with me for decades is the importance of adding shimmer to the inner corner of your eyes.
“We all recede on the inside corner of the eyes, and it just gets deeper with age. The best makeup trick is to add a little highlighter to that little inside cavern. The highlighter bounces light from the deep spot, which will turn it into a spotlight, making the eyes look wide awake and showcase them,” the makeup artist tells Bazaar . “I started doing this trick on What Not To Wea r back in 2003, as I was already doing it on models on photoshoots, and taught all women the power of that super quick fix. I called it Carmindizing.”
You could use whatever highlighter you already own to achieve the look, but some formulas are better suited to the inner-eye area than others. “Don’t choose chunky glitter formulas as the glitter particles are too big. Instead, opt for pearlescent glowing highlighters,” the expert says. And while the artist says matte formulas can read too flat, some options below can help brighten the eye without excess shimmer—if that's what you're into.
Ahead, a short list of my favorite powder, stick, and pencil formulas to highlight and brighten your inner eyes.
A beauty product rarely surprises me, but I was not expecting this Chanel eyeshadow to be anything other than a frosty white. When applied to the inner corner of the eyes or layered over another eyeshadow, shifting blue-green metallic pigments add instant frosty brightness and a subtle pop of color. The effect is nothing short of beautiful.
This is the only eyeshadow I reach for on days when I just want to bring a little life to my face. It's glittery, but the shimmer is so fine that it looks more like fairy dust than confetti. It adds the prettiest sheer light to the inner corner of my eyes, but I also love to blend it across my entire lid. You have to work quickly, though: the formula sets within seconds and lasts all day.
This genius shimmer crayon was invented by makeup artist Donni Davy, whose work on Euphoria is now the stuff of beauty legend. The tapered tip is ideal for tracing along the lashline or inner corner, but it blends easily enough to cover the entire lid. It leaves behind a high-impact sparkle that begs to be photographed.
This pencil has a creamy highlighter on one side and a smudge tip on the other. It can be applied on the inner corner of the eyes, inside the waterline, and even on your nose or Cupid's bow to brighten with precision.
I trust makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic with my life, and also anything related to highlighting or contouring. For that reason, his brand's Master Crystal Reflector in the shade Bronzite is on this list. The bouncy powder is sheer but buildable, so you can precisely control the level of shine. Though it applies translucently, a little truly goes a long way. The shade Bronzite is a great warm yellow, but if you prefer a more traditional icy white for your inner corners, try the formula in the shade…