There’s a reason why we love the princesses of our childhood—and it’s not solely because of their pretty ball gowns and epic love stories. Nope, it’s their big doe eyes that make it impossible to look away. There’s just something about the appearance of big eyes that makes someone’s overall beauty look seem more youthful. If your eyes don’t look quite as large as you’d like, that’s totally alright. That’s exactly what makeup, and eye makeup, in particular, is here to help you achieve. Here, learn how to make your eyes look bigger via 10 easy tips and tricks.

TIP #1: USE A BROWN OR COLORED EYELINER

Black might be your go-to color when it comes to eyeliner, but using a brown or colored eyeliner can also help make your eyes appear bigger and brighter. For enlarging the appearance of your eyes, choose a colored liner that mimics the natural color of your eyes! If you have beautiful baby blues, for example, reach for the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner in Cobalt Blue. For all our green-eyed gals, use the same pencil eyeliner in Forest Green.

TIP #2: HIGHLIGHT WITH EYESHADOW

Similar to how you highlight your face, you want to use eye shadow to highlight certain parts of your eyes in order to give them a larger look. Select a white or light ivory eye shadow, like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in Paris Beach. Apply the eye shadow to the inner corner of your eye, below the arch of your eyebrows, and on the center of your eyelid to leave your eyes appearing more open and awake.

TIP # #3: CONTOUR, TOO

Just as highlighting is important, contouring your eyes is a must to fake a larger appearance. Use a darker brown shade, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24 HR Eye Shadow in Bronzed Taupe, to define your eyes. Apply the shadow just slightly above the crease of your eye to create the illusion that your eyes are larger. Drag the shadow upward and outward for a brown smoky eye that will widen the appearance of your eyes. Take the same dark brown eye shadow and apply it along your lower lash line from the outer corner to the middle of your eye.

TIP #4: DON’T OVERLINE

Sure, in middle school and high school it might have seemed like a good idea to completely surround your eyes with dark eyeliner, but now that you’re an adult, it’s time to update your makeup technique. That’s because when you surround your eyes with dark eyeliner, it can actually make them look smaller. Instead, draw a simple thin line on either your top or bottom lash line—not both—using a liquid eyeliner with a precise tip, like the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Liquid Eyeliner. If you’ve lined your upper lash line and still feel like you need more of an accent on your lower, use a medium-toned brown eyeshadow instead of applying more eyeliner. Apply a super light dusting of shadow using a thin, tapered eye shadow brush.

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