The short answer: Treat your lenses as magnifying glass held over your under-eye area, and prep accordingly. Switch to a volumizing mascara rather than a lengthening one, because long lashes hit the lens and streak it. Powder the nose and cheeks so the frames stop sliding. Then match the makeup to the weight of the frame: heavy frames need a defined lash line, delicate frames need restraint.
1. Your lenses magnify everything under them
Nikol's framing for this is the most useful sentence in the video: "think about your glasses being as magnifying lenses on your face, because they will highlight what's going on underneath."
Dryness, dehydration, crepey texture under the eye — all of it is amplified by a lens sitting an inch away from it. So the first step is not makeup at all. Hydrate the eye area properly, with a hyaluronic acid serum or an eye cream you actually use consistently, then conceal or brighten. An Eye Brightener or a targeted color corrector does more here than more concealer does, because the problem behind a lens is usually shadow rather than pigment.
2. Powder, or the frames will slide all day
Glasses are heavy. They leave indentations on the nose, and they slip on any surface that stays dewy.
So prime, apply your base, and then set it with powder — particularly across the nose and the sides of the nose where the pads sit. Nikol's phrase for the alternative is exact: "you don't have a slip and slide kind of situation."
If hot flashes are part of your day, go further: an oil-control foundation rather than a luminous one, and rice paper blotting sheets in your bag to lift oil off the nose without disturbing the makeup underneath. This is the one place where a glasses-wearer's routine genuinely diverges from everyone else's.
3. Volumizing mascara, not lengthening
This is the tip most glasses guides miss entirely, and it solves a daily irritation.
Lengthening mascara makes lashes long enough to touch the back of the lens. Every blink then prints mascara onto the glass — "it's like a dirty windshield wiper," as Nikol puts it, leaving streaks you spend the day cleaning off.
The fix is a formula that adds thickness rather than length, applied so the weight sits at the root: press the wand in at the base, deposit most of the product there, then taper out toward the tips so they are coated but not heavy or spidery. That is front-loading, and behind a lens it is the difference between eyes that read and lashes that smear. A volumizing formula like VOLUME UP Mascara is the right category here.
4. Brows frame the glasses that frame your face
There are two frames on your face and they need to agree with each other.
The specific failure Nikol calls out is the brow that stops short: if the lateral end — the tail — is sparse or missing, the brow simply ends, and the frame takes over from there. You lose the brow into the glasses. Fill the tail so the brow completes its own line.
If your brows have gone light or sparse, add color as well as shape: a taupe or soft blonde gives definition without the drawn-on look. A Skinny Brow Pencil for the tail and Brow Mascara to hold the shape covers it. The full method is in how to fill in sparse brows over 50. Her verdict on skipping this: you are "missing such a really beautiful feature of your face that's so powerful."
5. Frame color is a cosmetic decision
Nikol is unambiguous that the frame itself is makeup: "it's almost like makeup for your face."
She tried clear frames because it seemed like a neat idea and they washed her out completely. What works on her is black, dark tortoise, navy — and a deep purple pair she loved.
| Frame color | What it does to the face |
|---|---|
| Clear | Can wash you out entirely — no contrast to work against |
| Black, dark tortoise, navy | Strong contrast, defines the eye area, reliable |
| Soft taupe, gray, tan | A gentle sculpting effect — cheekbones read as more defined, the face slims. Contouring, essentially |
| Bright red or multicolor | Can overpower the face. Better as readers or a signature than an everyday frame |
The exception proves the rule: Sally Jessy Raphael's red glasses were not a mistake, they were an identity. If bright frames are your signature, wear them. The test Nikol applies otherwise is whether the frame complements the makeup colors you actually reach for each day.
How she found hers
Worth knowing, because it is the least glamorous origin story possible. In March 2020 the family's French bulldog puppy destroyed her Jimmy Choos, days after her prescription had expired, with no way to get an eye exam. She used Warby Parker's at-home try-on — picked five frames on the app, had them sent, photographed herself in each, and FaceTimed people for opinions. Her favorite of the batch is the Harris. Not a sponsorship; just what worked.
6. Match the makeup to the weight of the frame
This is the organizing rule, and it is simpler than any prescription-based advice.
| If your frames are | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small and delicate | Matte taupes, focus on brows and lashes, no heavy smoky eye | Dark shadow behind small frames looks like a lot of makeup in a small space |
| Large and thick | Precise liner, doubled up, plus strong lashes — but not more shadow | Heavy frames swallow undefined eyes. Definition cuts through; darkness just adds weight |
| Either | A touch of sheen on the lid | It reflects light, so the eye still reads through the lens |
The distinction inside the heavy-frame row is the part to hold onto. Nikol does not respond to big frames with more eyeshadow — she responds with liner: "I don't want to lose my eyes. I don't want to heavy them down with lots of eyeshadow and darkness, but I do want to define around my eyes so they do pop behind the eyeglasses." A WaterProof Eyeliner Pencil at the lash line, layered for intensity, does that.
7. Do not forget the lip
Everything above is about the eyes, which is where the attention naturally goes when you wear glasses. Nikol's closing point is that this is a trap: a glossy, vibrant, or bold lip "is going to do wonders when it comes to wearing glasses."
Frames pull visual weight up to the top third of your face. Color on the mouth brings it back into balance. A cream lipstick or anything from the lipstick range with real pigment does the job.
Frequently asked questions
What mascara should you use if you wear glasses?
A volumizing or thickening formula, not a lengthening one. Lengthening mascara makes lashes long enough to touch the back of the lens, so every blink prints streaks onto the glass. Volume adds impact without extending the lash into the lens.
How do you stop glasses from sliding down your face?
Set your base with powder, especially across the nose and where the nose pads sit. If you run warm or get hot flashes, use an oil-control foundation rather than a luminous one, and carry blotting sheets to lift oil without disturbing the makeup.
How do you keep your eyes from disappearing behind thick frames?
With liner, not with more eyeshadow. Define the lash line precisely and layer the liner for intensity, and keep the shadow relatively light. Heavy frames plus heavy shadow reads as weight; definition reads as eyes.
What eye makeup suits small, delicate frames?
Keep it restrained. Matte taupes on the lid, attention on the brows and lashes, and no dark smoky eye. Strong dark makeup inside a small frame looks like a great deal of product in a very small space.
Do glasses make under-eye circles look worse?
They magnify whatever is there — dryness, crepey texture, and shadow included. Hydrating the eye area properly before makeup matters more for glasses wearers than for anyone else, and brightening the shadow works better than adding more concealer.
What frame color is most flattering?
Whichever complements the makeup colors you actually wear. Black, dark tortoise, and navy give reliable contrast; soft taupe, gray, and tan have a subtle sculpting effect on the cheekbones; clear frames can wash you out. Very bright frames work when they are deliberately your signature.
Why do my brows disappear when I wear glasses?
Usually because the tail is sparse, so the brow ends before the frame does and the two blur together. Fill the lateral end so the brow completes its own shape, and add color if the hairs have gone light.
Should you still wear lipstick with statement glasses?
Yes. Frames pull attention to the upper third of the face, and color on the lip brings the balance back. A glossy or vibrant lip is the fastest correction.
Start here
Two changes tonight, before you touch your eye makeup at all: hydrate the under-eye area properly, and start setting your base with powder across the nose. Then swap to a volumizing mascara and front-load it at the base. If your frames are heavy, add liner rather than shadow; if they are delicate, do the opposite. The lash-line technique is in how to apply mascara on thin, straight lashes, and the brow work in how to fill in sparse brows over 50.
