For ageless eyes, Nikol preps with a hydrating eye mask, neutralizes discoloration with Eye Primer, places eyeshadow strategically to lift hooded lids, lines close to the lash line with a slight outer flick instead of a full wing, and finishes with mascara and defined brows. She does her eyes before her complexion so any fallout can be cleaned up without disturbing her foundation.
Key takeaways
- Doing eyeshadow and liner before complexion makeup means fallout can be swept away without patching up foundation.
- Eye Primer neutralizes pigmentation, redness and visible veins on the lid so eyeshadow color shows up true.
- For hooded or mature eyes, placing a darker shadow just above the natural fold and blending it creates the illusion of lift.
- Lining close to the lash line with a small upward flick at the outer corner lifts the eye without needing a dramatic wing.
- Curling lashes before applying eyeliner and mascara keeps the whole eye look seamless.
- Brow stencils, brow pencil and brow mascara work together to frame the eyes when brows have thinned or grayed.
Nikol's step-by-step routine
- Prep the eye area with a lightweight serum, then apply the These Bags Are Designer-Eye Mask for about 5–10 minutes to hydrate.
- Sweep Eye Primer over the lid with a flat eyeshadow brush to neutralize pigmentation before adding color.
- Choose an eyeshadow palette, apply the middle shade across the lid, then use the darkest shade just above the crease to add depth and lift on hooded eyes, blending with the lightest shade as needed.
- Curl lashes before lining the eyes.
- Apply waterproof eyeliner close to the lash line, keeping it thin and adding a small upward flick at the outer corner instead of tracing the eye straight down.
- Apply Volume UP Mascara from the base of the lashes out to the tips, separating as you go.
- Fill and shape brows using the Nikol Beauty Precision Eyebrow Stencils and the Skinny Brow Pencil, brush through with a spoolie, then use Brow Mascara to blend gray or uneven hairs.
- Color-correct and conceal under the eyes with Just Peachy Color Corrector (or Simply Apricot for deeper tones) and Creamy Concealer, then add a touch of Eye Brightener for extra lift.
- Finish the complexion with BB Crème, set gently with Nikita Banana Brightening Powder, add blush, and complete the look with lip color.
How do you prep and prime your eyes before applying eyeshadow?
Nikol starts with clean, hydrated skin, applying a lightweight serum since her skin runs dry, especially in warmer weather. She then uses the These Bags Are Designer-Eye Mask, tapping serum or eye cream into the silicone pads and letting them sit on the eye area for about five to ten minutes so the hydration has nowhere to go but into the skin.
Once the mask comes off, she moves straight into Eye Primer, applying a thin layer with a flat eyeshadow brush over the lid. The primer neutralizes pigmentation, redness and visible veins so that eyeshadow color isn't muddied underneath. She does her eyes before her complexion makeup so that if there's any fallout or mistakes, she can clean them up with a cotton pad without having to patch up foundation.
How do you choose the right eyeshadow palette for your eyes?
Nikol walks through her 3-well eyeshadow palettes, each with a light, middle and darker shade so you have range without feeling overwhelmed. The Cabana palette is a light, sheen, everyday option, while Le Bottled Blonde is her personal go-to natural palette. Fresh Beauty brings in a pinky-purple option, Naughty Nancy leans into purples and pinks, and Sweet Carol combines matte and sheen shades for a versatile day-to-night look.
For a stronger matte finish, she points to Strong Brew (warm) and Rewrite The Rules (cool gray), both of which can be used wet or dry as eyeliner, smoky looks, or soft daytime color. She suggests pairing navy or plum eyeliner with Rewrite The Rules, Naughty Nancy, Fresh Beauty or Sweet Carol depending on the depth of color you want.
How do you apply eyeshadow to lift hooded or mature eyes?
Using the Strong Brew 3-Well Eyeshadow Palette, Nikol lays the middle shade across the lid with the flat eyeshadow brush, picking up color in one swipe rather than scrubbing back and forth. She keeps application intentional and controlled rather than going overboard with color.
For hooded eyes, she uses a denser, shorter smudge brush with the darkest shade to build depth just above where the hood falls, explaining that darker color recedes and creates the illusion of a lifted crease. She uses the lightest shade on a clean brush to diffuse and soften any harder edges, and shows how the These Bags Are Designer-Eye Mask can double as a placement guide so you don't go in too far or too high.
What's the best way to curl lashes and line aging eyes?
Before lining, Nikol curls her lashes at the base so the eyeliner isn't disrupted afterward. She then applies a waterproof eyeliner pencil close to the base of the lashes, keeping the line thin rather than thick and heavy.
To lift the eye instead of letting it droop, she stops short of tracing the entire lower lash line down and instead does a small upward flick at the last lash, building it slightly higher. If the line comes out uneven, she uses a short smudge brush to blend and soften it rather than starting over.
How do you make thinning lashes look fuller with mascara?
Nikol applies Volume UP Mascara starting at the base of the lashes and working out to the tips, using the wand like a comb to separate every lash, including shorter or sparser ones. She works slowly to make sure each lash is coated and separated rather than clumped.
She typically skips mascara on the lower lashes, preferring to keep the focus on the upper lash line, and uses the tip of the wand to lift lashes toward the brow for extra definition on hooded eyes.
How do you fill in and tame gray or sparse eyebrows?
To map out brow shape, Nikol uses the Nikol Beauty Precision Eyebrow Stencils, lining up the stencil from the side of the nose straight up for where the brow should start, over the iris for the arch, and from the outer corner of the eye for where it should end. She fills in with the Skinny Brow Pencil using light strokes, then brushes through with the spoolie from her Essential Makeup Brush Set.
For gray or uneven brow hairs, she uses Brow Mascara in a shade close to her brow color to tame and tint them, going back over with the spoolie or brow pencil's brush end if she applies too much color.
How do you brighten dark circles and puffiness under the eyes?
Nikol explains that a bag or hollow under the eye creates a hard edge, and lighter color on that edge only draws more attention to it, so she goes a shade darker right on the bag to help it recede. She uses Creamy Concealer dotted directly into deep-set lines and blended with an eyeshadow blending brush for light, airbrushed coverage.
For blue, gray or purple discoloration, she layers Just Peachy Color Corrector (or Simply Apricot for deeper, more orange correction) before concealer, and finishes with a touch of Eye Brightener clicked onto the brightest points of the under-eye and inner corner for extra lift. For redness around the nose, she reaches for No Redness Color Corrector to cancel it out before continuing with complexion products.
Shop the look
Nikol uses These Bags Are Designer-Eye Mask, Cooling Eye Roller, Eye Primer, Essential Makeup Brush Set. Explore the eyes collection for more of the pro-aging makeup she created for women over 40.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Nikol apply eye makeup before foundation?
She does her eyes first so that if there's any eyeshadow or mascara fallout, she can sweep it away with a cotton pad without having to patch up or disturb her finished complexion makeup.
What does the Eye Primer actually do?
It neutralizes pigmentation, redness and visible veins on the eyelid so that eyeshadow color goes on true to the pan instead of looking muddied, and it also helps shadow last longer without creasing.
How do you make hooded eyes look lifted with eyeshadow?
Place a darker shadow just above the natural fold rather than all the way into the hood, since darker color recedes and visually creates a lifted crease; blend with a lighter shade to soften the edge.
How do you line your eyes without making them look rounder or droopier?
Stay close to the base of the lashes with a thin line, and instead of tracing all the way down at the outer corner, do a small upward flick to keep the eye looking lifted.
What's the best way to cover dark circles and bags under the eyes?
Use a color corrector like Just Peachy (or Simply Apricot for deeper discoloration) to cancel out blue or purple tones, follow with Creamy Concealer, and add Eye Brightener to the brightest points for extra lift.
What eyeshadow palette pairs well with navy or plum eyeliner?
Nikol pairs navy liner with the Rewrite The Rules 3-Well Eyeshadow Palette or Fresh Beauty, and plum liner with Naughty Nancy, Fresh Beauty or Sweet Carol.
