Quick answer: You can create the illusion of lifted eyes with makeup by keeping everything angled up and out. Brush your brows upward, sweep matte neutral shadow from the mid-lid toward the tail of the brow, smudge a soft brown liner up at the outer corner, and concentrate your mascara on the outer lashes. It is a purely cosmetic technique — no tapes, no treatments — and the effect looks a little different on everyone.
Key takeaways
- This is a cosmetic makeup technique, not a treatment — it is all about product choice and placement.
- Direction is everything: brows, shadow, liner and mascara all get pulled up and out.
- A matte, neutral palette keeps the look subtle, forgiving and age-flattering.
- A soft, diffused brown liner lifts the eye far more gently than a stark black wing.
- Nikol designed it for women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond — but it works at any age with a little practice.
Hey ladies! In this tutorial Nikol walks through her eye-lift makeup technique — a simple, repeatable way to make tired or hooded eyes look more open and awake. There is nothing invasive here: just clever placement, a matte palette and a smudgy liner that draws the whole eye upward. As she says, it is not about piling on makeup to look 20 again — it is about knowing your eye shape and lifting what you already have.
Is this an actual eye lift?
No. To be clear, this is purely a cosmetic makeup technique — a matter of product choice, placement and a little practice, not a treatment or anything invasive. Nikol simply shares what makes her feel confident in the mirror, and she is upfront that everyone's eye shape is different, so your results will look a little different too. The goal is to enhance your natural eye, not to change your face.
How do you lift the eyes with makeup, step by step?
The whole technique lives in one idea: pull everything up and out toward the tail of the brow. Here is the order Nikol follows in the video.
- Prime. After prepping the face with a moisturizing primer (she uses Embryolisse), she primes the eyes with an eye primer from the lash line up to the brow bone. This neutralizes discoloration so eyeshadow stays true and lasts all day — better than concealer, which tends to move.
- Brows first. Groom and fill the brows so they angle up and out, tidying the tails so they do not drop down. Lifted brows set the direction for the whole look.
- Shape with matte shadow. Using a matte neutral palette, sweep the middle shade from the mid-lid outward toward the end of the brow. Then mix the middle and darkest shades for a soft outer contour, always tracing up and out — no windshield-wiper motion here.
- Highlight the lid. Blend the two lightest shades across the lid to brighten and open it.
- Curl and line. Curl the lashes, then line with a soft brown waterproof liner such as the Dark Chocolate waterproof eyeliner. Thicken the lash base, taper toward the inner corner, then flick the outer end up toward the tail of the brow and smudge it before it sets so it reads as a soft shadow, not a hard wing.
- Mascara on the outer lashes. Apply volumizing mascara as usual through the center, then concentrate the product on the outer lashes to emphasize that upward lift.
- Brighten and lift underneath. Bring a color corrector up higher than usual to fake the lift: Just Peachy under the eye and a touch of No Redness to cancel any redness before foundation. A clean brush with the lightest eyeshadow shade under the eye adds even more lift.
- Foundation and set. Buff in foundation (she uses a Clarins fluid in the video), then set the brightener with Nikita Banana brightening powder, sweeping it upward under the eye.
- Keep the cheeks high. Place cream blush and bronzer high on the cheekbone rather than down in the apple, so the whole face stays lifted. Finish with your lip color of choice.
Why does a matte neutral palette work best?
Nikol reaches for a matte, neutral palette because it is forgiving and almost impossible to overdo — great if eyeshadow feels intimidating. Matte shades create soft, believable shadow that mimics natural contour, while shimmer can settle into fine lines and creases. The subtle, tonal effect is exactly why this look reads as lifted and polished rather than heavy or overdone.
The bottom line
An eye-lift with makeup is really a lesson in direction: brows, shadow, liner and mascara all pulling up and out, with brightening placed high to keep everything open and awake. It takes a little practice, but once the placement clicks it becomes a fast, confidence-boosting part of your routine — no tape, no treatments, just technique.
Ready to build your own lifted-eye kit? Explore Nikol's eye makeup, browse the eyeliners, and shop color correctors to brighten and lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make your eyes look lifted with makeup?
It is all about direction: keep everything angled up and out. Brush your brows upward, sweep matte shadow from the mid-lid toward the end of the brow, smudge a soft brown liner up at the outer corner, and concentrate mascara on the outer lashes so the whole eye reads more open and awake.
Is this a real eye lift?
No. This is purely a cosmetic makeup technique, not a treatment or anything invasive. Nikol uses product choice, placement and a little practice to create the illusion of a lifted eye. It is about enhancing your natural eye shape, and the effect will look a little different on everyone.
What kind of eyeshadow palette works best for an eye-lift look?
Nikol reaches for a matte, neutral palette because it is forgiving and hard to overdo. She uses the middle shade to trace the outer eye, mixes the middle and darkest shades for a soft contour, and highlights the lid with the two lightest shades. Matte neutrals keep the look subtle and age-flattering.
What eyeliner technique lifts the eye?
Use a soft brown waterproof liner instead of a stark black wing. Thicken the lash base, taper it toward the inner corner, then flick the outer end up toward the tail of the brow. Before it sets, smudge and diffuse it upward with a small brush so it looks like a soft shadow rather than a hard line.
Does this technique work at any age?
Yes. Nikol designed it for women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, but the principles apply at any age. The key is knowing your own eye shape and the formulas that work for you, then practicing the upward placement until it feels natural. Results vary from person to person.
Which products does Nikol use in this tutorial?
On the eyes she uses an eye primer, a matte neutral palette, a waterproof Dark Chocolate eyeliner and a volumizing mascara. To lift and brighten she adds Just Peachy and No Redness correctors and sets with Nikita Banana powder. She also uses third-party skin products and her own blush, bronzer and lip shades.
