Quick answer: To make small eyes look bigger after 70, keep the lid soft and light rather than heavy. In this Fierce Aging episode, Nikol primes the lids to even out redness, uses talc-free matte shadow, lines the upper lashes with a navy pencil that lifts at the outer corner, brightens under the eyes with a peach corrector, and adds lightweight cluster lashes trimmed to size. The goal is a fresh, open eye without the weight of heavy makeup.
Key takeaways
- Prime the lids first to neutralize the redness, veins, and darkness that show up on maturing eyelids.
- Navy liner (chosen here to flatter blue eyes) keeps the lash line defined without looking heavy or dated — apply it thin and lift it slightly at the outer corner.
- Talc-free matte shadows keep the lid soft; pick up color once so you are not piling it on hooded lids.
- Cluster lashes like Ardell 420, trimmed to stop where your own lashes end, add outer-corner lift without dragging small eyes down.
- Brightening under the eye with a peach corrector and banana powder lifts shadows so the eyes come forward.
Hey ladies! On this episode of my Fierce Aging series I welcomed Linda, visiting all the way from Idaho and about to turn 76, who wanted to try soft grays and bring out her small blue eyes. Small eyes can seem to shrink over the years, so the whole look is built around opening them up gently — less is more. Here is exactly how the tutorial went, step by step.
Why do small eyes seem to disappear as we age?
As the lids mature, you often see more redness, little veins, darkness, and changing texture — and heavy, dark liner applied the way many of us have done for decades can close a small eye in even further. Linda put it perfectly: her eyes had “just disappeared over the years.” The fix is not more product; it is smarter placement — priming the lid, keeping definition thin and lifted, and brightening the areas that have gone shadowy so the eye reads open and awake.
How do you make small eyes look bigger over 70, step by step?
Here is the order Nikol followed on Linda, from prep through the finishing mist:
- Prep the eyes with an eye serum (she used an Estée Lauder eye serum pressed in with silicone eye patches) and prep the lips with a rose lip balm.
- Prime the lids with eye primer, using an angled concealer brush from the base of the lashes up to the brow bone to neutralize redness and discoloration.
- Apply talc-free matte shadow from the Rewrite The Rules palette: a soft mid-tone pressed onto the center of the lid and inner corner, the lightest shade swept on the brow bone, and the deepest shade tapped into a small “V” at the outer corner and up into the crease.
- Blend with a soft blending brush so there is no harsh line — a light touch, not an aggressive one.
- Line the upper lash line with a navy waterproof pencil in short little strokes, lifting slightly at the outer corner and tapering into the inner corner, then drag a soft touch underneath the lower lashes. Smudge it with a short smudge brush to soften.
- Coat the lashes with volume mascara, wiggling at the base and pulling up to catch every little lash.
- Add cluster lashes (Ardell 420), trimmed so they stop where the natural lashes end, concentrated toward the outer corner for lift.
- Color-correct under the eyes with a peach corrector where there is darkness, then conceal with a creamy concealer in light, blending down with light strokes.
- Apply serum foundation in light with a buffing brush (shake it first), then dust on Nikita Banana brightening powder.
- Add cream blush, highlighter, and bronzer from the Classic Beach Glow trio — blush on the apples, highlighter on the top of the cheekbone, bronzer worked in below.
- Line the lips with the Cameo waterproof liner, apply NikRay lipstick, and top with Coco 13 lip gloss.
- Define the brows with the Skinny Brow Pencil in Taupe, following the natural hair with wispy strokes, and finish the whole look with a rose face mist.
Why navy eyeliner instead of black on small mature eyes?
Nikol reached for a navy waterproof pencil partly to complement Linda's blue eyes and navy outfit, and partly because a soft navy keeps the lash line defined without the heavy, closed-in feeling a thick black line can give a small eye. The technique matters as much as the color: she keeps the line thin so it does not take up too much real estate on the lid, lifts it a touch at the outer corner, and smudges it soft so any imperfection disappears and the eye looks brighter and more open.
How do you keep the rest of the face soft so the eyes stand out?
The skin stays luminous but light: peach corrector and creamy concealer only where the darkness lives, a light serum foundation buffed in, and banana powder to brighten. Cream blush, highlighter, and bronzer add a natural glow rather than a matte, made-up finish. Lips stay soft and everyday with the Cameo liner, NikRay, and Coco 13 gloss, and the brows get gentle taupe definition — everything supporting the eyes instead of competing with them. As Linda said, it felt light, “not like I'm wearing a lot of heavy makeup.”
The bottom line
Making small eyes look bigger over 70 is about softness and smart placement, not more product: prime, keep shadow matte and light, lift a thin navy line at the outer corner, brighten underneath, and let trimmed cluster lashes do the opening. Ready to recreate this gentle, eye-opening look? Explore the eyes collection, the eyeliners, and our lashes to build your own mature-eye routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make small eyes look bigger after 70?
In this Fierce Aging tutorial, Nikol enhances 76-year-old Linda's small eyes by priming the lids to neutralize redness, keeping the lid soft with matte shadow, lining the upper lashes with a navy pencil that lifts at the outer corner, brightening under the eyes with a peach corrector, and adding lightweight outer-corner cluster lashes. The result opens the eye without heavy makeup.
Why use navy eyeliner instead of black on mature eyes?
Nikol chose a navy waterproof pencil to complement Linda's blue eyes and navy outfit, and to keep the lash line defined without looking heavy or dated. She applies short strokes at the base of the upper lashes, lifts slightly at the outer corner, and smudges it soft, so the eye reads brighter and more open rather than closed in.
Are cluster false lashes comfortable on mature eyelids?
Linda said she could not even feel the Ardell 420 lashes and that they did not pull her natural lashes. Nikol applies them over the lashes, not on the skin, and trims each strip so it stops where the natural lashes end. That customization keeps them lightweight and natural instead of dragging small eyes down.
Should you line the lower waterline if your eyes are small?
Nikol keeps most of the definition on the upper lash line rather than heavily lining the lower waterline, since a thick dark line can close a small eye in. She does drag a soft touch of navy under the lower lashes to balance the eye, then smudges it, keeping the overall look bright and open.
Do hooded or maturing eyes need a lot of eyeshadow?
No. Nikol uses talc-free matte shadows and picks up color once so she is not piling product on. A soft mid-tone sits on the lid and inner corner, a light shade highlights the brow bone, and a deeper shade forms a small “V” at the outer corner, all blended so there is no harsh line on the lid.
What order does Nikol apply the makeup in this tutorial?
She preps with eye serum and lip balm, primes the lids, applies matte eyeshadow, navy liner, mascara, and cluster lashes, then color-corrects and conceals under the eyes, applies serum foundation and brightening powder, adds cream blush, highlighter, and bronzer, lines and colors the lips, defines the brows, and finishes with a rose face mist.
