How to prep your orbital area for eye makeup

The orbital area is the delicate area surrounding the eyes. Here's how we prepare the orbital area for eye makeup.

Before you apply any makeup, preparation of the area is key. 'Fail to prepare - prepare to fail', I always say. If you want to create a flawless foundation you have to create a flawless base for it to sit on first. It's the same for the eye area. If you are trying to cover lines and bags and dark circles you'll need to prepare the area well. Before you go in with concealer and makeup you need to prepare the orbital area. If you prepare the skin the makeup products will sit much better on the skin for an all-round smoother finish.

The orbital area basically encompasses the bone structure surrounding your eyes. Imagine drawing a circle around the outside of your eye with your finger. It should touch along the tip of your cheekbone, the inner edge of your nose, skim your temple and be a finger width above your brow bone. That circle is the delicate eye area we will be preparing with this routine. The skin beneath your eyes is much thinner than the rest of your skin on your face. You need to treat the area gently with as little product as possible. In order to get flawless coverage and minimise those bags and dark circles, less is indeed more.

The outcome you are looking for is a plumped, hydrated, depuffed and brightened eye area. You will need some cooling eye gel patches, a great eye gel and a dual fibre stifle brush to prep the skin. After all that you can use a brilliant under eye concealer, a powder and an eye makeup base to give you the perfect base for eyeshadow.

e.l.f.

e.l.f. Hydrogel Under Eye Masks €10.80

NIMA

NIMA Flat Head Kabuki Brush €18

Alpha H

Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex €41

In an ideal world, where you have endless time to get ready, you would start by applying these e.l.f Hydrogel eye masks to your undereye area. They will cool, sooth and de-puff the area before you start any of the other stuff. Next, apply a cooling eye gel, which you should keep in the fridge. Use your flat head kabuki brush to massage the orbital area. Massage in gentle circular motions with firm pressure from the brush. This will get the blood circulating to de-puff the area and help to even out skin tone and brighten the area. Leave all of this to dry in for a couple of minutes before preparing your eyeshadow base.

For your makeup base, conceal under the eyes and in the inner corners of the nose with your ring fingers and powder it well. Then use a great eye makeup base across your lids all the way from the lashline to the brow bone. Et voila, you now have the most perfectly prepared eye area for makeup.

If you had enough time, would you spent it prepping the orbital area like this?