Beauty Jargon: Eyes

We’re constantly bombarded with fancy words for this and fancy words for that, but what does it mean?  Does it apply to you?  Never fear!  Our Beauty Jargon column is here!  Each week we’ll explain what the terminology means for different aspects of beauty.  This week, it’s the eyes…

Quick Flick:
Wand
Mascara Brush
Volumising
Plumping/Thickening
Curling
Lash-Defining
Lengthening
Feathered
Clumped
Water Resistant
Waterproof
Smudge-Proof
Fake Eyelashes
Eyelash Curlers
Eye Shadow
Eye Cream
Crayon Liner
Kohl Liner
Liquid Liner
Gel/Cream
Wing
Smoky Eye
Panda Eye
Inner Rim
Crease
Bags
Puffy Eyes
Crow’s Feet
Eye Cream

Eyelashes

Wand
The name of what you use to apply your mascara with.  Also what you use to apply lipgloss with, but without the brush on the end.

Mascara Brush
The bit at the end of your mascara wand. It comes in several different types, depending on the type of mascara you buy and the effect that you want.

Volumising
Volumising mascara will make your eyelashes appear thicker and longer.

Plumping/Thickening
It will make your eyelashes thicker.

Curling
It will curl your lashes but not as much as an eyelash curler.

Lash Defining
It separates your lashes to give a feathered effect.

Lengthening
Lengthening mascara will make your eyelashes look longer.

Feathered
Featured eyelashes are where the eyelashes are each separated out to give a fluttery, feminine.

Clumped
If you apply your mascara too thickly,  or it’s time to invest in some new, your mascara may clump together, making it look like you have one giant eyelash.

Water Resistant
If something is water resistant it can stop water to a certain extent, but not completely.

Waterproof
Waterproof mascara will be less likely to run if you shower or swim in it, but remember that no mascara is perfect, and even those that claim to be completely waterproof usually aren’t.

Smudge-Proof
Some mascaras will smudge if you rub your eyes, sweat, or just because they’re cheap.  Most mascaras these days are smudge-proof, but not all.

Fake Eyelashes
There are several different kinds of fake eyelashes.  You can buy them in a strip, or individually.  Individually look more natural, but require more time and effort to apply.  If you use a strip, remember to cut it to the right length so that you don’t look like there’s a moth stuck to your face.  They’re usually used in mascara adverts to make eyelashes look even better.  Read the fine print next time you watch a mascara advert.  You’ll see what I mean.

Eyelash Curlers
Often seen as a torture device when people use it for the first time, it’s simply used to curl eyelashes for those of us that aren’t blessed with the natural, curly eyelashed-look.

This is an eyelash curler, not a torture device.

Eye Colour

Shadow
A powder used to give your eyes colour.  Gives a matte finish.

Cream
Usually used for the same reason as eye shadow, but it’s a cream instead of a powder, and therefore gives a glossy finish.

Eyeliner

Pencil/Crayon Liner
Picture a crayon.  It’s like that, but for your eyes.  Don’t use a normal crayon, however.  That wouldn’t work.

Kohl Liner
It looks like pencil liner, but smudges easier for a smoky effect.

Liquid Liner
If you don’t want your eyeliner to smudge, and you have a steady hand, this one is perfect.  It’s usually used for effects like the winged effect, but requires some practice to use.

Gel/Cream Liner
Gel or cream eyeliner isn’t particularly popular or well known, but it’s also good for a smoky-eyed effect. It usually comes in a pot and requires a brush to apply. For a similar effect, you can dampen your eyeshadow brush and use eyeshadow instead.

Eye Make-Up Styles

Amy Winehouse showcasing her signature "winged" make-up style.

Wing
The eye make-up effect that Amy Winehouse was famous for, except you don’t need to do it quite so extremely.  Sometimes called a “flick”.

Smoky Eye
A sultry look that’s not for the faint hearted, where you blend in several different versions of a colour (usually black) for a dramatic night-time effect.

Panda Eyes
Either when you’ve applied make-up too heavily, or it’s run and given you nice black splodges around your eyes.

Taylor Momsen and her infamous panda-eyed look.

Miscellaneous

Inner Rim
The area just inside your eyelashes.  When you first apply eyeliner here, it can be both difficult and itchy.

Crease
If something refers to the “crease” of your eye, it’s talking about the line where your eyelid ends and your brow bone begins. Some people’s creases will be more pronounced than others.

Bags
If you haven’t had enough sleep or haven’t drank enough,  you may end up with purple bags under your eyes.  Sometimes it can be caused by genetics, too.

Puffy Eyes
Puffy eyes are caused by a lack of sleep, stress, or too much alcohol.  They’ll often be red and bloodshot.  Slices of cucumber will help to ease it, as will cold spoons.  Anything that’s cool will shrink the blood vessels and lessen the puffy-eyed look.

Crow’s Feet
Crow’s feet are the little wrinkles you get that start at the outer corners of your eye and spread outwards in different directions, like the feet of a bird.  The more you squint or rub at your eyes, the more likely you are to acquire them in later life.  Using special eye creams, will help.

Eye Cream
As well as a type of colour, eye cream is also something that can be used as an anti-aging product, and to help lessen the look of puffy eyes and bags.  As your eyes are more delicate than the rest of your face, it’s not a good idea to use normal moisturiser around them, which is where eye cream comes in.

If it contains caffeine in, this will help to stimulate the blood flow.

When applying, remember to pat, not rub.  Rubbing will encourage wrinkles.

Well, that’s it for the eyes! If you think we’ve missed anything, or there’s anything you’d like explained in future articles, let us know in the comments below!