Dry eyes are a real problem, friends– especially for us contact wearers during the winter months when the cool winds, dry air, and indoor heating are not working in our favor; and to add insult to injury– makeup products that are used close to your eyes can make these annoying (sometimes painful) symptoms even worse!
So what’s a girl to do?
Going au natural with a fresh face during these times is of course always the best option, BUT sometimes we want to put on at least just a liiiiiitttle bit of makeup before we leave the house.
Below are a few makeup and overall dry-eye tips that will help you look and feel a more perky when dealing with dry eyes.
– Apply Eye Drops At Least 30 Minutes Before Applying Any Makeup
– Switch Your Powders To Creams
Powder products such as powder based foundations and eyeshadows can easily get in your eyes and irritate them even more. So switching to cream based products is always a good idea and hypoallergenic makeups are of course always best.
– Trade In Your Mascara For An Eyelash Curler
Eyelash curling can feel like a bit of an art to be mastered, but it may be worth the practice if it allows you to skip the mascara during your dry eye days when less eye makeup is definitely a goal.
– Apply Mascara Only On The Outer Part Of Your Lashes
If curling your lashes isn’t your thing, or not enough– and you absolutely haaave to wear mascara– there are 2 things you want to do:
1. Make sure the mascara you’re using isn’t old and dry. Old, dry mascara will flake and end up in your eye– NOT FUN. 2. Apply your mascara only to the outer parts of your lashes to give your eyes a little pop.
– Remove eye makeup with a baby shampoo
Eye makeup can be tricky when it comes to removal, but baby shampoos are the absolute best for this! Just put a little bit on a cotton ball with water to ensure your eye area is completely clean both at night and before you put on any makeup in the morning.
– Avoid Alcohol + Limit Coffee
Alcohol and coffee are diuretics which means that they have a dehydrating effect. Double down on the H20 because really, is there anything water doesn’t help??
– Break Out Those Sunnies
We always have our sunglasses with us when the summer sun is blazing but protecting your eyes from harsh winter winds is always a good idea when battling dry eyes.
– Wear Your Glasses
Sometimes your contact-wearing eyes just BEG for a break and swapping out your contacts for glasses for a day or so can really make your eyes feel brand new.
– Consider Lasik
If your dry eye battles are largely due to your contact wearing you may want to consider Lasik. While Chronic Dry-eye Syndrome may prohibit you from being a candidate for Lasik, if your dry eyes are caused by contact irritation (which I have suffered from tons of times!), Lasik is definitely something to be considered– and something that I am considering myself, actually! More on that to come so, STAY TUNED!
– Use a Humidifier & Moisturizing Drops
A humidifier is helpful for so much in the winter time and can help alleviate dryness inside your home as well. Also, there are many moisturizing eye drops that are specially made to combat dry eyes– and several brands are safe to use with contact lenses too– just be sure to check the label.
Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with EyeCare 20/20
You can learn the true cause of your dry eyes and how to effectively treat them through their full-service, in-house Dry Eye Care Center. Their accredited Dry Eye Care Center features the TearLab Osmolarity System as well as the MiBo Thermoflo therapeutic treatment device, the latest in chronic dry eye treatment.
Below are a few simple tips that I’ve found make those bitter cold winter months a little more bearable.
Recently I started using 
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Too Faced Pretty Little Planner
Too Faced Under The Kissletoe
Saturday, I hosted a super fun fashion event at The Freehold Raceway Mall, sharing not only the most popular trends this fall but how you can style them and most importantly– WHERE you can find them!
The Sephora 
The Ulta makeup artist demonstrated watercolor eyes using the Urban Decay’s Naked Heat Pallet – which is the epitome of fall when it comes to makeup hues. To line the eyes, she used a copper colored lip liner from Anastasia of Beverly Hills to line another model’s peepers– and it made her eyes look so big and awake! I use a similar technique on my brown eyes to make them appear bigger– but I use a reddish eyeliner– never thought of using a lip liner… but definitely will now!
Those are just a few of the 
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, Fuzz-Sea to accent nail (in this case, I like to call it-“the party nail”.)
like the one below–
The key to this is to make sure it is a very light layer. Try not to go over the same area too many times. And remember, like I said above, you do not need to have a steady hand for this look– so don’t try to make it perfect. When was the last time you received a perfectly straight rim of salt on your margarita? 😉
If there is one beauty company you have heard me recommend time and time again, it is IT Cosmetics. I am quite literally OBSESSED with their products for a variety of reasons (some you can see in my 
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