How To Make Your Eyes Look Bigger & Brighter Without Spending A Dollar

What's the first thing you notice on a person? Their eyes, of course! At least I do. I love that wide, doe-eyed look. I love it so much that I'm always trying to achieve bigger, brighter-looking eyes. If you've ever wondered how to make your eyes look bigger, I've learned a few things in my quest for peepers that pop. In my years of experience tapping industry professionals and trying on makeup in my bathroom, I've picked up a few tricks using things I already had in my stash. You've heard the saying "the eyes have it," and I think mine finally do! Here's how you can too, because, seriously size really does matter.

Ditch The Baggage

You'll never get that wide-eyed look you want if you're have bags under your eyes — this just makes them look smaller. If you're recovering from a long night or are just prone to swelling, it's nothing a couple of chilled spoons can't fix. Pop two metal spoons in the fridge for a few minutes or swirl them around a glass of ice water to get them nice and cold. Apply your favorite eye cream to help them glide better (mine is It Cosmetics' Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream, $48; sephora.com) and get your spoons ready to give yourself the best eye massage you've ever felt.

Starting at the inner corner, gently slide the back of the spoons out and upward. This promotes lymphatic drainage, which helps with swelling over time and the cold metal instantly de-puffs and makes eyes look bigger and more awake. But do yourself a huge favor and keep those spoons out of the freezer. If they get too cold, they'll feel like they're sticking to your skin (almost like a tongue on dry ice). Trust me, I learned the hard way. Bye, puffiness.

Lash Out

Your lashes play a huge role in the shape and overall appearance of your eyes. At the very least, you need to be curling your lashes — this is a super wasy way to completely change the look of your eyes. I love this Eyeko Korean Cushion Curler ($25, ulta.com). The pad is extra cushiony, which makes it easier to curl lashes without getting that weird bend.

If you prefer the look of falsies like I do, you have to know how to pick them. While I love the look of the cat-eye shape (longer at the outer corners), it doesn't give me that big, wide-open look I love. When I want my peepers to pop, I go for the lashes that are longest in the middle and shorter on the inner and outer corners. Something like these House of Lashes x Sephora Collection Falsies ($14; sephora.com) will work every time. Kim Kardashian always goes for this shape. When in doubt, just think, what would Kim do?

Walk The Line

I have a few eyeliner tricks that I love using. I don't apply black liner along my waterline very often, because this can make my eyes look smaller. If I want the best of both worlds, that doe-eyed look and a sooty smoky eye for a night out, I only rim the outer half of my waterline. Stopping halfway gives that dark, sultry finish without making your eyes look small.

Then, there's the holy grail of eyeliner tricks: Nude eyeliner. When my eyes need a serious lift, I ditch the dark eyeliner altogether and opt for one in a nude shade. Try Tarte's Fake Awake Eye Highlight ($20; ulta.com). White liner can look unnatural, but a peachy shade makes you look wide awake. Even makeup artists love using this trick on their celebrity clients because it looks just as good in person as it does in photos.

Work On Your Crease

There's a reason you see makeup enthusiasts on Instagram spending hours accentuating their eyelid crease. Defining your crease with a darker eye shadow adds dimension and creates the look of larger eyes. However, the good news is it doesn't actually require a precise hand and your entire morning's worth of time.

With a fluffy brush, apply a light tan shade in your crease and blend it in a side-to-side motion (think: windshield wipers). With a smaller brush, apply a darker brown shadow to give the illusion of a deeper crease. Go back in with your fluffy brush and blend. A simple three-shade eye shadow palette like Lorac's Pocket Pro Palette ($18; dermstore.com) is perfect for beginners.