If your sight is very poor, invest in a good magnifying mirror, ideally with a light. Our fave is the rechargeable SimpleHuman Travel Mirror, £99.99, which lights up automatically. It’s expensive, but it’s the best we’ve found.
Make-up glasses have one lens you can flip to either side, so you can look through it while you make up the other eye. They come in a range – although not all – prescriptions,from £10.89 at Amazon.co.uk.
When you’re close up to a mirror, you don’t want to keep bashing the end of your make-up brushes against the glass, so go for short-handle ones instead like EcoTools Modern Romance 5-piece set, £13.95 and only 12cm long.
Now follow these top tips with your make-up.
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Cover red frame marks
“Benefit Boi-ing, £17.50, might be the best product ever for covering redness on the side of your nose if your frames are heavy,” says make-up artist Chase Aston. “Then set it with NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray, £7, which stops it budging. It’s a make-up artist favourite.”
Perfect your brows
Glasses frame your face, brows frame your glasses, so make sure they’re sleek and defined. Make-up artist Dani Guinsberg recommends pencilling them before you adjust the shape.
“It lets you see what shape you’re aiming for,” she says. “Don’t go too dark: your brows should enhance, not dominate, your look.”
Choose a shade close to your natural hair colour. Clarins Brow Pencils, £17, come in dark brown, mid-brown and blonde shades, with flattering ashy (rather than red) undertones.
Define your eyes
Make-up artist Bobbi Brown recommends black eyeliner (always black) on the top lash line to define the eye, using a thicker line behind a thicker frame. If your lenses make your eyes look smaller, use liner on the bottom lash line as well. A taupe or bronze smokey eye looks great with black or tortoiseshell frames – Chase recommends matte or cream shadows, not shimmer, as they look crepey under lenses. If you want to add flair, add glitter – it’s better than shimmer. Try Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter Liquid, £23.
Don’t lengthen your lashes
Lengthening mascaras can make lashes look spidery, especially under long-sighted or reading lenses because of the magnification. It also makes them more likely to hit the lenses and smudge.
“You want a volumising mascara, smoothly applied in layers to avoid clumps (they look worse under glasses),” Chase says. A long-wearing formula like Collection Volumax Waterproof, £5.99, is less likely to smudge and will survive your eyes getting watery. Curl top lashes before you apply to minimise the chance of lashes touching your lenses.
Undo dark shadows
Frames and lenses can emphasise dark shadows under the eyes, as well as redness and discolouration, so use a good concealer in a shade lighter than your foundation. Try No Dark Shadows Complexion Enhancer, £15, which is waterproof and has peach undertones to counteract the darkness.
“Use an oil-free primer under your make-up to help it stay in place, even if you take your glasses on and off during the day,” says Chase.
Bright lips are an easy option
“A statement lip colour is a really lovely look, especially if your glasses have thick or dark frames,” says Chase. “Go for a cherry, orange or classic red shade – depending on what suits your skin tone – in a matte or satin finish. The new liquid lipstick formulas are great for this.”
Avoid gloss, especially if your frames are glossy, or your lenses are reflective. Try Bobbi Brown Art Stick Liquid Lip, £21.50, or Lottie Slay All Day Liquid Lipstick, £5.95.
Glasses to make you gorgeous
We asked Isobel Smith, Boots Opticians style advisor, for her expert tips to flatter your face shape…
Round: A square or rectangular style will balance your face shape. Avoid narrow frames, as these emphasise roundness.
Rectangular: Look for frames with curved lines and rounded edges to soften the angles of your face. Deeper frames will visually shorten a long face.
Heart-shaped: Balance your wider forehead and smaller chin with cat-eye or rectangular frames. Beware deep frames that dig into your high cheekbones, and avoid styles that are thicker or detailed at the top, such as aviator glasses.
Square: Rounded frames are good for your face shape. Make sure they’re as wide as your cheekbones – anything too narrow can make a square face look fatter.