Chinita Secrets: My Favorite Eye Products
When I was young, somebody told me that I couldn't become a dramatic actress because of my eyes - that they were too small, were too "smiley," and weren't expressive enough. So at such an early age, I was already so insecure about my eyes. Thankfully, my father stepped in and talked some sense into me. He said that in the showbiz world, it's actually an advantage to have features that could set me apart; he said that being a chinita was something that could make me stand out. And now, I'm thankful for how my eyes look - the shape, size and all! I've learned how to work with them, and want to share all my tricks to you! Hopefully, my chinita sisters out there can relate! And if you're not a chinita, I hope you pick up a thing or two as well.
Mascara
Mascara (L-R) - Maybelline, Helena Rubinstein, L’Oreal.
My first love with makeup would definitely be mascara. I prefer formulas that are volumizing and thickening. My go-to’s for this are Helena Rubinstein’s Long Lash Mascara and Maybelline’s Lash Discovery. A trick that I actually do with these mascaras to make them even more volumizing is to leave the tube slightly open overnight. The next day, the formula becomes a little thicker - just the perfect texture for the full-lash effect that I want. However, when I use L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise, I don’t really do this trick anymore. The formula of this mascara, which I would consider my holy-grail, is perfect in and off itself.
Aside from finding the best mascara, you also have to find the best way to apply it. My trick is coating my lashes once, letting them dry, curling them, and applying another coat of mascara. I’m definitely a multi-layer applicator - I just love mascara so much! If you layer strategically, the mascara won’t clump at all. It will just give you the most dramatic eye look ever!
Eyeliner
Eyeliner (L-R) - K-Palette, Urban Decay.
I find that combining both a pencil eyeliner and a liquid eyeliner really works for chinita eyes. I use the pencil eyeliner for my tightline, and the liquid eyeliner for my eyelid, right by the lash line. For tightlining, I use an Urban Decay eyeliner. I gently drag it from the middle to the outer corner of my eye; I don’t go over my whole tightline because half the way is already enough to really open my eyes. And then, I do a slight cateye with my K-Palette liquid eyeliner. The color I use - which is either brown or black - depends on what I have planned for the day. People ask me how to perfect creating a cateye. For me, it’s all about playing around with different techniques and discovering which works best for you. Practice makes perfect - as plain and simple as that!
Eyeshadow
Bronzer - Tom Ford.
Putting on eyeshadow can seem intimidating for a lot of people, but it doesn’t actually have to be complicated. Personally, I just use whatever shade I use for contouring my cheekbones and swipe it on my lids. My Tom Ford bronzer is a really good multipurpose product for this; you can play around with how heavy or light you want the pigment to be. I find that the slightest wash of brown can already make such a big difference for chinitas; it instantly adds depth and dimension to the eyes.
Highlighter
Highlighter - Becca Cosmetics.
When it comes to eye makeup, a little shimmer goes a long way. I find that adding just the tiniest bit on the inner corner of my eyes brightens them up instantly. I use the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector, which is made for highlighting cheekbones, but works perfectly for my eyes. Again, I love a good multipurpose product.
If you follow my YouTube channel, you’ll know what happened to this favorite product of mine. Thankfully, I’ve recovered it by adding some water and the slightest dash of rubbing alcohol. It’s alive and thriving, my friends!
Eyebrows
Eyebrow Liner - K-Palette; Eyebrow Mascara - Bobbi Brown.
And finally, brows! I’m one of those “kilay is life” type of girls, I mean, as I said in one of my videos, “you lose everything, but you can’t lose your eyebrows.” My holy grail brow product is the K-Palette eyebrow liner in shade #2. And guys, let me tell you, the staying power of this product something else; it can last through everything - from a full day of work to even a dip in the pool! I’ve not stopped using this since I discovered it.
Although the eyebrow liner already does an amazing job at thickening my brows, I like to take it a step further by adding eyebrow mascara. I use Bobbi Brown eyebrow mascara in the shade Mahogany. It keeps each unruly brow hair in place, and adds another layer of thickening which lets me get that full-blown effect that I like.
And there you have it - my holy-grail eye makeup products. Aside from my these makeup tips, I hope you guys take something more meaningful away from this, and that is to love what you were born with. Ignore what people say about your supposed imperfections - about the shape of your eyes, the size of your nose, the color of your skin or whatever it may be - because that’s what makes you beautiful. You’re one of a kind, uniquely you, so wear your own version of beautiful with confidence!
See my Chinita beauty tips in action in one of my latest vlogs:
