How To Do Your Makeup If Your Red, Irritated, Dry Eyes Are Driving You Crazy

As I write this, I'm wearing crooked, scratched, three-prescriptions-old glasses. I never wear glasses outside the house — like, ever — but I am today. I've hated them since I saw a picture of myself in middle school wearing a pair with the lenses that turn into sunglasses outdoors. But this morning, after years of putting in contact lenses that begin to irritate my eyes the second they spy the subway — and don't let up until I get home and rip them out — I hit my breaking point.

It's not the type of lens (I've tried 'em all). Nope, it's a very sexy problem in which my eyes overproduce protein and don't self-clean as effectively as they should, leading to blurry, fogged-up lenses and red, irritated eyes. (There's no medical term for excessive protein build-up, which is unfortunate, because I'd join that support group in a heartbeat.) And so I rub my eyes constantly, and I remove my contact lenses for cleaning every few hours. Suffice to say, all this eye action leads to my concealer, eyeliner, shadow, and mascara disappearing by 5 p.m.

But, with a few tweaks to my makeup routine, I've found that there's hope! Ahead, I asked the pros to spill their best tips for beating eye irritation without sacrificing the look you want. Smoky shadow, dark lashes, winged liner — you can have it all, you just have to take a new approach.