Patent Publication Number: US-2013247928-A1

Title: Shield and Guide for Applying Eye Makeup

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/582,544 for “Shield and Guide for Applying Eye Makeup” filed on Jan. 3, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to a shield and guide for applying eye makeup. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Eye makeup has been used in cultures throughout the world for centuries. While the nature and form of eye makeup has developed over time, several problems are presented when applying eye makeup, such as, mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow. One problem occurs during application. Eye makeup falls from an applicator or the skin on which it was applied and lands on the cheek and cheekbone area and even onto clothes. Another problem is that creating a linear or curvilinear uniform lateral edge of eyeliner and/or eye shadow along the lateral portion of an eyelid and eyebrow can be difficult to accomplish. An even further problem is matching the edge of eye makeup applied to the eyelids of the right eye to that of the left eye. 
     There is a need for a shield and guide for applying eye makeup in such a way that the shield and guide (a) can be removeably adhered to skin under and adjacent the eye, (b) can be used to capture makeup falling from the around the eye during application, (c) can prevent falling makeup from landing on the area of the face below the eye, (d) can be easily removed from the skin without disrupting any underlying makeup, causing skin irritation, or leaving adhesive residue, (e) can be packaged in sets of right and left shield and guides, (f) can be efficiently and inexpensively manufactured, (g) can be easily and discreetly stored in a purse, wallet, or other carry or storage device, and (h) can function as a disposable or reusable device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Additional aspects, features, and advantages of the invention, both as to its structure, assembly, and use, will be understood and become more readily apparent when the invention is considered in light of the following description of illustrative embodiments made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIGS. 1A through 1E  illustrate various embodiments of geometric shapes of the invention shown as shields for the left eye. 
         FIGS. 2A through 2C  show sets of shields adhered to a peel-away backing. 
         FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of the invention adhered to skin adjacent the eyes. 
         FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of the invention adhered to skin adjacent the eyes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Illustrative and alternative embodiments of a shield and guide for applying eye makeup will be discussed in detail, as follows, with reference to  FIGS. 1-4  provided with this application. This invention provides a multiuse makeup shield and guide that can be easily and removeably adhered to skin adjacent to the eye and used for applying eye makeup. Throughout this application, the multiuse makeup shield and guide is referred to generally as shield or shield guide without limitations on its meaning. Although similar aspects of the embodiments of the invention are featured throughout this disclosure and are readily apparent, these similarities will be repeated, as needed, in context with the variations of each embodiment. 
     A purpose of the invention is to provide shield  10  for capturing makeup, such as, for example, mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow, that falls from the face or applicator during application of the makeup. 
     Another purpose of the invention is to provide shield  10  with upper edge  14  (arcuate, curvilinear, linear, or the like) that generally follows the contour of the lower and/or upper eyelid. This upper edge  14  provides a guide for applying eye makeup along the upper and lower eyelids and between the upper eyelid and the eyebrow. The term lateral is used as an anatomical term of location (i.e., lateral as opposed to median). Edge  14  provides a defined edge for applying makeup (e.g., mascara, eyeliner and/or eye shadow) in areas near the eye including, but not limited to, the boarder of the lower eyelid, the boarder of the upper eyelid (e.g., the guide must be inverted), and the skin surface between the upper eyelid to the eyebrow. In specific applications, edge  14  provides a guide for applying eye shadow between the lateral corner of the eye and the lateral end of a corresponding eyebrow. It also provides a guide for creating a matching edge of eye shadow (e.g., a mirror image) on the right and left upper eyelids. 
     A further purpose of the invention is to provide shield  10  that can be quickly and conveniently adhered to the skin before application of makeup to the eye and, then, be easily removed without irritation of the areas of the skin to which the shield is applied. 
     Yet another purpose of the invention is to provide shield  10  that can be efficiently and inexpensively manufactured, easily and discreetly stored and transported, disposed of after one use, and/or reused. 
     Illustrative embodiments of the invention—shield  10 —are shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4  and described as follows. The figures depict general, non-limiting geometric shapes for the various embodiments of shield  10  for left and right eyes.  FIG. 1  shows shield  10  for the left eye, and shield  10  for the right eye would be a mirror image of shield  10  for the left right as shown in  FIGS. 2 through 4 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , all embodiments of shield  10  are generally flat (with two surfaces) and are flexible. This flexibility permits shield  10  to be adhered to the 3-dimensional contours of the skin around the eyes including the upper and lower eyelids, cheekbones, and eyebrows. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the perimeter of shield  10  is defined by end  12 , upper edge  14 , lower edge  16 , and point  18 . Referring specifically now to  FIGS. 1A through 1E , end  12  may embody a round, square, oval, or other geometrically-shaped edge in communication with upper edge  14  and lower edge  16 . Turning again to the same figures, upper edge  14  and lower edge  14  are illustrated as arcuate, straight, or a combination of both (e.g., as shown specifically in  FIG. 1C ). Upper edge  14  and lower edge  16  taper to meet at point  18  of shield  10  as depicted in  FIGS. 1A through 1E . Point  18  may be configured as pointed, squared, or rounded. Additional geometric shapes may be used for the edges for shield  10  so long as the edges fulfill the purposes of the invention. 
     Shield  10  may be made from material comprising any one or combination of cloth (cotton, silk, or the like), paper, rubber, plastic or polymeric such as polyester, or other woven or non-woven material suitable to meet the purposes of the invention. The material used to make shield  10  may be layered in two or more layers. 
     In embodiments, the adhesive may be applied to or predisposed on inner surface of shield  10  for removeably adhering shield  10  to the portion of the skin in the area under and adjacent to the lateral aspect of the eyelid. In an illustrative embodiment, shield  10  may be cut from a material that provides adhesive functionality similar to low-adhesion surgical tape (i.e., 3M Medipore), medical tape (i.e., 3M Micropore), first aid tape (Hy-Tape), or similarly configured material with weak to moderate adhesive bonding strength. More specifically, and in certain embodiments, the shield  10  may be cut from low-adhesion surgical tape (i.e., 3M Medipore), medical tape (i.e., 3M Micropore), or first aid tape (Hy-Tape), or similar material predisposed with an adhesive having weak to moderate bonding strength. 
     The purpose of the adhesive is to removeably adhere the shield  10  to the portion of the skin in the area adjacent the eye as show for example in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . For example, and as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the shield  10  is shown removeably adhered under and adjacent to the lateral aspect of the eyelid so that the edge  14  provides a guide from the lateral corner of the eye to the lateral part of the eyebrow. Outer surface  22  of shield  10  is the portion of shield  10  that is opposite the inner surface and is outwardly facing (e.g., exposed) when shield  10  is removeably adhered to the skin. Outer surface  22  may be lightly- or roughly-textured and/or statically-charged to assist in capturing makeup that falls during application. In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive with light to strong bonding strength may also be applied to outer surface  22  to further assist in capturing makeup that falls during application. 
     The adhesive must function to removeably adhere shield  10  to skin in a manner that provides sufficient adhesion to the surface of the skin (without agitating the skin), but without such a strong bonding strength that would require shield  10  to be forcibly ripped from the skin when no longer in use. In an embodiment, the adhesive strength may permit the shield  10  to be removed from skin with makeup applied to it without removing a substantial portion of the already applied-makeup. In any embodiment, it is a characteristic of the adhesive that no—or a miniscule amount of—adhesive residue is left on the skin after shield  10  is used and removed. 
     The adhesive may be applied to entirely cover the inner surface of shield  10 . In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive may be applied to portions of the inner surface of shield  10 . For example, and in a manner to limit contact with the skin, the adhesive may only be applied to that portion of the inner surface that lies adjacent to and along upper edge  14  of shield  10 . In this embodiment, lower edge  16  of shield  10  can be easily plied away from the skin, gripped, and used to remove shield  10  from the skin. Point  18  may also have a portion without adhesive so that point  18  can be easily plied away from the skin and gripped to peel the shield  10  away from the skin. In an even further embodiment, no adhesive is applied to the shield  10  which can be held in place by hand during application of eye makeup. 
     Before or during the process of cutting the material into any number of shields  10  for right and left eyes, adhesive may be applied as an entire or partial backing to the side of the material along the surface that will become the inner surface of shield  10 . In an embodiment, the adhesive may be applied to the inner surface of shield  10  after being cut from the material. In another embodiment, the adhesive may be applied to outer surface  22  of shield  10  before, during, or after it is cut from the material. In these embodiments, shield  10  with adhesive is adhered to backing  24  (e.g., paper, plastic, foil, or the like) having a non-stick surface so that shield  10  may be easily peeled away from backing  24  for use. In an alternative embodiment, shield  10  may be adhered to backing  24  having an adhesive applied to backing  24 . In this example, the adhesive would then partially or fully transfer to shield  10  as each is removed from backing  24 . 
     The geometric shape of shield  10  may be cut from the selected material using dies, lasers, or other suitable instruments for cutting one or more shields  10  from the material. The cutting process may be performed by hand or automation with commercial machinery for high-throughput processing to substantially decrease the manufacturing time and increase output of shields  10  (for both the left and right eye) cut from the material. 
     Shield  10  may be provided individually or in pairs for use with a right eye and a left eye. For example, shield  10  for use with a left eye (as exemplified in  FIGS. 1A through 1E ) would be a mirror image of shield  10  for use with a right eye (shown in  FIGS. 2A through 2C ,  3 , and  4 ). Referring now to  FIGS. 2A through 2C , shield  10  may be provided in numerous sets of pairs on backing  24  or with peel-away backing strips (such as those used with a band-aid). Shield  10  may be reused by re-adhering it to backing  24  when no longer in use. Alternatively, shield  10  may be discarded. 
     In order to use the shield  10  in accordance with the invention, it must first be removed from its backing  24  to expose the adhesive on inner surface  20 . Shield  10  is then positioned on the skin of the face below and laterally adjacent to the eye as exemplified in  FIG. 3  or  4 . The shield  10  is then pressed to the skin to adhere it to the skin. 
     Of course, the positioning of shield  10  on the face is a matter of preference of the person applying makeup around the eye. In this regard, upper edge  14  of shield  10  may be positioned in any manner to meet the purpose of the invention. For example, upper edge  14  may be used to create a line from the lateral corner of the eye to a lateral aspect of an eyebrow as shown in  FIG. 4 . Then, upper edge  14  may be used as a guide to draw a line of eyeliner and/or provide a definitive edge for eye shadow application at points between the lateral corner of the eye and the lateral aspect of the eyebrow. The lateral demarcation of applied eye shadow and/or eyeliner will present a uniform line (linear or curvilinear). 
     Eyeliner and/or eye shadow can be applied according to the preferences of the person using the guide. As previously mentioned, right and left version of shield  10  may be used for applying makeup to the right eye and left eye  100  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 4 . In alternative embodiments, the shield  10  can be adhered to the upper eyelid so that the edge  14  is positioned generally adjacent to the contour of the upper eyelid and then used to apply eyeliner to the upper eyelid. In any use of the invention, and when application of the desired type and form of makeup around the eye is completed, shield  10  may be removed and either discarded or adhered to backing for reuse. 
     While the invention has been described above in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, permutations, and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention embraces all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims below.