Something that is tricky for me is describing the same person in different scenes and not making it feel redundant so that people are tired of reading it. (HOW MANY WAYS ARE THERE TO DESCRIBE GREEN EYES HUH?) I think something that helps is to describe more than just the literal physical appearance of something but what it reminds you of, or how it should make the reader (or the narrator) feel.
*
“It was pretty fun,” I say, standing up again, noting the way that Kattar watches the process with an air of being swamped. I tower above him in the 5-inch pumps, running one hand through my hair. “Shannon’s really nice, and we work well together.”
“Is he nice, or does he just look nice?” He tries to say it like a joke, but there’s something unmistakable in his eyes and his laugh this time, despite the affected indifference.
“He looks well enough,” I say nonchalantly, watching his face out of the corner of my eye as I continue brushing my hair down over one shoulder, “Dark hair and nice skin…”
His breathing changes, just subtly, and I let myself drink in the toxic thrill, like some sort of harpy - man-eater.
“-and he has the prettiest green eyes. I’ve never seen anything like them - like the eyes of that old cat that your mom used to have, the one that inspired that white lion painting I made. Shannon actually arranged some promotion with a nature art magazine, and they want me to do an interview talking a little bit about that piece. It’s a big opportunity so I don’t want to do anything awkward. I told him I’d never done an interview before and he said he’d hel-”
My tongue freezes to the roof of my mouth.
He’s crying.