Makeup for every eye shape.
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Eye-opening tips

Makeup for every eye shape.

The eyes are one of the most expressive part of the face, and makeup can accentuate them even further. While we believe makeup application should be guided more by creativity than rules, there are easy ways to enhance your particular eye shape.

Here’s how to know what eye shape you have and, more importantly, how to create a look that will enhance your natural beauty.

Balanced eyes

Balanced eyes have more or less symmetrical inner and outer corners. The lids are visible but not prominent, and the eyes are spaced about one eye width apart.
Here’s how to accentuate balanced eyes:

  1. Apply your favorite medium shade from the lash line to the crease to define and shape the eye
  2. Key step: Pat a darker shadow on the outer third of the lid and blend it into the crease for contour and depth.
  3. Choose a coordinating color liner and line the entire upper and lower lash lines.

Deep-set eyes

Deep-set eyes feature a visible crease that serves as a natural contour to their natural beauty.

Here’s how to accentuate deep-set eyes:

  1. Apply a light shade all over, from lash line to brow.
  2. Apply a deeper shadow directly above the crease to harmonize a more prominent brow bone.
  3. Key step: Line the top and bottom lash lines using a light color eyeliner. Start out thin, then thicken the line when you reach the outer third of the eye. Pro tip: Make sure the line stretches close to but not into the tear ducts.

Hooded eyes

Hooded eyes feature the top fold (hood) of eye skin angled downward on the outer portion of the eye with a lid crease close to the lash line.

Here’s how to accentuate hooded eyes:

  1. Using a light color, apply shadow from the lash line up to the brow.
  2. Work a deeper shade of eyeliner into the outer third of the bottom lash line, moving at an upward angle. Let the tail of your brow show you where to end your eyeliner.
  3. Key step: Pat a deeper shade of eye shadow into the eyelid’s outer corner and in the crease. Pro tip: Always blend shadow up and into the crease.

Single-lid eyes

Single-lid eyes feature either a slight crease close to the lash line or no crease at all.

Here’s how to accentuate single-lid eyes:

  1. Pat on a medium-toned color all over from the lash line to the brow.
  2. Work a deeper shade into the lash line and soften the color by blending upward. Pro tip: Keep your eyes open when you apply and blend shadow.
  3. Dab a light shadow right under the brow arch to accentuate the brow bone.
  4. Key step: Choose a deeply toned liner and apply it along the upper lash line. It should be a thick enough line on the lid so that you can see it when your eyes are open.

Round eyes

Round eyes indeed have a rounder shape, sometimes marked by a white space separating the water line and the iris (the color part of the eye).

Here’s how to accentuate round eyes:

  1. Choose a light or medium shadow to cover the lid from the lash line to slightly above the crease.
  2. Pat a medium to deep color over the outer two-thirds of the eyelid. Soften the color by blending inwards and past the outer corner of the eye.
  3. Key step: Line the outer two-thirds of the upper lash line, finishing it off with a small tail that angles up pointing in the direction of the tip of the tail of the brow.
  4. Lightly line the lower lash line along the outer two-thirds of the eye as well.

Wide-set eyes

Eyes with more than one eye length between them are considered wide-set.

Here’s how to accentuate wide-set eyes:

  1. Wash a light shadow over the eye from the lashes to the brow.
  2. To make the eyes seem closer together, apply a medium shadow to the inner half of the lid. Pro tip: Extend brows toward the bridge of your nose with a brow pencil.
  3. Key step: Using a darker shadow, apply it to the inner half of the crease, blending out from the nose to soften the color’s intensity.
  4. Line the lashline from the inner corner only to the middle of the eye, then blend outward to taper the look.

Close-set eyes

Close-set eyes have less than an eye length separating the two.

Here’s how to accentuate close-set eyes:

  1. Wash a light shadow over the eye from the lashes to the brow.
  2. Using a medium shadow, apply color to the lid’s outer half.
  3. Key step: Apply a darker shade to the outer half of the crease. This will make it seem like there is a greater distance between the eyes.

Upturned eyes

Upturned eyes feature inner corners that dip and outer corners that lift.

Here’s how to accentuate upturned eyes:

  1. Choose a light or medium shadow to cover the lid from the lash line to right above the crease.
  2. Apply a medium or deep shadow at the outer corner on the top and bottom, covering the outer third of each lash line. Focus the color more on the bottom — this will make the eye appear more level. Pro tip: For a different look, skip steps 2–4 and line just the lower lash line.
  3. Line the entire lash line, both upper and lower.
  4. Key step: On the upper lash line, draw a small downward tail with the liner, using the downward arch of the upper lid as your guide.

Downturned eyes

Downturned eyes feature outer corners that dip and inner corners that lift.

Here’s how to accentuate downturned eyes:

  1. Use a light-toned shadow as your base and apply it all over the eye, from the lash line to the brow.
  2. Key step: Choose a deeper shade of liner for the outer third of the bottom lash line. Apply it at an upward angle, following the tail of your brow.
  3. Pat a deeper shade on the outer third of your lid and blend into the crease.
Your tools of choice in creating these looks are:



All eye shapes are beautiful, and it’s certainly possible for your eyes to combine more than one shape and orientation. Experiment with new looks using several of the aforementioned techniques, particularly the key steps, and all eyes will be on yours.

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