When it comes to beautifying your eye shape, there are no limits to what you can create once you have a better understanding of what kind of makeup makes your eyes look the best. Due to their unique properties, hooded eyes are often talked about when we want to expand the way we apply makeup to all eye shapes.
Basically, hooded eyes have an extra layer of skin that folds over and covers the eyelid. The hooded eyes have no visible wrinkles, and when fully open, the eyelash line and eyelashes can be seen as the most prominent feature. Many tutorials involve applying shadow and contour within the eye crease, so there are some other ways you can enhance your hooded eyes to ensure they stand out. Key? We know how to apply eyeshadow to hooded eyes to bring out the best in them.
Ahead, we asked two professional makeup artists to give us their top tips for creating hooded eyes. Spoiler alert: You’ll become an expert in no time.
meet an expert
- kelly blair I am a Senior National Makeup Artist for MAC Cosmetics.
- Nydia Figueroa I’m a celebrity makeup artist in New York City.
hooded eye technique
“It’s all about highlighting your natural features,” says Blair, who recommends using volumizing mascara and applying a tight liner to your lash line. It plays an important role in keeping the face balanced and allows you to apply it to your eyelids as a base for shadows that are lighter than your natural skin tone. It’s the little details that make a big impact, Blair explained, “Making your eyes look bigger, making small adjustments like applying highlight to the inner corners of your eyes to brighten them, and balancing your makeup look beautifully.” It’s best to lighten your lip color. ” Creating a thin liner is very easy. Angled liner brush allows you to apply long-lasting eyeliner with precision.
Figueroa explained how to create contrast with your hooded eyes when you want to wear a dressy look. “The illusion that the eye hood area is pushed back slightly, making it look more open. Darker eyeshadow shades don’t reflect as much light as lighter colors, so this is great for highlighting when creating a more dramatic look.” If you’re using a darker shadow, take a fluffy eyeshadow brush and dab the shadow from the center of your eye outwards to create a soft, smoky look that gives the illusion of more eyelid space. Blend for a while until you create a nice look.
Tips to improve hooded eyes
To make your eyes look more open, Blair says, “Start by using eyeshadow on your eyelids that is one to two shades lighter than your skin tone. This will make your eyes appear more open.” When adding deeper eyeshadow, use a small, tapered brush in the outer crease of your eye to adjust the shade of the shadow. A smaller brush tip will help you blend more precisely .
If you’re just learning how to blend, that’s fine. “When applying dark shadows, do it while looking in a mirror with your eyes open. This will ensure that you can see the color in the crease when you open your eyes and when you close your eyes. As you apply and blend, the crease color may become less visible when you open your eyes, creating a more closed shape.” Blair says, “When you apply and blend the crease color, you can create small circular shapes. The tornado-like motion helps everything blur and blend more seamlessly.” Don’t forget to apply an eyeshadow primer on your eyelids to prevent the shadow from creasing or smudging.
Take your time until you become familiar with the application techniques. Figueroa says, “For hooded eyes, it’s all about shadow placement. Also, matte eyeshadows and eyeliners don’t reflect as much light as shimmers or frosts, so they work best on hooded eyes.” I found it to be effective and you can still apply it to brighten and open up the area around your eyes by adding shimmer to the inner corners of your eyes. ”
mistakes to avoid
- Blair suggests not going too dark with your shadow color too soon. “One of the challenges is that the eyelids and outer corners of the eyes are too dark. You want to add contrast, but in a less extreme way. Think neutral tones that aren’t too dark.” Espresso brown or black is. ”
- Tools also make a big difference. “Use only brushes and tools that perfectly fit the shape of your eyes,” says Figueroa. “Avoid using a brush that is too large or too hard, as this will make the application process more difficult.”
- Pay attention to the finish of the shadow and the texture of the skin. If matte shadows blend better into your skin, avoid shimmery shadows that can accentuate fine lines around your eyes.
- Don’t forget to curl your eyelashes. This has a big impact and only takes a few seconds.
fluttering eyelashes
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This look from Lucy Lui highlights how big an impact false eyelashes can have on a hooded eye shape, whether they’re fake or natural. False eyelashes are a great way to make your eyes look bigger and add glamor.Figueroa promotes Ardell Beauties Seamless underlash extension Wispies ($20) as her favorite. Since it is applied under the eyelashes, the eyelash band is not visible and it looks natural. ” An important note for those with hooded eye shapes is that the more natural-looking the eyelashes, the better.
thick liner
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This look from Rashida Jones proves that eyeliner gives just the right statement to hooded eyes, bringing drama without going overboard. The liquid liner is thick and spreads out in a slight feather shape after a few coats of mascara.
When applying liner to mimic this particular look, it’s important to tip your eyelids down and let it dry completely so the liner doesn’t transfer to your skin too quickly. After applying the liner, allow each eye to dry completely for at least 20 seconds.
thin liner
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A thin, tight liner in black applied to the upper lash line emphasizes the hooded eyes, a small detail that makes a big impact and is perfect for any occasion. Paired with well-shaped brows and a bold red lip, it balances out your look and keeps the focus on your eyes, without the need to apply complex shadows. To imitate Jennifer Lawrence’s style, don’t forget to apply a few coats of mascara to highlight your eyelashes. If mascara transfers easily to your skin, you don’t want to use it every day, or you want something that looks a little more natural, try Godefroy Beauty. 28 days mascara eyelash tint ($10) gives you more visibly colored eyelashes without using mascara.
metallic shimmer
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For hooded eyes, you can use shimmering metallic shadows. This look by Jennifer Aniston proves just that. For a classy shadow look with a shimmery finish, it’s best paired with inner liner on the top and bottom lash lines, plenty of mascara, and a soft highlight on the brow bone. The inner corners of the eyes are properly emphasized, making the eyes appear more open. If you use metallic his shadow, keep it on the center part of your eyelid and avoid bringing it closer to your eyebrows as it can make your eye shape smaller. You can find out which shadow looks best on your eyes by testing out a few shadows and seeing how the finish looks.
smoky eye
Gabrielle Union’s look may take some practice before making her debut, but it shows how you can make a lasting impression by wearing a smokey eye in the form of a hooded eye . The key is to tie the liner and dark eyeshadow above and below the eyes to make the shape look more exaggerated. Fill in the shape with a long-lasting gel eyeliner like a serum. Stay & Play Gel Eyeliner ($5) Blend a dark shadow on top for added emphasis and long-lasting effect.
simple shadow
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For a natural hooded eye makeup look like Emma Stone, apply a bright eyeshadow color to your eyelids, bring it up to your eyebrows, and add a simple thin liner to accentuate your definition. This is the simplest and easiest way to improve the shape of your hooded eyes. If you want it to be as minimal as possible, using one color of shadow will add depth without being too harsh.