Many individuals with hooded eyes find that conventional makeup tutorials, often featuring dramatic eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, and false lashes, don't translate well to their specific eye shape. This guide aims to provide a practical and accessible approach to mastering makeup for hooded eyes, focusing on techniques that enhance rather than obscure your natural features.
Understanding Hooded Eyes
Hooded eyes are characterized by an extra layer of skin that hangs down from the brow bone, covering most or all of the eyelid. This can make certain eye makeup looks appear hidden when the eyes are open, and can present challenges when trying to achieve popular styles like winged eyeliner or smoky eyes. It's important to note that there are varying degrees of hooded eyes, from moderate to more pronounced.
How to Identify Hooded Eyes
To determine if you have hooded eyes, look in a mirror with your eyes open. If you don't clearly see your eyelid crease and notice that the skin beneath your brows droops towards your lash line, you likely have hooded eyelids. Comparing your eye shape to images of celebrities with hooded eyes or using an eye shape chart can also be helpful.
Essential Pre-Makeup Steps for Hooded Eyes
Before diving into eyeshadow and liner, proper preparation is key to ensuring your makeup lasts and looks its best on hooded lids.
Concealer Application
A common mistake for those with hooded eyes is neglecting concealer, especially in the outer corners of the under-eye area. As we age, this area can develop redness and discoloration. Applying concealer (and corrector, if needed) here can significantly brighten and even out the skin tone.
The Power of Eyeshadow Primer
Eyeshadow primer is an indispensable product for hooded eyes. It not only evens out discoloration and disguises veins but also ensures smoother shadow application, increases longevity, prevents creasing, and makes colors appear more vibrant. However, simply applying primer isn't enough; it must be properly set.
Setting Your Primer
A frequent error leading to creasing, smudging, and patchy application is failing to set the eyeshadow primer. After applying primer, set it with either a neutral eyeshadow shade or a loose setting powder. This step is crucial for creating a stable base for the rest of your eye makeup.
Eyeshadow Techniques for Hooded Eyes
The way you apply eyeshadow can dramatically change the appearance of hooded eyes, creating the illusion of more lid space and a lifted effect.
Creating a Recessed Crease with Transition Shades
To counteract the heaviness of a hooded lid, place a transition shade that is a shade deeper than your natural skin tone (peach or slightly pink tones work well) into and above the natural crease. Extend this shade almost up to the brow bone. This creates a shadow that makes the hood appear to recede, rather than protrude.
Strategic Highlighting Under the Brow Bone
When using highlighter, a common mistake is applying too much with a fluffy brush, which can negate the shadow created by your transition shade. Instead, use a small brush to apply highlighter directly underneath the brow bone, blending it into the transition shade. This subtly lifts the brow bone without emphasizing the hood.
Working with Your Natural Crease
It might feel counterintuitive, but for hooded eyes, it's often best to apply eyeshadow above your natural crease, extending it towards the brow bone. When your eyes are open and looking straight ahead, this placement will define a new, higher crease, effectively "lifting" the eye and creating the appearance of more lid space.
Blending for a Seamless Look
Proper blending is essential to avoid harsh lines between eyeshadow shades. Blending ensures a beautiful, seamless finish where colors transition smoothly. Imagine blending your eyeshadow in a straight horizontal line, not extending too far outwards. Using the edge of a piece of paper from the corner of your nose to the end of your brow can help guide your blending.
Using Shimmer and Matte Shades
Matte eyeshadows are generally excellent for hooded eyes as they don't reflect light in a way that emphasizes the hood. However, a touch of shimmer applied to the visible lid space can help brighten the eyes. For a natural look, consider cream and brown colors with a gold or bronze shimmer. When using shimmer, place it on the mobile part of the lid, which flashes color as you blink, rather than on the brow bone or above the socket crease, which can emphasize the hood.
A soft, matte highlighting shade like champagne, baby pink, soft silver, or light brown applied with a light hand directly under the brow can also create the illusion of more lid space.
Focusing on the Outer and Inner Corners
For hooded eyes, the focus should ideally be on the inner and outer corners, as the middle of the lid can be completely hidden when the eyes are open. The outer corner is particularly important for adding definition and lift.
Maximizing Visible Lid Space
The goal is to maximize the visible skin between the crease and the lash line. Applying an iridescent eyeshadow, perhaps a shade close to your skin tone or one shade lighter, just above the iris in the center of your lid can create the illusion of more lid space.
Eyeliner Techniques for Hooded Eyes
Applying eyeliner to hooded eyes requires a different approach to ensure the liner is visible and flattering.
Tightlining
Tightlining, or applying a soft kohl eyeliner to your upper waterline, is an excellent technique. This defines the lash line and makes lashes appear fuller without taking up precious lid space. A white or nude liner on the lower waterline can also make eyes appear more open and awake.
Thin Lines and Strategic Placement
When applying eyeliner to your lids, keep the lines thin. Thick lines are more likely to be obscured by the hood and can make eyes look smaller. Focus on the outer two-thirds of your eye to elongate and lift.
The "Dot and Dash" Method for Wings
For a lifted wing, instead of lining directly at the lash line, place a dot or tiny dash slightly above where the lash line ends, in the direction of your lower lash line. Then, press and lightly smudge an angled brush with shadow or liner against the outer part of your lash line. Smudge this into the dot/dash to create a subtle, lifted wing. This method takes less than 30 seconds and provides more lift than a traditional liner.
"Batwing" Eyeliner
A popular technique for hooded eyes is the "batwing" liner. Draw the wing outwards as usual, but at the tip, drag the wing inward towards your crease. This creates a graphic shape that remains visible when the eyes are open.
Reverse Eyeliner
If eyeliner on the upper lid looks too heavy, try "reverse eyeliner" by applying it to your lower lash line. You can wing it out from the lower lash line and diffuse the line with a brush, connecting it to the edge of your upper lash line. This adds definition while lifting and elongating the eyes.
Eyeliner with Eyes Open
When applying eyeliner, especially wings, it's crucial to do so with your eyes open and looking straight ahead. This allows you to see exactly where the liner will be visible and prevent the "surprise" of a distorted wing when you close your eyes. Mark out where the lower part of the wing should go and draw outwards, then connect it to the upper edge, stopping at your natural eyelid crease.
Avoiding Liner on the Full Lash Line
For a liquid eyeliner look with a wing, avoid applying liner all the way along your upper lash line. Instead, apply it only from the very outer corner, winging out to lengthen and elongate the eyes. This preserves lid space and ensures the wing is visible.
Mascara and Lashes for Hooded Eyes
The right mascara and lash application can further enhance hooded eyes.
Curling Your Lashes
Curling your lashes is one of the most effective ways to lift the eye. Pay attention to finding an eyelash curler that fits your eye shape. Applying mascara after curling dramatically opens up the eyes.
Choosing False Lashes
Thick, densely packed false lashes can overwhelm hooded eyes. Opt for longer, thinner lashes. To avoid a droopy appearance, consider trimming full strip lashes or using individual lashes. Applying them only to the outer corner can provide an eye-opening effect.
Eyebrow Shaping for Hooded Eyes
Well-shaped eyebrows can significantly enhance hooded eyes.
Soft Definition
Avoid overdrawing your brows, as this can create a heavier look and close the eye. Instead, lightly define them using a shade two shades lighter than your natural color. Brush the brow hairs upward to open and lift the eye shape.
Tail Alignment
When filling in your brows, pay special attention to the tail. Ensure it doesn't drag downwards. It should end parallel with the outer corner of your eye to maintain an elongated and lifted appearance.
Specific Makeup Looks for Hooded Eyes
Adapting popular makeup looks for hooded eyes is entirely achievable with the right techniques.
Cut Crease Tutorial
- If you have hooded eyelids, smudged eyeliner is likely a common occurrence.
- Using a pencil eyeliner, draw a fake crease above your natural crease. This line should go from the outer edge of your eye toward the inner corner.
- Before your drawn-on crease fully dries, use a small fluffy blending brush to soften the line, blending it in an upward motion toward your brow bone and the outer corner of your eye. Keep the bottom edge of the line precise, as this is the defining characteristic of a cut crease.
- With your eyeliner in place, blend a matte eyeshadow on top.
- Matte colors are great for hooded eyes, but a little bit of shimmer applied to the visible lid can help brighten your eyes.
- Reach for a light eyeshadow to brighten the inner corner of your eye and the area right beneath the arch of your brow.
- To create your wing, start by drawing a line that extends from the outer corner of your eye, then draw a very thin line across your upper lash line. A double wing is a great way to wear cat eye eyeliner if you have hooded eyes.
- Bring your look together with a few coats of waterproof, lengthening mascara.
Smoky Eye Tutorial
- Start by swiping a shade of brown eyeshadow across your lid. You can also use a bronzer. Keep a light hand and blend upward for a soft, gradient effect.
- Using a gel eyeliner, line your upper and lower lash lines. This type of eyeliner glides smoothly and can be easily smudged.
- Smudge out the lines you created on the upper and lower lash line. At the outer corner of your upper lash line, smudge outwards and upwards to create a soft wing shape. Work quickly as the formula sets fast. Once blended, swipe your eyeshadow brush across your lids to further blend out any harsh lines.
- Finish with a generous coat of mascara on both your upper and lower lashes.
THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HOODED EYE TUTORIAL
Eyeliner Tutorial with a Wing
- With your eyes open, look straight forward into a mirror and draw a wing on the visible part of the skin. Angle the wing upward for a more flattering effect. Using an extra-fine tip liner is recommended for precision.
- Create as thin of a line as possible across your upper lash line, pressing the eyeliner into your lashes. Connect the line to your wing, being careful not to thicken it too much.
- Remember that everyone's eyes are different, and you may need to try multiple techniques to find what works best for you.
False Eyelash Application
- For hooded lids, opt for longer, thinner false lashes instead of thick, densely packed ones.
- To avoid a droopy look, trim full strip lashes or use individual lashes. Applying them to just the outer corner can have an eye-opening effect. Trim the strip lash so it's about half the length of your natural lash line.
- Apply a small amount of glue to the lash strip and wait for it to become tacky. Then, close your eye and line up the lash strip with your lash line, starting at the outer corner. Press it into place.
General Tips for Hooded Eyes
- When creating socket definition, extend your eyeshadow high onto the brow bone. Look straight ahead and imagine where the shadow should go; tipping your head back will reveal the ideal placement near the brow bone to lift and open the eye.
- If you want your eyes to pop, take a darker eyeshadow along your lower lid.
- Avoid using bright and reflective eyeshadows on the prominent part of the lid (above the socket crease or brow bone), as this emphasizes the hoods. Instead, keep these shades to the mobile parts of the lid for flashes of color when you blink.
- For a smoky eye, apply eyeshadow all over your lid, buffing it upwards onto the brow bone and outwards. Run the same shadow along your bottom lid and add mascara.
- When applying eyeshadow, follow a straight-line technique, blending horizontally and not too far out.
- For bold looks, be sure to bring the shadow up past the hood to maximize the color.
- If liquid eyeliner overwhelms your eyes, try tight-lining your upper waterline with a soft kohl eyeliner.
- If winged eyeliner looks too heavy, try "reverse eyeliner" by applying it to your lower lash line and winging it out.
- When in doubt, leave your lids bare and focus on a good application of mascara.
- If mascara tends to rub off onto your brow bone, use a Q-tip dipped in water to gently clean up the area.