Just like many things in life, eyes come in all different shapes and sizes. Almond, round, close-set, up-turned – no two eyes are the same, and it’s part of what makes us all unique.
One of the most common eye shapes is hooded eyes. So, what are hooded eyes, and how can you best accentuate them?
What are hooded eyes?
Having hooded eyes means that when you’re looking forwards, only a small amount of your eyelid (or none at all) is visible, because it’s covered by the skin from your brown bone. This means that the crease of your eye socket is also less visible, or not visible at all.
Most people with hooded eyes are born with them, however they can develop over time as the skin around the eyes begins to age. There are all different types of hooded eyes, too – on some people you may see more of their lid in the inner or outer corners, whereas other people may only appear to have hooded eyes at different angles.
When it comes to hooded eye make-up, there are a few challenges that having this eye shape can cause. Mostly, people applying make-up for hooded eyes may find that their eyeshadow is hidden by their eye’s ‘hoods’, or that their eyeliner smudges or transfers onto their brow bone.
Make-up for hooded eyes: Key techniques to know
The good news is despite these challenges, you can successfully wear any make-up look on hooded eyes. There are some simple techniques you can use to adapt any look to better suit your eye shape.
Keep your eyes open and rested while applying makeup
When applying eyeshadow or eyeliner to hooded eyes, keep your eyes naturally rested – that means no raising the eyebrows or stretching the skin. While you might think this will give you a smoother surface to work on, this can distort the liner or eyeshadow once your skin returns to its natural position. By keeping your eyes open, you’ll get a better idea of what your make-up will look like when it’s finished.
Aim for thinner lines
One of the reasons eyeliners can be challenging for those with hooded eyes is that the shape can look vastly different when your eyes are open versus closed. For the best result, use thin lines that hug your lashes and follow their natural shape – this should decrease the risk of the product transferring, too.
Take it one at a time
To give yourself the best shot at ensuring your make-up looks the same on both sides, you could complete one eye before moving onto the next. Having one eye finished should help you with your symmetry, as you can use the finished eye as a guide.
Eyeshadow for hooded eyes: Enhancing your crease
Eyeshadows for hooded eyes tend to be lighter in colour, more neutral in tone and are a matte formula (without shimmer). This is because darker or more glittery shadows can make your eyes look smaller. This doesn’t mean that bright and bold colours or a smoky eye look is a complete no-go – if you’d like to try a more dramatic look, you can create a gradient effect with lighter and darker shades, blending the darker shadows upwards and outwards to give your eyes a more lifted look.
One of the most flattering looks for hooded lids is a cut crease – an eye make-up technique where you create the illusion of a more prominent crease above where yours naturally falls, helping the eyes appear bigger. Another much-loved technique is the lower lash line smoke, where you run a pop of darker shadow along the bottom of your lower lid, which can help your eyes appear larger.
If you’re not willing to give up the shimmer shadows just yet, you don’t have to! By keeping any glittery shades to only the centre of your lid or popping a small amount near your tear ducts as an inner-corner highlight, this will help open up the eyes when they catch the light.
Create your perfect look for both day and night using the No7 Pro Artist 4-in-1 Eyeshadow Palette. The soft mattes and shimmers deliver intense colour after just one sweep, making them easy to work with to enhance the eyes and achieve a lasting finish. Plus, the dual ended brush is here to create your perfect blended crease effect, that’s great for hooded eye make-up.
How to apply eyeliner on hooded eyes without smudging
As well as aiming for thinner lines that follow your natural curves, there are a few other ways to adapt eyeliner for hooded eyes.
If you’re a fan of winged liner but struggle to get it looking right with hooded eyes, try going for a mini wing. Instead of applying eyeliner the way along your upper lash line, apply only a small amount on the very outer edge before winging it out to lengthen and elongate. You could also try reverse eyeliner – apply your eyeliner to your lower lash line and flick it out at the end. Then, take a smudger brush and diffuse the line before connecting it to the very edge of your upper lashes.
For a more subtle eyeliner look for hooded eyes, try tightlining in your upper waterline with the No7 Pro Artist 12 Hour Artist Eye Pencil. This waterproof formula glides on for a lasting finish for up to 12 hours. The buildable intensity means it’s perfect for achieving any eye make-up look – whether you’re aiming for thin, subtle lines or a bolder statement.
Complete hooded eye makeup tutorial: A step-by-step guide
Step 1: Prep your eyes
Use a light dusting of either a neutral eyeshadow or translucent powder to set your lids and prevent any creasing of your base make-up throughout the day.
Step 2: Create a new crease
Using a small, fluffy blending brush, apply a mid-tone matte eyeshadow above your natural crease and move in window-wipe motions, creating a new crease line. Blend upwards toward the brow bone to help create a lifting effect.
Step 3: Deepen the outer corner
With a darker shade, apply it to the outer corner of your eye, just above the new crease you created to add depth and dimension. Blend this darker shade towards the middle of your eyelid to maintain the lifted shape.
Step 4: Cut the crease
Using a flat eyeshadow brush, pick up a light matte shade (or shimmery if you’d like things to really ‘pop’) and apply it to the centre of your eyelid to ‘cut’ the crease. Use a tapping motion to press the pigment in, keeping a clean and sharp line along the new crease you made.
Step 5: Blend the Edges
Gently blend the edge of the light colour with the darker outer corner for a seamless transition.
Step 6: Mascara & Liner
For hooded eyes, apply a thin line of eyeliner close to your upper lash line and extend the line slightly if you want a subtle wing. Finish the look by curling your lashes and applying a lengthening mascara, like the No7 Extreme Length Waterproof Mascara.
Creating a long-lasting hooded eye make-up look
There are a few different steps you can take to give your hooded eye make-up some lasting power, which should prevent your eyeliner from smudging or transferring.
Prepare your eyelids with an eyeshadow primer to enable smooth and even eyeshadow application. Alternatively, you can gently blend some concealer over your eyelid, before setting this with a pressed powder.
Choose an eyeliner formula that is long-lasting. Pick from a pencil, liquid, gel or felt-tip liner, like the No7 Stay Perfect Precise Felt Tip Eye Liner. Keep an eye out for any products that are waterproof too, as these longwearing formulas should help minimise the risk of any transferring.
Apply a light layer of setting powder (also known as baking) in any areas where product usually smudges or transfers to help lock-in the look for longevity. The No7 Pro Artist Loose Powder gives a soft-focus, translucent finish and helps free the skin from any excess shine.
Final tips for perfect hooded eye make-up
Mastering make-up for hooded eyes can take be tricky at first, but practice makes perfect. As you refine your technique, you’ll soon be able to confidently create stunning make-up for hooded eyes that suits any occasion – from subtle daytime elegance to bold evening glamour.
