There are lots of factors to consider when putting together an eye makeup look. With so many variables, it can be daunting to start. Makeup wearers are often told to look for eye makeup ideas best suited for their eye shape, but we think ANY eye makeup look can be adaptable! Perhaps one of the most notorious (but misunderstood) eye shapes is the hooded eye. We are going to walk you through 20 awesome tips for hooded eye makeup with some (hopefully) helpful graphics!
What are Hooded Eyes
If you read the about paragraph and said “Huh?”. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Tons of people never really have to consider what shape their eyes are, so let’s break it down. Here’s a chart to help you determine which eye shape is yours:
Now, you don’t have to be just one type. You can have wide-set, down-turned eyes; protruding, round eyes; etc. For the purposes of these tips, we are going to focus on the hooded eye shape.
Having hooded eyes means that the skin of your brown line folds down or creases in a way that, when your eyes are open, covers or “hoods” your upper eyelid. This means that products put on the upper lid are not entirely visible when the eyes are open.
Tips for Hooded Eye Makeup
You shouldn’t be limited in your creative expression just because of your eye shape! Follow these tips and all your eye makeup looks will be visible and complementary. Let’s start from the top of the eye and work our way down.
Brow Tips for Hooded Eyes
#1 Brush your eyebrows up or out.
When shaping the brow, it is best practice to brush the hairs upwards or out to the sides. This ensures that your brows don’t crowd your eyes lessening the space you have for eyeshadows and glitters.
#2 Fill in your eyebrows with light, upward strokes.
If your brows need a little extra pigment, use a fine-tipped brow pencil or brow brush with pomade to fill in between your hairs. Be sure your application strokes are in the direction that the hairs grow. This allows for a more natural fill-in that won’t overly darken your brow bone.
Eyeshadow Tips for Hooded Eyes
#3 Use a good, long-lasting eye primer.
Before you get to the makeup portion of your look, apply a good-quality eyeshadow primer. This serves as a base layer for any additional eye products and will hold your makeup in place as you wear it. With hooded eyes, this is especially important because there is a lot of movement and sliding between your upper lid and brow bone. A primer will give your eye makeup look longevity and ensure the pigments stay where you want.
#4 Apply light or skin-toned eyeshadows to your brow bone.
Because the brow line sits closer to the eye on those with hooded eyes, it is important not to pack it with dark products. Light and skin-toned eyeshadows have a brightening and lifting effect on the brow line, preventing the brow bone from looking heavy.
#5 Open up [those] eager eyes! (Did you get the reference?)
Though it seems obvious to keep your eyes open so you can see, it is especially important for those with hooded eyes. Eye makeup looks are going to look a lot different on an open eye than they will on a closed one, so be mindful to keep checking how it looks as the application process continues.
#6 Place darker eyeshadow shades slightly above your eye crease.
In most traditional eye makeup looks, darker or more pigmented shadows are placed on the eye crease to emphasize eye shape. With hooded eyes, your crease is not going to be super visible. Place these shadows slightly above in between your brown line makeup and your natural crease to allow for the color to show even when your eyes are open!
#7 Extend your eyeshadows outward.
When applying any eyeshadows to the upper lip, try extending the pigment out beyond where your lashes end! Swiping some shadow past your eye on a slight upward diagonal can extend the look and give the appearance of a brighter, wider, and more lifted eye.
#8 Consider a shimmer shade for your lid.
For a brighter eye, try a shimmery or glitter-based eyeshadow on your upper lid. When you apply these shades, they reflect light and brighten up any makeup look! Hooded eyes have upper lids that tend to be crowded when the eye is open; lighter shades of eyeshadow brighten that up and give the illusion of bigger eyes.
#9 “Cut” your crease for a more dramatic look!
Please don’t actually physically cut your eyelid! A cut crease eyeshadow look is one in which there is a bold separation between the eyeshadow on your brow bone and the eyeshadow on your eyelid. This technique can also be used to create a false crease. In the case of the hooded eye, a fake crease can be created above your shrouded one and make your eyes look bigger.
#10 Put eyeshadow below your lower lashline.
Worried that your eyeshadow’s color won’t be visible enough on your upper lid alone? Put it below your eye for a more dramatic look. Any color can go below the lower lash line adding a nice pop to any eye makeup look!
#11 Brighten up your inner corner with a shimmer shade!
It can be a really cool look to throw some shine in the inner corner of your eye. It brightens the eye considerably and draws the focus inward instead of towards the darkness of the overhanging brow line. This shade can be a neutral-toned shimmer or a dramatic, bright pop of color. Pick whatever works for the vibe you’re going for!
Bonus Tip: Unsure of which eyeshadow to use, we’ve got you! Here’s a list of the best eyeshadow palettes for every color.
Eyeliner Tips for Hooded Eyes
#12 Throw away the notion that winged eyeliner is only for people with more open upper lids!
Don’t let what you’ve heard dissuade you from trying a look you love! The ONLY eye makeup look that doesn’t look good on a hooded eye is one that you are only wearing because that’s what you were told to do. Be bold and remember that your makeup and your face are your own!
We recommend checking out our article on pencil eyeliner vs liquid eyeliner!
#13 Get creative with your eyeliner shape.
If you want to do a winged look, consider the bat-wing trend. It was popularized by those with hooded eyes. When you are applying eyeliner, wing it out off the outer corner of your eye; then, draw a slight batwing so that when you open your eye and your brow bone comes down, the wing is seamless.
#14 Put the eyeliner on your waterline!
Using a smudge-proof pencil liner, line the lower waterline of your eye. Depending on what color liner you use, different effects can be achieved! To create the illusion of bigger and brighter eyes, use a white or light neutral liner. For a bolder, more dramatic look, consider dark brown or black eyeliner. If you really want to make your own eye color pop, find a colored liner in a complementary shade.
Eyelash Tips for Hooded Eyes
#15 Curl your lashes upwards.
With your brow bone sitting nearly on top of your lashes when your eye is open, making sure those lashes are visible is super important. Curling the eyelashes brings them up into view and fans them out to widen the eye. This is a crucial step in pulling together an eye look!
#16 Look into false eyelashes.
If you don’t think your own lashes will do the trick, consider a pair of falsies! Fake eyelashes are an awesome tool in widen the appearance of the eye and elevating eye makeup. They are super easy to find at any price point.
#17 Use a waterproof mascara
Perhaps the most important tip to remember when applying makeup to a hooded eye is to use waterproof mascara. Your brow line is hitting your lashes with every blink. If your mascara isn’t smudge-proof, it can transfer to your upper lid and brown line completely wrecking the look! A water-proof mascara will ensure that no product goes where it’s not supposed to.
Concealer Tricks for Hooded Eyes
#18 Place concealer on an angle below your eye.
Putting a small amount of concealer below your eye makeup on the lower, outer corner of your eye can drastically change the look of your eye shape! A line of concealer placed at a slight upward diagonal off the out corner lifts the eye. It can also give the appearance of brightness! For some great options, check out these best drugstore concealers.
Find Inspiration
#19 Look to the stars!
There are dozens of celebrities with hooded eyes like Blake Lively, Jennifer Lawrence, and Taylor Swift. They get their makeup done by top industry professionals for red carpets often. Simply search for their photos, and you will find TONS of makeup looks that you too can use!
#20 Social media is a great resource for tutorials.
When in doubt, there are millions of makeup tutorials available on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and even Tik Tok. Self-taught gurus and top makeup professionals alike post tutorials for all kinds of makeup looks! You can get some awesome eye inspiration from these videos, and you might even pick up a few industry tricks along the way.
Final Thoughts
There are infinite ways to do your eye makeup, and you shouldn’t feel as though your eye shape precludes you from any look! These tips and tricks are just to help you maximize the visibility and overall impact of your makeup; you can apply them to any makeup look simple or bold. If you are looking for a few bold, new eye makeup looks to test out these tips on, we have guides for puppy eyeliner, butterfly eyeliner, and spiderweb eyeliner. Oh my!
Inspiration is everywhere, but for some immediate look ideas, check out these cool eyeliner looks. Try them out with fun colors like water-activated neon eyeliners. Remember, the only “rule” in makeup is that you enjoy what you’re doing. Make it fun!
Simone is a graduate of Georgetown University and a skincare enthusiast. Her favorite skincare product is currently COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. In addition to her passion for cosmetics, Simone loves to spend time outdoors.