Knowing the shape of your eyes can help you enhance them when using makeup. The position and size of your eyes in relation to the rest of your facial features, as well as their shape, can play a part in using makeup to create a perfect illusion.
Whilst we aren’t all makeup experts (even though we may wish we were), there are tips that can help enhance our makeup according to our eye shape.
When it comes to humans we all know that no two people are the same. If you go shopping with your friend, who happens to be a few inches taller and a little bit fuller in the hips than you, you easily recognize that clothes that will fit and flatter her body shape won’t look good on you, and vice versa.
The same applies to our eyes and subsequently the makeup we wear. Eyes come in different shapes and sizes, what’ll flatter one eye shape may not suit another.
It’s therefore important that we recognize our eye shape in order to enhance them as best we can, after all as the proverb says: “the eyes are the window to the soul”.
Eyes are more often the feature the most noticeable facial feature, so we want to ensure, when choosing and applying makeup, that we enhance them to the fullest.
Different Eye Shapes
There are six different eye shapes:
- Monolid; typically little or no crease and often a less defined brow bone.
- Hooded; an extra layer of skin on the upper lid that droops over the crease making your eyelids appear smaller.
- Downturned; drop slightly on the outer corners of the eye.
- Upturned; a natural lift at the corner of the outer eye and your lower eyelid may appear longer than the upper eyelid.
- Round; wider vertically and have more of the whites of the eye visible.
- Almond; are symmetrical, this is the most common eye shape.
It’s fairly easy with the help of a mirror to determine which type of eyes you have.
What Is Your Eye Shape?
Let’s find out which of the six types your eye shape falls into.
Look in your mirror ensuring you have a good view of your eyes, natural or artificial light will be fine. The mirror doesn’t have to be large as long as you can clearly see both of your eyes.
Firstly, look at your eyelids. Does your upper eyelid have a crease? If your answer is no then you have a monolid eye shape.
If your eyelid has a crease, take a closer look at it. When your eyes are open is this crease visible or hidden by your upper eyelid and/or your brow bone. If it’s hidden then you have a hooded eye shape.
If your eyes don’t fall into the first two categories, keep going. We’ll now look at how to ascertain whether you may have downturned or upturned eyes.
To do this, looking in the mirror with your eyes open, imagine drawing a line horizontally across the middle of your eyes, extending out at both sides.
If you find it hard to imagine this line you could always use a straight thin object, maybe a bamboo skewer or even a mascara wand, and hold it horizontally across one eye using the other to examine it. If the outer corners of your eyes are visible above the line then you have an upturned eye shape
If the outer corners fall below the line then you have a downturned eye shape.
Still not found your eye shape? There are two more categories, round shaped eyes and almond shaped eyes.
Take a look in your mirror and examine the whites around the iris of your eye. If you are able to see any white above and below your iris then you have a round eye shape
If there’s no white visible above and below the iris, then you have an almond eye shape.
Identifying the Position and Size of Your Eyes
Identifying the position of your eyes on your face can also help when it comes to enhancing them using makeup.
Once again look in the mirror ensuring that you can see both eyes. What you’re looking for is the distance between the inner corners of the eyes. If it’s the same as the width of one of your eyeballs then this factor will not affect you.
- Close set eyes; the space between the inner corners is less than the width of one of your eyeballs.
- Wide set eyes; the space between the inner corners is more than the width of one of your eyeballs.
There are some other things to consider in relation to the position of your eyes. They may be deep set, protruding, small or large. These factors will not affect most people.
- Deep set eyes; further back in the eye socket under the brow bone, giving the upper lid a shorter and smaller appearance, may also make brow bone look more prominent.
- Protruding eyes; stick out from the eye socket forming a bulge and tend to be quite big and round.
To ascertain if you have small or large eyes, compare your eyes with your other facial features i.e. your mouth and your nose.
- Small eyes; appear smaller than your mouth or nose.
- Large eyes; appear bigger than your mouth or nose.
This YouTube video may help you identify your eye shape.
How to Enhance Your Eye Shape With Makeup
Now that you’ve found which shape eyes you have and the position of your eyes on your face, there are different ways to apply your eye makeup to enhance each eye shape and position.
Monolid Eye Shape
Have little or no crease and appear flat on the surface. To create the illusion of dimension you’ll graduate your eye shadow colors from dark to light. Use a dark shadow or eyeliner close to your lash line, then apply a neutral color in the middle and finally a shiny or light color close to the brow line. Curling your eyelashes will also help.
Hooded Eye Shape
Have the appearance of being smaller so you’ll need to use medium or dark matte colors on the lids. Avoid shimmery colors; they’ll make your brow bone stand out more. Use a light shadow on the inner corners of your eyes, a medium shade over the lids and a dark shadow in the crease extending it beyond the eye. Use eyeliner starting with a thin line at the inner corner getting thicker towards, and extending beyond the outer corner.
Downturned Eye Shape
Will want to give the appearance of lifting the outer corner of the eye. Use a light shadow in the corner of your eyes and highlight your brow bone. Use a medium shade shadow on your eyelid and finish with a darker shadow in the crease and on the outer two thirds, blending it from the outside to the middle. Apply eyeliner starting with a thin line at the inner corner and getting thicker towards the outer corner. Extend it beyond the outer corner with a little upward flick. Curling your lashes after applying mascara will also lift the eye.
Upturned Eye Shape
Is similar to an almond shape but with a lift at the corner of the eye. Use a light shade from the lash line to the brow bone over the eyelids. Use a darker color shadow or pencil along the outer lower corner of the eye. Apply a line of the darker shadow on the lower eye line. Finish with thin eyeliner on the upper lid. You can use a small wing with the eyeliner but make sure you connect it to a small amount of liner under the eye.
Round Eye Shape
Will need to be elongated. Apply a highlighter to the brow bone and a light eye shadow to the inner corner of the eye. Use a medium shade on the lid and a darker shade along the crease. Apply eyeliner thinly with a small wing for a cat eye look.
Almond Eye Shape
The most symmetrical so you can pretty much apply your makeup however you want! This is considered to be the ideal shape so lucky you. Experiment with colors and styles and have fun!
Using Makeup to Enhance the Position or Size of Your Eyes
Having dealt with your eye shape you may need to consider correcting the appearance of the width, position or size of your eyes.
Close Set Eyes
You’ll want to make them appear wider. To create this illusion, use a light shadow in the inner corner of the eyes. You’ll also want to highlight below the brow bone. Use a medium shade of eye shadow on the lids extending it beyond the width of your eye, and then apply a darker shadow starting from the outside blending towards top of the crease. Apply eyeliner starting from the middle of the upper eyelid. Apply extra mascara to the lashes at the outer corner of the eye.
Wide Set Eyes
There a few tips that’ll help the illusion of minimizing the space between the eyes. Avoid shimmering eyeshadows, use a darker shadow in the inner corner of the eye and elongate the inner corners of your eyebrows. When applying eyeliner, take it as close as you can to the inner corner of your eyes on the upper and lower eye line. Use mascara on the very small lashes between the centre of your eye and your nose.
Deep Set Eyes
Apply a highlighter to the brow bone and a light eye shadow to the inner corners of the eye. Use a medium shade on the lid and a darker shade along the crease. Remember though to be sparing with the darker color. You might also want to consider using waterproof mascara as your lashes make brush against your lids.
Protruding Eyes
Due to the bulge on the eyelid you’ll want to give the illusion of more shadows. Use dark to medium colors on the upper lids and on the bottom eye line. Smokey eyes look good on this eye shape.
Small Eyes
Darker shades may make them look smaller, so try and stick to medium or light shades. Don’t use too much eyeliner or mascara, this’ll weigh them down.
Large Eyes
Most shades will work but lighter shades may make your eyes look even larger
It’s possible to have two different eye shapes. Take this into account when applying your makeup.
Experiment and Have Fun
Found out what eye shape you have? Now you know use your makeup to experiment.
There’s no right or wrong when applying your makeup but being able to find your eye shape will help you choose and apply in the correct way the shades that will flatter you the most.
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