The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Perfect Hooded Eye Makeup

Every eye shape, from almond eyes and round eyes to downturned eyes, has its own specific set of needs to achieve different makeup looks. If you have hooded eyes, you quickly learn that certain looks can be particularly difficult to master, like the classic smoky eye or winged eyeliner — and not all makeup looks complement your hooded lids. 

In no way does this mean you have to skip out on eye makeup — it’s all about discovering what flatters your eye shape. Below, check out our best tips and tricks for applying eyeliner on hooded eyes, plus how to do a smoky eye for your hooded lids and general hooded eye makeup.

What Are Hooded Eyes?

Hooded eyes have a lack of visible lid space. With hooded eyes, certain eye makeup looks aren’t as easily visible since your eyelid appears to be hidden when your eye is open. However, while some eye makeup looks aren’t as easy to create, there are others that can seriously flatter hooded lids, like a cut crease.

How Do I Know If I Have Hooded Eyes

To check if you have hooded eyes, grab a mirror and examine your eye shape, if you don’t notice a crease and the skin droops down from your brow bone, towards your lash line, you likely have hooded eyelids. If you can’t see most of the makeup on your eyelids when your eyes are open and looking forward, this is another good indication that you likely have hooded eyes. 

The Dos and Don’ts Of Hooded Eye Makeup

Hooded eyes have their own nuanced list of needs so read on to see our dos and don’ts for applying makeup on hooded eyes.

Do Apply Makeup With Your Eyes Open

This sounds unconventional and it is but when you have hooded eyes, you don’t have much lid space. When you’re applying eyeshadow, place it above your natural crease so it can be seen on the visible lid when your eyes are open. Take it a step further and try a cut crease to fake a higher eye fold.

Do Opt for Long-Wearing, Waterproof Formulas

Hooded eyes lack lid space so it’s not uncommon for makeup to smudge and transfer onto your upper lid. Avoid this by using eye primer and opt for smudge-resistant and waterproof eye makeup formulas like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Precision Felt Waterproof Eyeliner and the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner.

Do Stick with Thin Lines

When adding eyeliner to your hooded eyes, keep the lines thin. Heavy lines, especially with eyeliner, can highlight the appearance of your hooded eyes making them look even smaller.

Do Tightline Your Upper Waterline

Lining your waterline creates the appearance of smaller eyes, the opposite of what you want for hooded eyes. Opt for tightlining your waterline or invisible eyeliner and apply eyeliner to the upper lash line to create the illusion of fuller lashes for a wide-awake look.

Do Use the Right Tools 

Small blending eyeshadow brushes are essential for hooded eye makeup because they allow you to blend out your makeup in the compact area of space. Avoid large blending brushes as they apply too much eyeshadow, leading to heavy-looking hooded eye makeup.

Don’t Reach for Dark Shades

Dark eyeshadow can make your hooded eyes appear heavy. When wearing eyeshadow with hooded eyes, reach for lighter shades and spend your time blending upwards and outwards to give your eyes a more lifted look. If you want to use a darker shade to create a smoky eye, blend it with lighter shades to make sure it’s not all you can see when your eyes are open.

Don’t Go for a Heavy Lash

If you like to wear false lashes, a dramatic set can make your hooded eyes look droopy. Opt for a lighter, wispy style to lift your eyes and pair your false lashes with a lengthening mascara like the L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Instant Lift Washable Mascara. Apply a layer of mascara to your lower lashes to give your eyes a more open shape.

How to Do Makeup for Hooded Eyes

Now that you know all the do’s and don’ts of applying makeup and eyeliner for hooded eyes, it’s time to get to work. Grab your makeup bag and follow this step-by-step, hooded eye makeup tutorial, below.

1. Prime Your Lids

If you have hooded eyelids, accidentally smudged eyeliner and eye makeup is a common occurrence so prevent this by reaching for a long-wearing eye primer. It helps to prevent smudging and extends your eye makeup wear time. 

2. Fake a Crease

Using a pencil eyeliner like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner or the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof, Up to 24HR Pencil Eyeliner, draw a line from the outer edge of your eye toward the inner corner. Try to arch the crease as a rounded edge like a half circle — this will make your hooded eyes appear bigger and visibly lifted.

3. Blend it Out

Before your drawn-on crease fully dries, use a small fluffy blending brush to soften the line 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. 

4. Trace Over Your Line

With your eyeliner in place, blend a matte eyeshadow like L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in Matte-ison Avenue, Matte It Up, Mix and Matte, or Matte Chill on your upper lid to open up your eyes. Blend thoroughly for a gradient effect that’s similar to a smoky eye. 

5. Add Some Shimmer

Matte colors are great for hooded eyes but a little bit of shimmer applied to the visible lid can help to brighten your hooded eyes and fake a rounder shape. Try it out with the L’Oréal Paris Brilliant Eyes Shimmer Liquid Eye Shadow Makeup in Diamond Drop.

6. Highlight the Inner Corner and the Brow Bone

Reach for a light eyeshadow like the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow in Little Beige Dress to brighten the inner corner of your eye and the area right beneath the arch of your brow. Highlighting the brow bone adds a nice lifting effect to open up your hooded eyes.

7. Create a Cat Eye 

To create your wing, start by drawing a line that extends from your lower lash line, then, draw it across your upper lash line to reach the inner corner. To finish it off, look straight ahead with your eyes wide open thicken the line with a long-wearing eyeliner like the Infallible Grip Precision Felt Waterproof Eyeliner.

Editor’s tip: A double wing or graphic eyeliner are two great ways to wear cat eye eyeliner while accommodating hooded eyes.

8. Define Your Lashes

The best way to really perk up any eye makeup look is with a few layers of mascara. Look for a voluminous, waterproof formula, like the L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Instant Lift Waterproof Mascara to define your lashes and bring the final look together.

How to Do a Smoky Eye for Hooded Eyes 

A smoky eye is a timeless makeup look known for its sultry dramatics, dark shades and expert blending. When you have hooded eyes, a few adjustments need to be made to ensure a smoky eye doesn’t make your eyes appear heavy. 

Step 1. Blend a Light Brown Shadow All Over the Lid

Start by swiping a shade of brown eyeshadow from the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Pocket Palette Eye Shadow in Boudoir Charme across your lid. Keep a light hand and blend upward for a gradient effect. 

Step 2. Line Your Upper and Lower Lash Lines With Gel Eyeliner

Using the aforementioned Infallible Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner in the shade Brown Denim or Intense Black, generously line your upper and lower lash line with a thick line. We recommend this eyeliner for smoky blending because the gel formula glides across the lids without skipping or tugging and easily smudges (right after application) to create dramatic eye looks.  

Step 3. Smudge the Lines

Flip the Infallible Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner over and quickly use the built-in smudger to smudge out the lines you created on the upper and lower lash line. On the upper lash line, smudge the outer corner slightly outwards and upwards to create a soft wing shape. Be sure to do this step right after you draw on the line because you only have a limited amount of time to smudge the liner before the formula sets. 

Once you’re done blending out the lines with the built-in smudger, swipe your eyeshadow brush across your lids a few times to blend out any harsh lines. 

Step 4. Apply Mascara

Once you’ve finished applying eyeliner, apply a healthy coat of mascara to the upper and lower lashes to round out the look. Try the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara to give your lash fringe length and volume. 

Next: How to Get Thicker Eyebrows With Makeup in 3 Simple Steps

Photo credit: IG /@kyangger, @hicosmina,  Photo Design by: Sarah Duviver