How To Apply Eye Makeup On Almond-Shaped Eyes

If you’re a beauty enthusiast, you’re likely aware that the best way to apply eye makeup depends on your eye shape. Those with small eyes, for example, should generally adopt a different approach than those with big, round eyes (or vice versa). Almond eye shapes are no exception. Though almond eyes are relatively easy to work with, perfecting your technique can help ensure you get the best results out of your makeup application every single time. Ahead, we’ll explain how to tell if you have almond-shaped eyes, reveal how to do your eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara to complement your eye shape, and introduce you to a few of our favorite eye makeup products worth adding to your lineup. 

What Are Almond-Shaped Eyes? 

Much like their namesake snack, almond eye shapes are characterized by their oval silhouette and angular corners (both inner and outer). Oftentimes, the outer corner of the eye will angle slightly upward, which creates a natural cat eye-like effect. Thanks to their balanced proportions and natural lift, almond eyes pair well with a wide range of makeup styles, from a classic wing to a barely-there neutral eyeshadow look. 

How Can You Tell If You Have an Almond Eye Shape?

To determine whether you have almond-shaped eyes, simply examine your eyes in a mirror. If your irises touch your top and bottom eyelids without any visible white space between, you likely have almond eyes. You can also assess the general shape of your eyes, looking for that elongated taper toward the outer corners of your eyes. Another telltale sign is if the corner of your eyes slant ever-so-slightly upward—that upward lift is a key characteristic of almond-shaped eyes.

How Should You Apply Makeup On Almond Eyes?

While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to makeup application, tailoring your technique to your eye shape ensures your final look complements the unique contours and proportions of your eyes. Ahead, we’re breaking down the easy step-by-step process for creating the most flattering eye makeup for almond eyes.

Step 1: Prime your lids

Before creating any kind of makeup look, you’ll always want to use a primer to help give your formulas staying power. We suggest priming your lids with an eye-safe primer or concealer, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer Up to 24H, Full Coverage, to help create an even base for your look. Just blend a small amount onto your lids and allow it to dry before moving to the next step.

Step 2: Apply your eyeshadow

Plenty of eye makeup styles complement almond eye shapes, but a classic smokey eye is hard to beat. The placement of a darker eyeshadow on the outer corners and a lighter hue at the inner corners helps emphasize the natural lift of almond eyes and creates a distinctly sultry feel. 

To create a smoked-out look, you’ll want to have three similar-hued eyeshadows on hand: a mid-tone for your lids, a darker shade for your crease, and a light shade for your inner corner. We’re partial to using eyeshadow sticks like the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Sticks for this step, as the formulas are creamy, buildable, and easy to blend with just your fingertip. Here's how to do it:

1. Apply the middle shade: Swipe a mid-toned shade, like the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick in Magnetic Bronze, across your eyelid. Then, use a clean fingertip to gently blend and distribute the color, blending out any harsh lines.
2. Define the crease: Next, define and add depth to your crease with the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Le Shadow Stick in Brown Bliss. Start at the outer corner and work your way in, but avoid going too far—leaving some space near the inner corner will help maintain that gradient effect.
For added drama, deepen the very outer “V” of your eyelid with more dark shadow. This will give the eye an extremely lifted, elongated effect. Gently blend out the color to avoid harsh lines.
3. Highlight the inner corner: Finish with a light shade in the inner corner of your eyes to brighten them up and add dimension. Our pick is the shimmery L’Oréal Paradise Le Shadow Sticks Creamy Eyeshadow in Twinkly Rose.

Step 3: Highlight your brow bones

To make your almond eyes appear even bigger and brighter—and make your smokey eye makeup pop—consider highlighting your brow bones. A touch of luminosity just beneath the arch of your brow helps draw the eye in and creates the illusion of wider, more wide-awake eyes. 

To start, brush your brows into place with a long-lasting brow gel, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Brow Lamination. Once the clear brow gel dries down, swipe the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick along your brow bones to help brighten your eye area. If you’re concerned about messing up your smokey eye, you can also use your ring finger to lightly tap the glowy formula onto the skin just beneath your arches.

Step 4: Define your upper lash line

Chunky dark eyeliner can sometimes make almond-shaped eyes appear smaller. Unless that’s the look you’re going for, stick with just a thin line right along your upper lash line. It’ll help make your lashes look thicker and tie together your smokey eye without distracting from your pretty almond eye shape. For subtle definition, use a gel eyeliner, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner in Brown Denim. If you’d prefer a sharper, more defined line, liquid liner is the way to go (more on that shortly). 

Step 5: Sweep on mascara

If you ask us, no eye makeup look is complete without a coat or two of mascara. Once you’ve perfected your eyeshadow and liner, define your lashes with the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Big Deal Washable Mascara. The unique formula adds volume and length while helping to separate the lashes for an ultra-flattering end result. For a subtle look, we suggest swiping through your fringe a few times, then adding an extra coat or two (or three) just to the outer corners. If you’d prefer a bolder lash look, feel free to add as many coats as you wish—the buildable formula is designed to resist clumping, no matter how many layers you apply. 

How Do You Draw a Cat Eye on Almond Eyes?

Doing cat eyeliner for almond lid shapes is fairly straightforward since your eyes already have a bit of natural lift. Here’s how to perfect your winged liner look in just four simple steps.

Step 1: Trace along your upper lash line

You can do a cat eye with almost any type of eyeliner, but we find liquid eyeliners tend to provide the most precise results. To start, grab your favorite formula—we’re partial to the L’Oréal Paris Grip Precision Felt Waterproof Eyeliner—and use the tip to trace a thin line right along your upper lash line. We suggest starting from the inner corner and working your way outward—it tends to be easier than working in reverse. 

Step 2: Create a wing shape

When you reach the outer corner of your eye, adjust your grip on the eyeliner and draw a thin line angling upward and outward (if you need a visualization, imagine the line pointing toward the tail of your brow). When doing this, it’s helpful to look straight into a mirror—this helps ensure that your liner looks the way you want it to when your eyes are in their natural opened position.

Step 3: Thicken the line

Once you have the general shape of your wing sketched out, you can begin to refine it. Trace over your liner to build up the line, thickening it slightly as you approach the outer half of your eye. Then, connect your wing to the eyeliner just before the outer corner, refining the shape as needed until you’re satisfied with how it looks. 

Step 4: Clean up your eyeliner 

If needed, you can dip a cotton swab in micellar water or eye makeup remover and clean up the edges of your eyeliner for a super precise, sharp look. From there, proceed with your makeup routine as usual (don’t forget to add a few coats of mascara to tie it all together).

Next Up: How To Get TikTok’s Viral Siren Eyes in 5 Easy Steps

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris