15 Game-Changing Tips for Gorgeous Hooded Eyes
Well hello there, my beautiful hooded eye mavens! If you’re reading this, you’ve probably experienced the unique challenges (and joys!) of having an eye shape that’s both sultry and a wee bit persnickety when it comes to makeup application.
First things first, let’s get one thing straight – hooded eyes are drop dead gorgeous, period. That slightly hidden lid creates an air of mysterious allure that’s frankly irresistible. However, the crease-covering fold of skin can also eat up eyeshadow, make liner disappear, and generally wreak havoc on your meticulous makeup job. But fear not, because with the right tools and tricks, you can make your mesmerizing hooded eyes the star of the show!
I’ve rounded up 15 tried-and-true makeup tips to flatter and enhance hooded eyes, straight from my extensive beauty bag of looks. From acing that tricky cat-eye to faking an extra few millimeters of lid space, these game-changing techniques will have you slaying your eye makeup like never before. So grab your brushes and let’s dive in, gorgeous!
Table of Contents
1. Prime Time
Before you even think about eyeshadow, start with a heavy-duty primer specifically designed for hooded eyes. Look for a long-wear, budge-proof formula that will act like glue for your shadows and liners. My current holy grail is the Nars Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base – it keeps everything locked in place without creasing or fading for hours on end. Apply a thin layer from lashes to brows and let dry fully before moving on.
2. Keep it Matte
While shimmery shadows can be fun for special occasions, matte formulas are your best bet for everyday hooded eye makeup. Flat, matte shades add definition and contour to the lid without exaggerating crepiness or drawing attention to the brow bone fold. I’m obsessed with the velvety mattes in the Viseart Neutral Matte Palette – the shadows blend like a dream and come in the perfect assortment of taupes and browns for natural sculpting.
3. Embrace Your Crease
Since hooded eyes don’t have a ton of visible lid space, placing the majority of your shadow along and above the natural crease creates the illusion of dimension. Use a midtone matte shade and a fluffy windshield wiper brush to softly blend color into the crease, sweeping the pigment up and out towards the tail of your brows. This nifty trick gives the impression of an expanded eye shape when the lids are open.
4. Lift with Liner
A crisp cat eye is eternally chic, but the flick can quickly disappear into hooded eye folds. The solution? Start your liner at the outer third of the lash line and wing it out and up towards the tail of your brow for a lifting effect. I’m a devotee of the KVD Vegan Beauty Tattoo Liner for its ultra fine brush tip and bulletproof staying power. Tightline the upper waterline as well to create a seamless band of inky definition.
5. Reclaim Your Lid Space
My all-time favorite hack for hooded eyes? Strategic lid space reclamation via cut crease shadow. Use a flat shader brush to pack a light, bright matte shade across the mobile lid, building intensity just above your natural crease. Then use a pencil brush to cut the shadow with a deeper matte shade directly in the crease for a crisp line of demarcation. The light lid contrasted with the defined crease creates the look of wider eyes instantly!
6. Tightline, Don’t Bottom Line
Lining the lower lash line can close off hooded eyes and make them appear smaller, especially if you have a low brow bone. Instead, keep your liner concentrated along the upper lashes and waterline for subtle definition that won’t overwhelm your eye shape. I love the creamy, intense Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eyeliner applied with a damp flat liner brush for a transfer-proof tightlined effect.
7. Curl, Baby, Curl!
Sweeping your lashes up and away from the eyes is a must for a bright-eyed, lifted hooded gaze. I’m religious about curling my lashes both before and after mascara application to really lock in that fluttery curl. The Surrat Beauty Relevée Lash Curler is pricey but so worth it – the curved silicone pad hugs every lash without pinching and creates a gorgeous lifted effect. Pair it with a lengthening tubing mascara like the Kevyn Aucoin Volume Mascara for clump-free doe eyes.
8. Smoke it Out
A diffused smoky eye is universally flattering, but it’s especially stunning on hooded lids. Use a smudgy eye pencil like the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal to roughly line the upper and lower lash lines, then blend the color up and out with a dense dome brush for a hazy effect. I’ll layer a deep matte neutral shadow on top to set the liner and add more smoky dimension. The imperfect, lived-in vibe is so sexy!
9. Skip the Brow Bone Highlight
It’s a makeup maxim to pop a shimmery champagne shadow on the brow bone to make eyes look more awake – but this move can actually spotlight hooded eye folds in an unflattering way. Instead, opt for a matte highlighting shade just a pinch lighter than your skin tone to subtly enhance the area under the arches without drawing attention to the hood. I favor the silky matte Bobbi Brown Bone Eyeshadow for a your-lids-but-better brightening effect.
10. Bat Your Bottomlashes
Since hooded eyes can handle less liner and shadow along the lower lash line, I like to define my bottom lashes with a lengthening mascara instead. Wiggling the wand back and forth at the roots and flaring the lashes outwards has a lash-lifting, eye-opening effect without the risk of bloodshot raccoon eyes. My lower lash MVP is the teeny-tiny Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara – it gets every little hair without smudging or smearing throughout the day.
11. Ditch the Falsies
While falsies can be fun, the extra strip of lashes often overwhelms hooded eyes and covers up precious lid space. I prefer to fake fuller fringe with individualized lash clusters placed strategically along the lash line for fluttery volume. The Ardell Duralash Naturals Mini Combo Pack has the perfect assortment of short and medium length knots that blend seamlessly with your natural lashes. Just be sure to camouflage the base of the clusters with a coat of black mascara.
12. Play with Color Placement
Hooded eyes can handle bright pops of color as long as you place the vivid shades strategically to enhance your eye shape. I like concentrating jewel tones on the center of the mobile lid, blending the color into a matte plummy crease to make my eyes look bigger and rounder. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Pro Pigment Palette Vol. 2 is an incredible source of vibrant mattes and shimmers. Diffuse any edges with a fluffy blending brush for a seamless finish.
13. Perfect Your Angles
For hooded eyes, shadow placement and blending is all about creating flattering angles that lift and elongate. I always start by mapping out my crease with a neutral matte shade, sweeping it up and out towards the tail of my brow to fake more lid space. Then I’ll blend a deeper contour shade into the outer V of my eye, angling it sharply up towards my temples for a cat-like effect. The key is to keep the edges soft and diffused to avoid a boxy, heavy look.
14. Invest in Tubing Formulas
Tubing mascaras and eyeliners are a hooded eye gal’s secret weapon for budge-proof, smudge-proof, flake-proof eye makeup. These genius formulas coat your lashes and lash lines in a flexible polymer that sets into little tubes, locking onto every hair until you’re ready to remove it with warm water and gentle pressure. My favorite tubing eyeliner is the Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen – it has an ultra-fine felt tip that creates a crisp flick that won’t transfer or fade.
15. Conceal & Correct
Even if you prime carefully and use long-wear formulas, hooded eyes can still be prone to midday creasing and smearing. Touch up any shadows or liner that have gone astray with a precision-tipped cotton swab dipped in micellar water. Then use a lightweight full-coverage concealer like the Too Faced Born This Way Multi-Use Concealer to cover any redness or discoloration on the lids. Set with a weightless translucent powder and boom, your eye makeup is refreshed and restored!
So there you have it, my beautiful hooded-eyed babes – 15 makeup tricks to enhance your enchanting eye shape and keep your artistry looking A+ from dawn to dusk. The most important thing to remember is that hooded eyes are uniquely gorgeous and deserve to be celebrated, not concealed! Play up your natural sultriness with techniques that define and lift, but don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with color, sheen and placement to find the looks that make you feel like your most beautiful self.
Your peepers are a work of art, so treat them as such – prep your canvas with care, blend with intention, and choose long-wearing formulas that will stay in place until you’re ready for a cat nap. And don’t forget the most important tools in your beauty arsenal – a good set of brushes, an open mind, and a killer sense of confidence that no eye shape can diminish!
Do you have a signature makeup move that makes your hooded eyes pop? Have you tried any of the techniques I’ve listed here? Let me know all your thoughts, questions, and hooded eye beauty victories in the comments below! And if there are any other eye makeup dilemmas you need help solving, drop ’em in the comments too – your friendly neighborhood makeup fairy is always happy to share her magic!
Until next time, may your liner be sharp, your lashes be lifted, and your hooded eyes be the smoldering stars of the show. Now go forth and stun the world with your beautifully bedazzled gaze, you captivating creature!
XOXO,
