The Tamesis
It took me years to learn the best eye makeup for covering your eyes. While my vision isn’t completely obscured, I definitely have less upper eyelid space than most people. Too much eyeliner and it smudges my eye lines. The mascara was so thick that my eyes suddenly dropped. The lids are too smoky and my eyes look heavy. After much trial and error (including a few failed eye makeup looks), my current solution is to keep things simple – a dab on the outer corners of my eyes, thin enough to create a sexy seductress look.
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As it turns out, this was the right thing to do. Professional makeup artist Catrina Breitweiser tells us, “Dark shadow all over the lid, thick eyeliner, and an exaggerated cut crease can make the eyes look dull.” Fashion. “Concentrating depth in the outer corners helps maintain an open, elevated look.”
The key is to understand that eye makeup that covers the eyes requires a different strategy to create lift and light. “On uncovered eyes, you’ll see the dark shadow sitting right in your natural crease. However, when you do this on covered eyes, you end up with more visual weight and heaviness,” adds professional makeup artist Kasey Spickard. According to the pros, here are four fail-safe steps to make the most of limited lid space.
Choose gradient or single eyeshadow
“Eyeshadow placement is very important on hooded lids because the natural crease isn’t completely visible when the eye is open,” says D’Amelio Ventre, who recommends applying eyeshadow while looking directly into the mirror. She chooses matte or satin shades and places her eyeshadow brush just above the natural creases of her eyes. She adds: “Concentrating depth in the outer third of the eye and blending deeper crease color upward and outward can help eyes appear wider, especially for those who are recreating the look at home.”
To achieve this effect, Spickard recommends opting for a single or gradient eyeshadow look. “Remember, whatever you put on your eyelids will ‘disappear’ from certain angles,” he says. For an ombré look, Spickard prefers to keep her lids a single nude color and use a lower lashline to add drama. “I like to apply a rich chocolate brown on the waterline and then a similar color on the lower lash line,” he adds. Chanel and Ilia both offer silky palettes with cohesive shades carefully curated. To go even faster, apply a single eyeshadow, like Merit’s Single Eyeshadow, in the recommended spot just above your crease, then use the remaining product on the brush to sweep over your lids and lower lashline.
Illuminate the corners of your heart
Another tip for waking up hooded eyes? Use a nude pencil or eyeshadow to highlight the inner corners. “Soft reflective inner corner highlights brighten the eyes and enhance a sense of openness without drawing attention to the covered area,” says Breitweiser. According to D’Amelio Ventre, the key is to keep your application subtle and precise. She likes to avoid anything too shiny and sticks to finely polished glitter or satin finishes. “When applied only to the tear duct, it adds light without distracting from the overall eye shape, which is especially flattering for droopy eyes,” she adds.
For a subtle look, Chantecaille’s cream eyeliner and Laura Mercier’s eyeshadow stick will do the trick. For a more opaque nude, try Jones Road’s eyeshadow or Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Illuminating Eyeliner.
Determine eyeliner position
Don’t be intimidated—in fact, you can wear winged liner no matter what your eyelid size is. “For covered eyes, eyeliner should enhance the shape of the eye, not overpower it,” says D’Amelio Ventre. She recommends skipping thick eyeliner across the entire lash line and focusing on the outer corners of your eyes. “A gentle upward flick can make a huge impact without closing off lid space.” Breitweiser agrees, adding that the tightly lined upper waterline “adds depth to the base of the lashes while preserving shadow space on the lid.”
