What is the most common eye shape?

According to Viktoria @vioda.makeup, Almond eyes are the most common globally, but many people have a combination of shapes — for example, hooded and almond is very common, especially as skin matures. Identify your primary shape and use that as your technique starting point.

Can my eye shape change over time?

According to Viktoria @vioda.makeup, Yes. Aging causes the skin around the eyes to lose elasticity, which can make previously non-hooded eyes become hooded. This is completely normal and just means adjusting your techniques — not that anything is wrong.

Does eye shape matter more than eye color for choosing eyeshadow?

According to Viktoria @vioda.makeup, Eye shape determines placement and technique; eye color determines shade choice. Both matter, but shape has a bigger impact on how a look turns out than color does.

Makeup for Different Eye Shapes | Complete Guide

Your eye shape determines which eyeshadow placement, liner style, and lash technique will look most flattering. Here's how to identify yours and adapt any look.

How to identify your eye shape and choose the most flattering eyeshadow, liner, and lash techniques. Covers almond, round, hooded, monolid, downturned, and upturned eyes.

How to Identify Your Eye Shape

Look at your eyes straight-on in a mirror. First, notice the crease — can you see it when your eyes are open, or does a fold cover it? Next, look at the outer corners — do they tilt up, down, or stay level? Finally, check proportions — is there more white visible above or below your iris?

The six most common eye shapes are almond, round, hooded, monolid, downturned, and upturned. Most people are a combination (hooded and almond is very common). Identify your primary shape and use that as your starting point.

Almond Eyes

Almond eyes are symmetrically oval-shaped with a visible crease and a slight lift at the outer corners. They're considered the most versatile eye shape because almost every technique works well on them.

Play up the natural shape with liner that follows the lash line and flicks up slightly at the outer corner. Eyeshadow placement is standard: transition shade in the crease, shimmer on the lid, darkest shade in the outer V. Almond eyes can handle bold looks and natural looks equally well.

Round Eyes

Round eyes are wide with more visible white above and below the iris, giving a bright, wide-awake appearance. They're great for smokey eyes and dramatic looks because the large lid space is a canvas.

To elongate round eyes, extend shadow and liner past the outer corner rather than keeping it rounded. A winged liner that extends slightly outward creates a cat-eye effect. Avoid liner all the way around — it makes round eyes look smaller. Concentrate darker shadow on the outer half of the lid.

Hooded Eyes

Hooded eyes have a fold of skin that covers part or all of the crease when the eyes are open. This means eyeshadow in the crease can disappear. The technique: apply shadow with eyes open so you can see the placement on your visible lid space.

Blend the transition shade above the natural crease line so it's visible when you look straight ahead. Use thin liner or tightline instead of thick wings that get swallowed by the fold. Curled lashes and mascara are your best tools for opening up hooded eyes.

Monolid Eyes

Monolid eyes don't have a visible crease, giving a smooth, flat lid surface. This is common in East Asian eyes and is gorgeous for gradient and smokey techniques that use the full lid.

Create a faux crease by blending a transition shade about halfway up the lid. Use vivid or dark shades — they show up beautifully on the flat surface. Smudged liner along the lash line with a gradient upward is more flattering than a sharp wing. Tightlining makes lashes look fuller without taking up lid space.

Downturned Eyes

Downturned eyes have outer corners that dip below the inner corners. This gives a soft, doe-eyed appearance. To balance the droop, focus liner and shadow upward at the outer corners.

A kitten flick or upturned wing counteracts the downward angle. Concentrate darker shadow on the outer corner but blend it upward, not outward. Avoid heavy shadow or liner on the lower outer corner — it emphasizes the downward tilt. Curl lashes well at the outer corners.

Upturned Eyes

Upturned eyes have outer corners that lift above the inner corners — a natural cat-eye shape. Lucky you: wings and sharp liner look especially dramatic because they follow your natural angle.

Play up the lift with extended liner that follows the upward slope. For a softer look, smudge shadow along the lower lash line to balance the upward pull. Upturned eyes handle dramatic lash shapes well — outer corner-weighted lash clusters amp up the natural shape.

Makeup for Different Eye Shapes: Complete Guide