You know that moment when you’ve just spent forever perfecting what looks like an amazing smoky eye, then you open your eyes and… poof! It’s gone. Swallowed up by your hooded lids like it never happened. Ugh, the frustration is real. If this sounds like your daily makeup struggle, you’re in good company. Hooded eyes are way more common than you’d think, and honestly? They’re gorgeous. Just look at Blake Lively, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone – these women have figured out how to make eye makeup for hooded lids look absolutely stunning.
The trick isn’t trying to change your eye shape (spoiler alert: that’s impossible anyway). It’s about learning to work with what you’ve got. I’m about to share some hooded eye makeup techniques that will completely change your routine. No more disappearing eyeshadow, no more wonky eyeliner. Just makeup that actually shows up and looks amazing.
Table of Contents
Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids : Getting Real About Your Hooded Eye Shape
Let’s start with the basics. Hooded eyes happen when the skin from your brow bone droops down over your crease, creating that “hood” effect. It’s not a problem to fix – it’s just how your eyes are built, and they need their own special approach.
The main issue? Most makeup tutorials are made for people without hooded lids. So when you follow along, closing your eyes to apply eyeshadow, everything looks perfect. Then you open your eyes and… where did it all go?
Figure Out What Type of Hooded Eyes You Have
Not everyone’s hooding is the same. Some people have just a tiny bit where part of their lid gets covered. Others have serious hooding where you can barely see any lid space at all.
Here’s how to check: look straight ahead in a mirror with relaxed, open eyes. Can you see your eyelid? If barely any (or none), you’ve got significant hooding. If you can see some lid, it’s milder. This matters because it determines where you’ll put your colors and how high you need to go.
Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids : Eyeshadow That Actually Shows Up
This is where everything changes. Forget what you learned about putting dark colors in the crease – with hooded eyes, that crease is basically invisible anyway.
The Fake Crease Trick
This hooded eye makeup technique is honestly life-changing. Instead of working with your hidden natural crease, you create a new one that people can actually see.
Keep your eyes open and look straight ahead. Take a fluffy brush with your transition color and place it where you want your crease to appear – usually about halfway up your hood. Blend it up and out, eyes still open the whole time. It feels weird at first, but trust me on this one.
You can play around with how high you place this fake crease. Higher up = more drama. Lower = subtle and everyday. It’s totally up to you and your mood.
Where to Actually Put Your Colors?
With hooded eyes, you need to think differently about real estate. Work with the space people can actually see, not the space that technically exists.
Put your lightest, shiniest shades right on the center of whatever lid space you have, then blend up onto the hood itself. This tricks the eye into thinking there’s more space there. Your medium tones go in that fake crease we just talked about, and save the darkest stuff for the outer corner.
Shimmer and metallic eyeshadows are your best friends here. They catch light and make your eyes look bigger and more open. Don’t shy away from them – embrace the sparkle!
Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids : Eyeliner That Doesn’t Disappear
Eyeliner with hooded eyes is tricky. You draw what looks like a perfect wing, then open your eyes and it’s either gone or looks completely different. Super annoying.
Apply With Your Eyes Open
This changed everything for me. Do your eyeliner for hooded eyes while looking straight ahead with your eyes open. Yes, it’s harder. Yes, it takes practice. But it’s the only way to make sure your liner actually works with your eye shape.
Use short little strokes instead of trying to draw one perfect line. Build it up slowly, checking how it looks with your eyes open as you go. This way you avoid that awful moment of finishing your whole face only to realize your liner looks wonky.
For wings, connect them to your lower lash line when your eye is open, not closed. This keeps everything looking intentional instead of like a makeup accident.
Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids : Tightlining Is Your Secret Weapon
Tightlining means putting liner right on your upper waterline, between your lashes. For hooded eyes, this is genius because it adds definition without eating up your precious visible lid space.
Use a waterproof pencil (trust me, you don’t want this smudging) and gently lift your lid to get to the waterline. Fill in between your lashes. It’s subtle but makes a huge difference.
Making Your Lashes Do the Heavy Lifting
Your lashes are probably the most important part of your hooded eye makeup. They’re usually the most visible thing, so you want them working hard for you.
Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids : Curl Like Your Life Depends on It
An eyelash curler isn’t optional with hooded eyes – it’s essential. You need those lashes lifted up and away from your hood to open up the whole eye area.
Hold the curler at the base for about 15 seconds, then move to the middle and repeat, then the tips. This creates a natural curve instead of that weird crimped look. When you put on mascara, focus on lifting and separating rather than just piling it on.
False Lashes Can Be Game-Changers
False eyelashes for hooded eyes work amazingly when you pick the right ones. Look for styles that are longer in the center and outer corners – these help lift your whole eye area. Skip the super thick, dramatic ones unless you’re going for full glam.
Individual lashes or small clusters are perfect because you can put them exactly where you need them. Focus on the outer corners and center to create a subtle cat-eye effect.
Don’t Make These Mistakes
I’ve seen these hooded eye makeup mistakes over and over, and they’ll sabotage even your best efforts.
Dark Colors on the Mobile Lid Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids
This is the big one. Putting dark eyeshadow right on your mobile lid (if you can even see it) will make hooded eyes look smaller and more closed off. Save the dark stuff for your outer corners and fake crease.
Forgetting About Your Brow Bone
Your brow bone is prime real estate! A little highlight up there creates the illusion of more space and makes your whole hooded eye makeup look more balanced.
Blending Everything to Death Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids
Yes, blending is important, but you can overdo it. With limited visible space, over-blending just turns everything muddy and eliminates the definition you worked so hard to create. Blend with purpose, not just because you think you should.
Getting Fancy for Special Occasions
Once you’ve got the basics down, you can try some more advanced hooded eye makeup techniques.
The Floating Cut Crease
A regular cut crease won’t work on hooded eyes, but you can create a “floating” version above your hood. Use concealer to carve out a defined line above your natural fold, then pack shimmer or bold color into that space.
This takes practice and the right brushes, but the results are stunning for nights out. Just make sure your cut crease stays visible when your eyes are open – that’s the whole point.
Vertical Gradients Work Better Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids
Instead of blending colors across your lid horizontally, try blending vertically to follow your hood shape. Start light at the lash line and gradually get deeper as you move up. This creates depth while working with your natural eye shape.
The Right Products Make All the Difference
Long-wearing eyeshadows aren’t just nice to have with hooded eyes – they’re necessary. The skin-on-skin contact means regular formulas will crease and fade way faster.
Tools That Actually Help
Get yourself some good brushes designed for precision work. Small, dense brushes let you place color exactly where you want it. Fluffy blending brushes help create smooth transitions in tight spaces.
Eyeshadow primer is absolutely non-negotiable. It prevents creasing and keeps your colors looking fresh all day. Some people also like to set their eyeshadow with a light mist of setting spray – it helps prevent transfer.
Your Eyes Are Already Beautiful Eye Makeup for Hooded Lids
Look, mastering eye makeup for hooded lids takes some practice. Your first attempts might not look like the Instagram tutorials, and that’s completely normal. Even professional makeup artists had to learn these techniques.
The most important thing to remember? Your hooded eyes aren’t something to fix or hide. They’re part of what makes you uniquely gorgeous. These techniques are just about enhancing what’s already there and making sure your makeup actually shows up.
So what’s been your biggest hooded eye makeup challenge? Ready to try some of these techniques, or have you discovered any tricks of your own? The best part about makeup is that it’s supposed to be fun – so don’t stress if it takes a few tries to get it right.
