How do you do makeup for hooded eyes?

If your mobile lid almost disappears under the fold when your eyes are open, you have hooded eyes. It's very common, and it comes with an upside: two or three tricks open up your eyes dramatically. The classic mistake is applying makeup with your eye closed, as most tutorials show — whatever you put on the mobile lid hides the moment you open it.

Step by step

1. Map it with your eyes open. Look straight into the mirror, head level, and find where your lid visibly ends. That line, slightly above your real crease, is your "false crease".
2. Transition shade above the crease. With a matte shade a little deeper than your skin, blend just above that false crease using windscreen-wiper motions. It builds depth where it can be seen.

3. Light in the centre of the lid. A light satin shade in the centre of the mobile lid makes the visible part glow when you blink.

4. Thicker liner in the centre. Draw the line with your eye open, looking ahead. Make it a little thicker in the centre and outer part — that's what shows.
5. Wing towards the temple, not up. If you wear a wing, follow your lower lash line; tilt it too much and it "breaks" in the fold.

Tricks that change everything

• Avoid chunky shimmer in the crease — it emphasises texture.
• Curl your lashes well: it opens the eye more than any shadow.
• Set your primer with powder; hooded lids transfer shadow into the fold.

In the try-on you can pick the "Defined" eyeshadow style, which takes colour above the crease, and see how it looks on you before buying anything.

Frequently asked questions

Can I wear a smoky eye with hooded eyes?

Yes. Blend it higher than usual and keep the deepest shade on the outer corner and the lower lash line.

Which liner works best for hooded eyes?

A gel pencil or a fine-tip liner, applied with your eye open. Browns and taupes look softer than black.