If you’ve watched your favorite beauty blogger’s eyeshadow tutorial for the tenth time, followed each tip and trick to the T, only for the end result to look more mediocre than wow, the chances are, you’re not catering to your eye shape. 

Just like enhancing your body with silhouettes that suit your frame and make you feel confident, understanding your eye shape is just as essential. From deep set eyes and hooded eyes to almond shaped eyes and beyond… one size, or should we say shape, doesn’t fit all.  

To help you understand your eyes and figure out which eye shape you were blessed with, we’ve rounded up all the deets. Plus, some makeup tips you need to know for taking your eyes to new extremes. 

Mirrors at the ready. 

Determining your eye shape

Say bye to the nights spent trying to manipulate your eye makeup, enhance the natural curves of your eyes, and utilize the makeup tools and application tricks that will make them stand out.  From monolids and hooded eyes to downturned, upturned, almond shaped eyes and more, we’re about to explain all.

Almond eyes 

These are the most common eye shape and are easily adaptable to a whole world of eye makeup looks. Figure out if you have almond shaped eyes by examining your irises. If the iris touches the top and the bottom of your eyelid, you have almond eyes. Almond shaped eyes often taper upward slightly to a point at the outer eye. 

Lucky you! Almond eyes are one of the most common so if you’ve got them, you’re blessed with versatility. Elevate your look with smoked out cat eyes and lashes of your choice - a huge range of falsies will work for you, so enjoy.

Upturned cat eyes 

Are your outer corners higher than your inner corners? Not sure? It’s time to use your imagination. Picture a straight line going across your eyes, and if your outer corners draw upwards above the line, you’ve got an upturned eye aka the Bella Hadid of all eye shapes - cat eyes! 

For a fierce and feline finish, try a flared lash that’s heavier on the outer corners. Thank us later.

Downturned eyes 

This one should be easy to figure out. Essentially, the outer corners of downturned eyes are lower than the inner corners. If your outer top eyelid dips downwards to meet your lower lash line, this one’s for you. With this shape, it’s important to lift, brighten and open the eyes, as some makeup looks can cause a droopy looking appearance. 

Give your outer corners a helpful all-over lift with ultra-low volume, criss-cross designs. The wispier the better.

Hooded eyes 

With hooded eyes, the skin of the brow bone hangs over the eyelid, and conceals the crease of the eye. It’s important to choose lashes designed specifically for hooded eyes in order to enhance them. Although many people are born with hooded eye shapes, age and loss of skin elasticity can result in different eye shapes taking on a slightly more hooded appearance over time. 

Draw focus upwards, apply eyeshadow vertically to minimize puffy hoods, and intensify and broaden your eye shape with curled, wispy lashes.

Monolid eyes 

The skin on monolids (or epicanthic folds as they're medically termed) completely covers the upper eyelid altogether. So, if you don’t have a visible crease line, you’ve got monolid eyes. 

Monolids are a beautiful open canvas, so make the most of them! Here, you want to curl, lift and enhance your natural lashes, and add dimension with multi-dimensional criss-cross designs that really open the eye. Winged liner is your perfect match.

Round eyes 

Can you see the whites of your eyes below your iris when you look straight ahead into the mirror? If you can, then you have open, round eyes with head-turning depth. Did someone say eye goals? We think so. 

Enhance the depth of your eyes with soft, fluttery lashes and avoid OTT heavy lashes as they could overwhelm your lash line and make your eyes look flatter and smaller than they really are.

Big eyes 

Got big, round eyes, you probably already know it! If your eyes appear noticeably large, you’ve technically got ‘protruding eyes’. This eye shape is generally characterized by dominant eyes that project from the eye socket… and kind of gives us Disney princess vibes. 

Luckily for those of you blessed with big eyes, you don’t need much extra help when it comes to making your eye makeup POP.  Super long and thick lashes and heavy shadow aren’t your friend, so keep it soft, wispy, and magical.

Small eyes 

Small eyes are typically tinier than the rest of the features on your face. You might even notice a smaller space between the ends of your lashes and brow bone too.
Avoid eye ‘shrinkage’ and get doe-eyed in a hot minute by skipping eyeliner and always, we repeat always, trim your lashes to fit your face. Lash strip overhang is a no-go when it comes to accentuating small eyes.

Deep set eyes

Deep set eyes are positioned further back in your socket and set deeper into the skull.  This creates the illusion of a slightly more prominent brow bone, with the ends of your lashes more likely to graze your eyelids. 

More is more when it comes to you. Stack on the drama by choosing long lashes that curl upwards and away from the eye.

No matter your eye shape, how sensitive your eyes are or whether you wear glasses, Nikkia Joy Cosmetics caters to everyone. From small eyes to hooded, explore the selection of false lashes online to find a shape and style to suit every eye shape and occasion.

Nailing your look just got a whole lot easier.