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Eye Shape

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I have always had a hard time with eye makeup. It just doesn't seem to work on me like it looks on other people. I keep trying, finding some things that work ok and most that don't and never questioned why. I saw something on Pinterest about makeup for different eye shapes. I had never even thought about the shape of my eyes! It kind of blew my mind, but now I can see that I have been trying to do make up styles meant for a different shape of eye. I'm looking forward to trying some new thing that may work better for my eye shape. Thanks Pinterest?

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31 replies

Latest reply was from em

bj1111

Veteran

Hooded eyelid, anatomy too complicated. Plus wear glasses usually. I've given up on eyeshadow. Clinique 3 in 1 clicker Mascara (always on 3) + Anastasia Beverly hills brow pencil. Done.

For fancy evening, contacts , more mascara plus/minus eyeliner (still auditioning a good waterproof one) and a lippie .

So tell me about your eye shape and which eye shape you had been making up?

Style Fan

Veteran

Pinterest is great for researching all kinds of things. I also watch YouTube videos for make up ideas. It has taken me a long time to figure out how to do my eye make up. I use very natural coloured eye shadows to contour my eye, eye liner and mascara. I skip the sparkle.

Anonymous

I think the shape of my eyes is called deep set and they are a bit rounded, so I struggle with the idea of eyeliner to do a cat eye effect, as I think it probably looks better on almond shaped eyes. I'm not that great at applying eye shadow so maybe I should explore Pinterest too.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I am curious to know what shape you have and what techniques you're trying too.

I rarely bother with eyeshadow anymore. A little eye pencil and mascara usually do it for me. I like a cat eye look, but somehow it doesn't seem achievable on my eyes (prominent lids?). Maybe I just don't know what I'm doing. I'm boring with my makeup.

cindysmith

Veteran

Now I don't feel so bad for not being able to do a cat-eye.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I have 'Downturned' eyes. The corners point slightly down. I think that most makeup tutorials are meant for almond shaped or upturned eyes, since that seems to be the societal preference.
Cat eyes have never worked quite right for me, but I'm not giving up. At my new job, most of the girls I have seen wear no shadow and cat eye liquid liner. We have appearance standards, so I am checking out what people wear so I can comply.

Diana

Veteran

I have hooded, shallow, and smallish eyes with virtually no lower lashes. One of them often appears smaller and slightly droopier than the other. And I wear glasses all the time. So eye makeup is kind of a mystery to me, lol. Most eye shadow/liner either gets lost in the hood or makes me look like I have a black eye. If I wear it it's almost always just waterproof mascara on the upper lashes only. For special occasions I have figured out how to do a passable smoky eye - it is subtle when my eyes are open (again, most gets hidden by the hood) but I think it looks good.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Khris, I've seen you in person, and your gorgeous eyes struck me right away. They are very pretty, and how you adorn them with make-up is fabulous. Warm, sultry and very attractive.

I have big round eyes for my small face (like a pixie!). I also have a strong brow line, long lashes, AND wear glasses. Complicated eye make-up is wasted on me.

That said, I feel naked without SOME eye make-up, and wear it daily no matter what. I understand your need for change. I started tint lining (with blue) and using blue mascara last year and it's been a satisfying change. The blue makes my green eye looks more green - not blue.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Would be really fun to see a before and after. I actually use blush on my lids as opposed to eye shadow on a daily basis - I simply use the big blush brush to slightly color the lids after applying the blush to my cheeks. It seems to just brighten things up. I use a very natural, light coral/pink blush powder.
I think my eyes are mostly almond shaped but one is slightly smaller due to eye issue. I do wear liner (a deep blue/purple color powder and a wet flat small brush to apply) and mascara. It is hard to apply as my vision isn't great - I use a very magnifying mirror and q-tips to touch up. I try to get into the habit of "feeling" how I apply so perfect vision isn't as critical - if that makes sense.

If I'm going out fancy I usually add more liner and a more careful application of it and more mascara. I sometimes add just a slight taupe flat shadow just to the lids. My eyes are somewhat hooded as well and I learned not to really apply shadow to that part.

celia

Veteran

I don't know the name of my eye shape, perhaps deep set.
What I know is that because there is such a distance from the outer corner of my eye to my brow I always have to use darker colors on the outside of the eyelid and lighter on the inside. And although my eyes can be referred as generic light brown they actually have green specs that are more visible if I wear purple shadows or eyeliner.

Anonymous

I think I have downturned eyes too and a cat eye gives me a costumey, Ben hur cleopatra look -- not good.

The 'shadow' I use is light, and you only get a glimpse of it when I blink.

Katie Holmes might have downturned eyes. You might take a look at what she does.

Dottie

YouTube is very helpful for makeup tips. Just remember that light eye shadow colors bring things forward (the moveable lid) and darker eyeshadow colors make things recede (like droopy lids in my case, which are a little higher than the moveable lid).

Also, if you sweep a slightly darker eyeshadow upward at the outer portion of the droopy lid (and a bit higher), it helps to bring attention upward rather than bringing attention downward.

Another tip is, if you use eyeliner, don't go all the way to the end of the droopy part. Stop a bit sooner than the end and sweep things just a bit higher to create an optical illusion.

There's really no need to use "black" liner or really dark eye shadows. Experiment with lighter/mid colors, or perhaps have a makeup artist at a mall give you some tips.

Gigi

Veteran

I too have trouble with the cateye. My eyes are a little deep-set, so there is an extra fold of skin at the outer corner, making the cateye really difficult. I love that look, though! I'm getting better at doing it, but it's taking a lot of practice.

I have found that with deep-set eyes, it helps to put the crease color a little above the crease, so that you can see it with your eyes open. That has been a big help for me.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Celia- my eyes are hazel, but if I use purples it brings out the green in them.

Smittie- Katie Holmes did come up in my searches. It helps to see a real person with similar eye shape.

Anonymous

I've never had luck with eyeshadow. My eyes are hooded I guess, so I just use eyeliner & mascara.

shaz

You tube is great for videos on how to do eye make up to suit your eye shape just search whatever your eye shape is pin interest is fab for looks but I need a step by step pause and rewind option

rachylou

Veteran

Interesting. I've never thought about it. I've just done what consultants have told me...and they always have said the same thing. No one has ever talked about my eyeshape, except a weird ophthalmologist who I suspect was into phrenology and got very excited about my mixed heritage. Lol.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Haha rachylou! My opthalmologist always tells me I'm weird. My dominant eye has worse eyesight and is not the same as my dominant hand. Lol

Bennett

Veteran

It seems to take a lifetime of experimentation to find the techniques and colors that work for you, and then what happens? Your products get discontinued and your canvas changes with the aging process!

Kate

Veteran

I quite like eye shadow and eye makeup in general, but I'm unskilled in application and lazy, so my makeup consists of a bit of cream blush and lippie. Brow pencil used to be part of the routine until Angie mentioned RefectoCil brow tint. Love that stuff! Now my pale brows actually show up, and the color lasts for several weeks.

I don't know what shape my eyes would be considered, but I think a cat's eye look is well beyond my skill level. On the rare occasion when I do wear eyeshadow, I prefer ivory, taupes, and a greenish-gold, which very nicely brings out my blue eyes.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

Eye shape plays a role, but have you ever had a look you liked applied by a professional? Sometimes we find something looks off because we're not used to the look, even though the makeup has been applied skillfully. Also, there are a lot of techniques beyond applying the visible product (exfoliation, moisturizer, primer, foundation, etc.) that influence the final look.

Diana

Veteran

GF, your comment got me thinking about when I had my makeup done for my wedding. It was an outdoor wedding and I wanted a "natural" look, and the artist opted to not use any eyeshadow at all. She used mascara, eye liner, and brow pencil, and even false lashes, but no actual shadow. Which kind of reinforces my own personal experience that with my eyes, shadow looks are all or nothing, either SUPER DRAMATIC or hardly visible and nothing in between...

And it looked great. I think I need to learn how to use eyeliner better!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I've never had my makeup done professionally.

JAileen

Veteran

I've been told my eyes are a weird color. (I know, the things people say. She meant it as a compliment). They are a dark hazel (olive and light brown). I use purple eyeliner to bring out the greenish part. I used to wear mascara but it was annoying and itchy, and would smear on my glasses, so I skip it and also skip eyeshadow. I think the eyeliner gives my eyes enough definition.

I use a waxy sort of pencil eyeliner. There are two secrets: short little lines, like sketching, and practice, practice, practice.

em

There are two stupendous videos I recommend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuFtAc0NUFM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25HxnkF0pWs

deb

Veteran

My eyes have always been on the larger side but now heredity and gravity have caused my lids to sag so they almost tough my lashes. When I wore contacts I hardly ever wore shadow, only mascara. Now I only wear glasses and find that I really need makeup to make my eyes stand out. I use a neutral shadow across my lid and a bright shadow pushed along the lash line. I need to curl my lashed otherwise they hit my glasses and I always wear mascara.

deb

Veteran

And here is a tutorial for cat eye for hooded eyes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....38;index=5

BlondeAmbition

I love eye makeup and can be quite experimental with colors and techniques. As I'm getting older the hood is getting plumper and although I'm not fond of plastic surgery I would consider a procedure to lift the eyes, ugh that's horrible but the thought of my eyes getting lost in saggy skin terrifies me.

Youtube is so amazing with eye tutorials. I'm definitely going to check out guides for different eye shapes, thanks!!

BlondeAmbition

I took a look around youtube and was finally happy to find a tutorial that deals with mature skin. I also realized that I have a "hooded eye" which I didn't know before. I found this tutorial really helped alot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXzy6zjssCE

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