Wearing the Right Makeup for Your Eye Shape Can Be Transformative—a Makeup Artist Explains How to Do It

As someone with hooded eyes, I learnt very early on that my lids require a specific type of makeup application to look their very best. So although I firmly believe there are no rules when it comes to makeup, there are several techniques and products that can enhance every eye shape with minimal effort.

With party season now upon us, you might be on the hunt for makeup for hooded eyes or the best mascara to make your lashes stand out for every occasion. But knowing exactly where to start, or the eye looks that will suit you, isn't always easy.

Professional makeup artist and founder of makeup brand Sweed, Gabriella Elio, has broken down the most common eye shapes and exactly how to do your makeup to best suit them. From smokey liner to shimmery highlights, consider your party season makeup sorted with minimal effort.

Makeup for smaller eyes

"I'd recommend applying a brightening liner inside the waterline to make your eyes look bigger and more awake," says Elio. "You can also use a darker, more neutral shade as a classic wing on the top lid after applying mascara to really lift and frame the eye. Or, apply some under the eye on the outer corner to add further framing and make it look bigger.

"For some added sparkle, apply a shimmery tone such as Victoria Beckham Lid Lustre Shimmering Eyeshadow Pot in Tea Rose. Go in on the inner corners and under the eye in the centre to really open up the eyes Lastly, it's important to curl your lashes and coat them in mascara to really open up the eyes."

Makeup for hooded eyes

Hooded eyes can make the eyelid appear smaller or hidden, so it can be difficult to decipher exactly how to apply shadow and liner to make it seen.

"Focus on a lighter taupe eyeshadow or shimmer highlighter all over the eyelid," advises Elio. "Create a fake crease that is a bit higher up than your natural crease with a warmer shade of eyeshadow. Bronzer or blush can also work incredibly well to create this look.

"Apply eyeliner with your eyes open, after mascara, only at the edges of your eyes to really lift and open up the eye. Avoid loading with dark shadows and eyeliner on your eyelids since this tends to look heavy," she says. Applying liner with your eyes open means you can ensure it sits in the right place and doesn't disappear into your lid.

"Focus on the centre of the eye to build length with either mascara or false lashes. Our Sweed signature No Lash Lash is perfect for this look." I regularly turn to false lashes instead of a winged liner for my hooded lids, and it definitely suits my eyes far better.

Makeup for wider eyes

Wider or bigger eyes are arguably some of the easiest to work with, as you probably have a good amount of lid space to play around with. For that reason, Elio recommends having fun with a smoky eye look that will really make your eyes stand out.

"This is your moment to wear a sultry smoky look inside the waterline, both in the lower and upper lid," says Elio. "Add dark brown eyeshadow all over the lid to create a soft smokey look—this looks less harsh than black. Warm up the crease with a blusher or bronzer for a smooth transition into the lighter shade under the eyebrow but also to lift the eyes."