Makeup for hooded eyes

By Lookslate · Updated October 20, 2026

On hooded eyes, a fold of skin covers part of the lid when the eyes are open, so place makeup with your eyes open and looking straight ahead. Blend a matte crease shade slightly above the fold, keep shimmer on the center of the lid, draw a thin liner with a short, lifted wing, and focus mascara on the outer lashes.

How to tell if your eyes are hooded

Look straight into a mirror with your eyes open and relaxed. If a fold of skin from the brow bone covers most or all of the movable lid, so little or no lid shows above the lashes, your eyes are hooded. Hooding is common and often increases with age. It is a shape, not a problem to fix: the goal is to place makeup where it stays visible.

The rule that changes everything: eyes open

Most tutorials place eyeshadow and liner with the eye closed. On hooded eyes, anything placed in the natural crease folds away when you open them. Do the opposite:

Map with your eyes open. Look straight ahead and lightly mark where the fold sits. That line, not the crease you feel with a closed lid, is your guide.
Build depth just above the fold. Blend the crease shade a few millimeters above the fold, so it shows when your eyes are open.
Check often. Open your eyes and look straight ahead after each step. If the color disappears, it needs to sit higher.

Step by step

Prime the lids. Hooded lids touch the skin above them, so shadow transfers and creases. An eyeshadow primer, or a thin layer of concealer set with powder, keeps it in place.
Crease shade. With your eyes open, blend a matte medium brown or taupe slightly above the fold with a fluffy brush, in small back-and-forth strokes. Matte shades create depth; shimmer here makes the fold look heavier.
Outer corner. Deepen the outer third with a slightly darker matte shade, angled up toward the tail of the brow rather than straight out.
Lid. Press a light shimmer onto the center of the lid with a fingertip. It catches light when you blink and look down.
Inner corner. A touch of a light, bright shade in the inner corner opens up the eye.
Liner. Keep the line thin and tight to the lashes; a thick line covers the little lid that shows. For a wing, draw it with your eyes open and keep it short.
Lashes. Curl them, then apply mascara mainly to the outer half to lift the eye.
Brows. Defined, slightly lifted brows add space between brow and lash line. Brush the hairs up and fill gaps with short strokes.

Winged liner on hooded eyes

A wing drawn on a closed lid can fold or kink when you open your eyes. Look straight ahead and mark the wing's end point first, following the angle of your lower lash line toward the tail of the brow. Some people with hooding draw a "bat wing": the wing continues straight across the fold instead of following it, so it looks like one clean line when the eyes are open. The Eyeliner Focused look shows the full winged-liner method.

What to avoid

A cut crease placed in the natural crease. It disappears into the fold. If you want one, cut it with your eyes open, slightly above the fold.
Heavy shimmer or glitter above the fold. Shine makes the hooded area look fuller; keep it on the center of the lid.
Thick liner along the whole lid. It hides the visible lid. Thicken the line only toward the outer corner.
Creamy formulas without a primer. They crease quickly where the skin folds.

Looks that work well on hooded eyes

Smokey Eyes suit hooded eyes when the gradient is built slightly above the fold, so the smoke stays visible. Soft Glam and Evening Glam use the same transition-shade technique. Eyeliner Focused works with a thin line and a short, lifted wing.

The Lookslate quiz does not ask about eye shape. To get a feel for a look on your own face, preview it on a photo of yourself taken with your eyes open and looking at the camera. The preview is an AI-generated illustration, not an exact match, so use it to judge the overall style, then place the shades with the steps above.

Frequently asked questions

Where do you put eyeshadow on hooded eyes?

Place a matte crease shade slightly above the fold, with your eyes open and looking straight ahead, so it stays visible. Keep shimmer on the center of the lid and a light shade in the inner corner.

Can you wear winged eyeliner with hooded eyes?

Yes. Draw the wing with your eyes open, keep it short and angled toward the tail of the brow, slightly above the fold so it stays visible, and keep the line thin along the lashes. A bat-wing shape that runs straight across the fold also works.

Should hooded eyes avoid shimmer?

Not entirely. Shimmer on the center of the lid is flattering; avoid heavy shimmer or glitter above the fold, where shine makes the hooded area look fuller.

How do I stop eyeshadow creasing on hooded eyes?

Hooded lids touch the skin above them, so use an eyeshadow primer or concealer set with powder, prefer powder shadows over creams, and apply thin layers.

All faces shown are AI-generated fictional models, not real people.

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