It was a moderately life-changing revelation when earlier this year I came upon Youtube videos in the style of makeup tutorials for "hooded eyes". I had hardly heard the term before really getting into makeup, but boy does it explain my makeup problems! Winged eyeliner never looked good, eyeshadow disappeared the second my eyes opened, and everything creased and caked. I realized that this is what I was, and I wasn't alone.





   The first thing you should know is that there are several types of hooded eyes, ranging from mild to completely hiding the mobile eyelid. As you can see from my photos above, I still have a sliver of mobile eyelid space (that being the part of your lid that moves and blinks), though the crease itself runs pretty much past the outer corner of my eye, meaning my winged eyeliner will never look quite like the beauty gurus' (a moment of solemn silence, please.). There are those lucky few with more so mild hoods that allow them to still do a decent winged liner, albeit nothing akin to Cleopatra.

   Another thing I noticed is that quite a few individuals doing hooded eye tutorials didn't even have hooded eyes! Phooey. They were loading on eyeshadow and big wings with ease, dubbing it "everyday hooded eyes" and such. They'll do anything for more views and clicks. Once you understand hooded eyes and your eyes, you'll be able to take one look at the thumbnail and know if it's the real deal.

   A few celebrities with hooded eyes: Blake Lively, Jennifer Lawrence, Camilla Belle, Malin Akerman, Leelee Sobieski, Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, Brigitte Bardot, Carmen Electra, Catherine Zeta Jones, Gisele Bundchen, Lauren Bacall, Milla Jovovich, Renee Zellweger, Emma Stone. These are some of the most iconic women in beauty history!





   Hooded eye ladies can still wear stunning eye looks, tweaked to fit the various eye shapes and hood depths. As you can see, celebrity makeup artists have this down pat. Hooded eyes are NOT a flaw- they are just a different eye type! In fact, many people have hooded eyes and just don't know it. A makeup artist worth their oats will know the difference and how to alter their application of products. Just as different face shapes require different contouring and blush, so do hooded eyes with eyeshadow and liner.


 What not to do:

• Force a wing that crossed your crease line or just isn't working
• Only apply eyeshadow to your mobile lid
• Apply too much shimmery or white eyeshadow to your brow bone or lid
• Apply too thick of a line of eyeliner
• Wear the wrong style of false lashes
• Not wear mascara and not curl your lashes
• Have an unfavorable brow shape, or heavily arched brows
• Angle your eyeshadow downward at the outer sides, giving a droopy effect

What to do:

• Tightline your upper lashline with pencil liner
• Look straight into your mirror to check your eyeshadow, making sure it's visible
• Apply a brow highlight just under your eyebrow
• Keep a thin line of eyeliner or mild flick, minding your crease line
• Choose false lashes that are natural or are fullest at the center and fade out, or individual lashes
• Choose a good mascara and curl your lashes before you apply it, never after
• Keep your brows as close as possible to their natural shape, if possible, and fill them in following that shape
• Angle your eyeshadow straight out or upward at the outer sides, giving a lifted look

    Of course, you can do absolutely whatever you desire with your makeup- these are just some guidelines to complement your eyes to their full, beautiful, unique extent. And all hooded eyes are different! You may have space for thick liner, or be able to wear very full false lashes perfectly.


    A great way to really get a feel of your own eye shape is to do as I did above- take a clear photo of your eye in its natural resting position looking straight on and create a chart so you know exactly where your crease is and where it ends. Then, when you watch makeup tutorials or look at photos, you can better adjust the looks to your own shape! The more aware of your face and features you are, the more comfortable you become with them and more confident working with them, just like body types and features.



xx,
      Charity