How To Create Beautiful Eyes With Makeup

Variety is the spice of life which is why we love beautiful eyes in every shape and size – almond, hooded, round, monolid, upturned, downturned, you name it.

Our eyes are one of the first things people are drawn to when they look at us – especially now half our face is regularly obscured with a mask. In fact eye makeup sales have boomed as a a result which means flicked liner and smoky eyes have become even more popular.

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Besides, if our eyes really are the window to our soul, then that makes our eyeshadow the curtains, our liner the curtain rod and our mascara the roller blind... Quite understandably, we want all three to look outstanding.

However, before you go about creating an eye makeup masterpiece, it's a good idea to consider which eye shape you have and how you can best dress them to accentuate your features, as this may differ depending on your eyes own unique anatomy.

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Makeup artists have been doing this for years. To work out which look to apply, they'll first consider lid shape and size as well as which direction to angle the liner, in order to emphasise and celebrate each client's eye shape.

It's an approach that we can translate into our own makeup routine. The question is, how do we work out which eye shape and techniques apply to us?

Of course, it goes without saying that no matter your eyelid shape, you can wear whatever style of shadow or liner you want. But, if you're after some tips on what will work particularly well for you, we have just the thing.

We asked top makeup artists, Lan Nguyen-Grealis, Adeola Gboyega and Bobbi Brown pro makeup artist Zara Findlay, how to make the most of our eyes. Once you know the basic tips and tricks, you can have a play around with graphic shapes and colour to create eye makeup looks that match your features and your personality.

And, if you want to up your eye-makeup game, we have our round-up of the best eyeshadow palettes, liquid liners, mascaras and "out-out" eye makeup ideas.

Find your match amongst the 8 beautiful eye shapes below...

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Best makeup for almond eyes

What are almond eyes?
"Almond eyes tend to be oval in shape with the outer corners being slightly upturned (like an almond, hence the name)," says Adeola. "They can pull off pretty much any kind of eye look."

How to accentuate them?
"Accentuate your eyes even more by doing a soft wing liner. It is one of the most complementary shapes for almond eyes," says Zara. Stick to liner on just your top lash line, "this will give extra dimension and shape and help to elongate eyes for a more feline look," says Lan. "Just be mindful not to make this liner too thick," says Adeola. "Ensure that you apply the liner thinly on the inner corner and you can thicken it slightly on the outer corners, like a wedge."

As for eyeshadow, pay attention to where you apply colour. "Use a deeper colour on the outer corners of your eyes," says Adeola. "And use a lighter colour on the waterline on the bottom," says Lan, as this helps to make eyes appear bigger.
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Best makeup for round eyes

What are round eyes?
"Round eyes tend to be equal in width and height, so you have a lot of space to create beautiful eye looks without looking too overdone (lucky you!)," says Adeola

How to accentuate them?
"I love to enhance the outer corners of round eyes to add a bit more balance to the eye shape," says Adeola. "Keep the eyeshadow colours neutral on the lid and gradually add darker shades toward the outer corner," says Lan. "The outer shading should almost look like a sideways V," with the point angled slightly up towards your temple."

Another beautiful eyeshadow look for round eyes is a 'Halo' eye, says Zara. "This is where the darkest shadow goes in the inner and outer corner of the eye and a light pop of colour sits in the centre of the eye."

"A wedged, smoky liner also really complements a round eye as it elongates the eye shape without taking away the natural shape," Zara says. As with almond eyes, "make sure the liner is thinnest in the inner corner and thickest on the outer corner, creating a wedged shape. Then, to smoke it out, simply take a shadow that contrasts with your liner [try a deep purple, bronze or khaki] and blend it through the edges." For extra lift, "ensure that the liner is directed upward at the end," says Adeola. If you're thinking of apply false lashes, "use ones that are voluminous and fluttery on the outer corner," advises Lan.
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Best makeup for hooded eyes

What are hooded eyes?
"Have you ever done your eyeshadow and then as soon as you open your eyes you can't see it anymore? Chances are that you have hooded eyes," says Adeola. This is where you have an extra fold of skin that covers your crease.

How to accentuate them?
"Priming and setting with powder is key to keep makeup in place as hooded eyes tend to smudge," says Lan.

"When applying eye makeup keep the eyes open to find the natural crease," adds Lan. "Use a compact mirror and look down into it," agrees Adeola. Then, "place the shadow slightly above the crease as opposed to the fold of the eye. This way the colour doesn't get lost," says Lan.

And make sure you apply shadow to the bottom lashes as well as the top, "this will keep it balanced," Lan explains. "And blend the shadow straight outwards, rather than dragging up or down on the outer edges."

"Eyeliner is key with hooded eyes as with limited lid space you need to make the most of lash line and create definition," says Adeola. "I love to tight line by applying liner to the upper lash line and ensuring there are no gaps in between." Zara agrees. "This will instantly thicken the look of lashes and help to define the lash line without taking over the lid space."

"A sparkle shadow is very complimentary on a hooded eye as it brings brightness without over powering the lid with shadow pigment," says Zara. Finally, "lots of mascara is a must, too," says Adeola. But, "use waterproof mascara to avoid smudging," Lan advises .