What's In This Post
The 5 common types of eyelids are mono, double, hooded, tapered, and parallel. Each one is unique and beautiful and there are ways to enhance each type of eyelid with makeup.
In this post, we will go over the different types of eyelids, how to recognize each type, and discuss makeup tips on how to enhance each one.
Contents
Mono Eyelids
Mono eyelids can be recognized by the lack of visible crease line below the brow area. The eyelids are usually folded above the eyes and tucked under the frontal bone.
Makeup Tips For Mono Lids
Gradient eyeshadow and winged eyeliner are 2 easy methods that you can use to instantly enhance your mono eyelids.
Tip 1: Gradient Eyeshadow
The lack of a crease between the eyebrow and eyelashes may make the eyes appear smaller. The gradient eyeshadow technique helps to enhance mono eyelids and lift the eyes with contouring.
To use the Gradient Eyeshadow Technique, follow these steps:
Step 1: Begin by applying a good eyeshadow primer. A good eyeshadow primer helps to create a smooth surface for your makeup to stick to. It also helps your eyeshadow stick better and prevents it from fading.
Step 2: Apply a dark eyeshadow close to your lash line, then a lighter one in the middle section between your brow bones and an even lighter shade at the top close to your brow bone.
This gradient technique creates a shadow effect that helps to draw out and lift your eyes. If you’re not sure which colors you should be using, a 6 color eyeshadow pallet is perfect for this technique.
Tip 2: Winged Eyeliner
A winged eyeliner helps to extend the tips of the eyes to help improve symmetry. It also darkens your upper lash area to make your mono lids look more prominent.
To create a winged eyeliner for monolids, follow these steps:
Step 1: Line the lash line – Hold the liner in the direction of your lash line, lay the tip of the liner on top of your lash line toward your inner eye, and drag it toward the outer tip of your eye.
Step 2: Define your wing – Image your wing as an extension of your lower lash line in the same direction. Use a straight object, like the end of your lash pencil, and place it on your lower lash line. You can tilt the straight object slightly to adjust the angle of your wing. Use your liner to mark the point where you want your wing to end. This will be the tip of the wing. Draw a midpoint between the tip of the wing and the tip of your eye.
Step 3: Draw your wing – Draw a line to connect the tip of the wing to the midpoint. From the midpoint. Draw a line to connect to your upper lash line and then another line to connect the midpoint to the bottom lash line.
Step 4: Fill in the wing – Use your eyeliner to fill in the wing and make it thicker.
Step 5: Apply Mascara (optional) – Apply mascara to your top and bottom lashes to finish the look.
Tip 3: Create a Crease
Mono eyelids are beautiful on their own. However, if you desire to add a crease to your mono eyelids, the best way to do it is with eyelid tape. Single-sided eyelid tape works well for this method.
To create a crease on mono eyelids, follow these steps:
Step 1: Clean your eyelids – Apply micellar cleansing water to your eyelids area and swipe your eyelids with a cotton wipe to clean the area.
Step 2: Apply the tape – Close one eye and observe where the natural fold is on the eyelid. You want to apply the tape on top of this line. Open your eyes and the tape will create a fold in the skin to make it look like a crease. You can use makeup on top of the tape if you want.
Use double-sided tape if you don’t plan on using eye makeup on top because the makeup may stick to the front side of the tape.
Double & Parallel Eyelids
Double eyelids are characterized by the crease line below the brow area. The crease is also known as a supratarsal fold or palpebral fold.
Parallel eyelids are a form of double eyelids in which the crease runs parallel to the upper lash line. The gap between the upper lashes and the crease is usually small.
Makeup Tips For Double Lids
Smokey eye and the “natural makeup look” are 2 easy techniques that you can use to enhance the look of your double or parallel eyelids.
Tip 1: Try Smokey Eye
The smokey eye look works great with double lids because darker makeup can help to define the crease and make it stand out.
For this look, you will need 4 different shades. A base tone, mid-tone, contour tone, and “smoke” tone. Here’s an explanation:
- Base Tone: Use a matte shade that matches your skin tone.
- Contour Tone: One shade darker than your skin tone.
- Mid Tone: Choose a shade between your base tone and contour tone.
- The “Smoke” Tone: is the darkest tone and is the main tone that will define the color of your smokey eye. Eyeshadow colors like black, dark blue, emerald, and dark purple work well.
A sample Smokey eye palette is shown below:
To use the smokey eye on double lids, follow these steps:
Step 1: Apply Eyeshadow Primer or Concealer as a base – Prepare a smooth surface for your eye makeup by applying eyeshadow primer or concealer as a base. Cover the entire lid from the lash line up to the brows and blend the edges with your brush. The base should feed a bit tacky after you are done. This helps the eye makeup stick better and stay on longer.
Step 2: Apply Base Tone – Apply the base tone from the crease up to the eyebrows. This helps to create a base in which your darker shades can blend over in later steps. Ensure to stay above the crease and not to go under your lids.
Step 3: Apply Mid-Tone – Apply the mid-tone from the crease to the brow bone. Use your nose and inner eye as a guide for where to stop the blend horizontally. Soften out any harsh lines with a blending brush.
Step 4: Apply Contour Tone – Apply the contour tone to the eyelid. Start at the base of the lashes and blend towards the mid-tone and crease. However, do not blend beyond the crease.
Step 5: Apply Smoke Tone – Apply the smoke tone to the roots of your lashes. This is similar to creating a liner look, you want to follow the natural curve of your lash line. Blend out the smoke tone with a small blending brush.
Step 6: Apply Eyeliner – Using an eyeliner that is the same color as your smoke tone, apply it to the upper waterline to darken the lashes.
Step 7: Use Mascara – Apply Mascara to the upper and lower lashes. Ensure to coat each lash from root to tip.
Step 8: Brighten Brow Bone and Inner Eye Corner – Create a contrast to really make your smokey eye pop. To do this, apply your base tone just under your brow bone to brighten it up. Also, dab a small amount of your base tone to the inner corner of the eyes to brighten it up.
Step 9 (Optional): Clean under your eyes – Wipe under your eyes with a cotton pad and micellar water to keep the area clean. This helps to make it brighter, create a contrast, and make your eyes stand out more.
Tip 2: Try the Natural “No Makeup” Look
Double eyelids already have a lot of definition naturally. Therefore, the no-makeup eye makeup look can help you bring out your double eyelids’ natural beauty.
This look is less about defining your eyes with makeup but rather using other makeup like matte lip gloss, foundation, and light eyebrow tints to create a natural, no-makeup look. The eye makeup you would use on your eyes is actually quite minimal.
I have written a detailed guide on doing the no-makeup look. Check it out: 10 Tips For Doing the “No Makeup” Makeup Look (From Experts)
Hooded Lids
You can recognize hooded lids by the thick fold of excess skin that comes down from the eyebrows and touches the upper eyelash or sits on the bottom part of your lid. Some people have folds that go all the out to the outer corner of the eyes.
Makeup Tips For Hooded Lids
Hooded eyelids can benefit from the cat eye and cut crease looks.
Tip 1: Try Cat Eye
The tail of the cat-eye can help reduce the droopy look of hooded lids by making the tails of your eyes sharp. The angle of the tail can help to pull the eyes up making the drooping less apparent.
Before you start, it’s important to mention that you should try not to close your eyes while doing the cat-eye. This is because when you close your eyes, the line that you drew to create the cat eye may end up looking wavy. This is due to the skin at the corner of your eyes that changes shape when you open or close your eyes.
To apply the cat eye on hooded lids, follow these steps:
Step 1: Using your liner and keeping your eye open, imagine a straight line from the tip of your lower lash line to the tail of your brows. Draw this line out just past your eyelid crease. This is the tail of your cat-eye.
Step 2: From the tip of the cat line tail, draw a straight line towards the middle of your upper lash line
Step 3: Fill in the space you have created in steps 1 and 2 with your liner.
Step 4: Fill in the rest of your upper lash line with your eyeliner.
Tip 2: Try The Cut Crease Look
The cut crease look creates a shadow effect on your crease and gives the illusion of a higher fold. It makes your crease higher and more precise.
For the cut crease look, you need to select a contour tone that is around 2 times darker than your skin tone and a concealer that matches your skin tone. You will also need a matte powder that matches your skin tone.
To apply the cut crease on hooded lids, follow these steps:
Step 1: Clean and prime your eyelids then set the primer with a powder. This will help your eye makeup stick better.
Step 2: Apply the contour tone to your brow bone with a crease brush. Brush along the entire brow bone from the inner corner to the outer corner of your bone. You can fade out the contour a bit past your outer eye corner. Darken the outer corners of your eyelids with the contour tone.
Step 3: Create the cut crease by applying the eye concealer to your lid with a small flat brush. Start near the inner eye and at the roots of your upper lash and work your way up to the crease and outer corner of your lid. Do not pass the crease line or cover the contour tone on the outer lid. Set the concealer with powder and blend the powder into the contour tone on the outer corner of your eyelid.
Step 4: Apply mascara to your lashes or attach eyelash extensions. This step is optional. 11
Tapered Lids
Tapered eyelids can be recognized as having a crease that runs parallel to the upper eyelash. The crease merges or “tapers” towards the inner corner of the eyes.
Makeup Tips For Tapered Lids
An extended winged liner and straight eyebrows can enhance the look of tapered eyelids, make your eyes appear bigger, and balanced proportions on both your eyelids.
Tip 1: Try an Extended Winged Liner
You can improve the symmetry of your tapered eyelids at the inner corner of the eyes by creating a wing liner look with a long tail. To create the look, follow the steps above in tip 2 of the mono lids section. The only difference here is the way you will define your wing.
Your wing should extend just slightly past the end of your crease. Once you have your wing defined, fill it in, apply liner towards the corner of the eyes, then finish the look with mascara.
Tip 2: Try Straight Brows
Straight brows can enhance the look of tapered eyelids by creating an elongated look that compliments your tapered eyelids and makes your eyes look bigger.
It’s possible to achieve a straight brow look even if you have a high arch.
To create straight brows look, follow these steps:
Step 1: Comb your brows with a spoolie
Step 2: Image a line that starts from the base of your brow that stretches’ all the way to the edge of your temple. If you prefer something more visual, simply use the edge of a piece of paper and hold it up to your face.
Step 3: Shave or pluck away stray hairs that are under the line you defined in step 2.
Step 4: Using an eyebrow pen and short light strokes, draw the straight line from the base towards the end of your brows. You can go beyond the tail if you want. Once you figured out how long your brow should be (the endpoint), draw short and light downward strokes from the top of your brows to the endpoint.
Step 5: Fill in your eyebrows with an eyebrow pomade pencil to finish the look.