While applying eyeliner to hooded and mature eyes can be challenging, learning just a few easy techniques can beautifully transform the eyes and face. This article discusses eyeliner goals, the definition and challenges of hooded eyes, tightlining eyeliner techniques, step-by-step instructions and tips along with eyeliner option recommendations.
For additional information on tightliner eyeliner colors, visit our Beauty Maestra Resource Library here.
“Your eye makeup says so much about you and your style” – Laura Mercier
If I were to guess what the most technically challenging makeup area is for most of us, the answer would likely be the eyes. Learning how to do my own eyes took years, makeup classes, and roll-your-sleeves-up research. Even after all of that, I consider myself a knowledgeable student of eye makeup and not necessarily a master of it.
Arguably, well-done eye makeup timelessly creates a personally unique, identifiable, and expressive aspect of the face. A “beauty signature” so to speak. From my vantage point, the additional effort to learn the eyes is well worth the effort.
If you read my post on eyebrows, you may see many similarities between “doing” eyes and eyebrows. Both have many moving parts from which to choose including multiple shapes, colors, countless techniques along with multiple tools of the trade. It can be very confusing.
Furthermore, as one ages, one must navigate looser eye skin and a resulting eye shape that has shifted as a result. Eyes naturally become more downturned and in many cases hooded even if they didn’t identify as such in years past.
Eyeliner Goals
Despite the differences and changes in eye anatomy that age brings, eyeliner (and eye makeup) goals are constant and timeless.
We want to create an eye that is more:
- Uplifted
- Defined
- Enhancing of our natural features including eye color and shape
The problem to solve is how to achieve these goals effectively even with the obstacles that hooded and mature eyes bring us.
I will walk you through a few very easy eyeliner tips and tricks that I hope will guide you through what you may consider treacherous terrain. For those of you who have been avoiding this area of the face, I am hopeful that this may initiate interest and confidence to explore and ultimately have fun.
Let’s start by defining hooded eyes.
Eyeliner Techniques for Hooded and Mature Eyes
Hooded Eyes Definition
Hooded eyes are characterized by excess skin on the eyes. This skin covers a large percentage or even all of the mobile eyelid. To really illustrate this, here are 2 contrasting photos of hooded vs non-hooded eyes.
Hooded Eyes Facts
- Many people are born with hooded eyes
- Many more of us grow into hooded eyes as we age and skin loses elasticity
- Hooded eyes are a result of a recessive gene
- Most popular eyeshadow techniques are geared toward non-hooded tighter eye shapes
- This non-hooded bias creates an overall sense that hooded eyes are comparatively inferior
- Hooded eyes are beautiful and even more beautiful when they achieve the eyeliner goals discussed above
Here are just a few well-known celebrities with hooded and mature eyes:
3 Eyeliner Challenges for Hooded and Mature Eyes
With that said, eyeliner application for hooded and mature eyes has its challenges. Let’s walk through 3 of the most common and discuss some easy eyeliner techniques to overcome them.
Challenge #1: Smudged Eyeliner
The hooded eyelid skin rubs against the eyeliner immediately after applying and smudges it.
Solution
Apply an eyeshadow primer before any kind of eyeliner. This is essential to help keep the eyeliner intact.
Choose an eyeliner that dries quickly. Or, allow a minute for it to dry before doing anything else with the eye.
Best Recommended Eyeshadow Primers
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
This is one of my holy grails in this category. The formula successfully holds eye products intact on the lid. It also doesn’t make the eyelid greasy or dry.
Benefit Stay Don’t Stray Eye Makeup Primer
Milani Eyeshadow Primer
Challenge #2 Eyeliner Application
An eyeliner’s goal is to define and enhance an eye. For hooded eyes, applying eyeliner to the top of the lid may be completely or mostly indiscernible due to the skin covering it.
It’s a Catch-22 because attempting to thicken the eyeliner (in order for it to be seen) results in an eye that appears smaller and less open and exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve.
So how do we eyeline the eye effectively?
Tightlining Step-By-Step
The solution is to tightline. This technique works not only for hooded eyes but also for most mature eyes and adds a fuller look to the eyelashes no matter how much skin covers the lid.
There are 2 tightlining techniques. The first is placing eyeliner onto the eye’s waterline. The second is placing eyeliner above the waterline: the area at the base of the eyelashes. For our purposes here, tightlining means the area at the base of the lashes.
- Use a soft creamy eyeliner. Gel or kohl (recommendations below) are easiest.
- With 1 or 2 fingers gently pull up the eyelid to hold it relatively taut as you apply the eyeliner.
- Fill in the area at the base of the lashes with the liner to create a solid continuous line
It’s really that simple and it works.
Best Tightline Eyeliner
Tools are important, and if you are just starting out on this tightlining journey, I recommend an eyeliner pencil as your initial tool. In my experience, this option is also easiest for sensitive eyes. Keep the pencil well-sharpened for maximum control. Here are a few recommendations.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil
Very creamy and stays put with a wide variety of color options.
Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner
Amazing colors and creamy consistency.
Milani Stay Put 16 HR Eyeliner
Another option is gel in a pot along with an eyeliner brush. The benefit of this type of medium is the control it offers. Of all the brands I have used, Bobbi Brown is the most creamy and long-lasting.
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
Mac 263 Synthetic Small Angle Brush
Sigma PRO Precision Gel Eye Liner Brush-Ultra Thin
Challenge #3 Eyeliner Placement
The extra skin covering the mobile lid naturally emphasizes a smaller eye and eye shape. Furthermore, in some instances, tightlining all the way around an eye’s upper and lower lashes and particularly with a dark color reinforces the perception of “small”.
To create the effect of a more open and uplifted eye, consider some tightlining placement alternatives. Here are a few options:
- Line only the outer half of the upper lashline and outer third of the lower lashline
- Line the entire upper eyelid; line the outer third of the lower lashline
- Line the entire upper eyelid; use a lighter color or no color on the bottom lashes
- Waterline the lower lid with white eyeliner (the waterline on the lower lid is the area above the lashes)
Tightlining Enhancement Tips
It’s perfectly OK to stop eyelining right now at this stage. Eyeliner goals have been achieved.
However, depending on the look you want to create and whether you have enough room on your lid, thickening the tightline as much or as little as you want can further enhance and uplift the eyes. How much you thicken will very much depend on your eye anatomy and personal style.
How-To Enhancements
Up until this point, the focus has been underneath and between the lashes. To thicken the eyeliner, approach and assess the eyeliner from the top of the lashes vs underneath and/or at the base of the lashes.
For your upper lashes, you can opt to change up your tools or not. If a thinner more defined line is the look you are trying to create, consider a brush and gel. If not, an eyeliner pencil works well too.
Apply the eyeliner gently using short strokes or patting the eyeliner to connect it all along the top of the lashline.
If you are a beginner and/or have a shaky hand, smudging the eyeliner once you have applied it covers a lot of sins. The result is an intentionally smoky look.
If an uplifted eye is a goal, create a line that increases in width towards the outer third of the eye. Smudge outward and upwards.
Here are a couple of good smudging tools to use:
Sigma Short Shader Brush
Palladio Smudge Brush Synthetic
Tightline Eyeliner Color
A quick word about eyeliner color.
For those of you who are darker-haired with dark lashes, safe options are black or dark brown. For those of you who have lighter-colored hair, consider a brown or taupe color, as darker colors can appear harsh. They can also result in diminishing the size of the eyes.
A colored pencil that complements eye color can also be very flattering. For example, with my hazel eyes, I often use a purple or even burnt brown color
For more complementary color suggestions, visit the Resource Library here.
Final Words
While hooded and mature eyes bring their own unique set of eyeliner challenges, implementing just a few tips and tricks can truly transform the eyes and the face. This post covered the topics of eyeliner goals, the definition and challenges of hooded eyes, tightlining and eyeliner techniques, step-by-step instructions and tips along with eyeliner product recommendations.
Please let me know if you have tried any of these techniques and/or have some of your own!!
Thank you for reading!
xO
Andrea
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Karoline Adler says
Great post. I have always had very hooded eyes but age has exacerbated the situation. I am going to try these eyelining techniques. I really appreciate the point you made about hooded eyes being considered less than ideal but that hooded eyes can be beautiful. Love the pictures of hooded celebrities.
Thanks,
Kay
The Beauty Maestra says
Hi Kay! I’m glad you liked it and thanks for letting me know.
Nancy B says
I use and love the Milani Eye Shadow Primer. I have switched to a brown liner as I’ve embraced my “Silver” locks and it is less harsh looking. I also top my creamy gel liner with a taupe, brown or dark purple eye shadow (with a thin brush) to keep the liner from smudging and soften the line.
Love these posts from The Beauty Maestra, keep them coming!
The Beauty Maestra says
Thank you so much for sharing and reading!