Deep set eyes Archives - Page 2 of 5

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Quick answer: deep set eyes sit deeper under a more prominent brow bone, and lightly hooded eyes have a soft fold that can hide part of the lid. If that sounds like your eye shape, keep your eye open while placing shadow, lift the shape slightly above the natural crease, and avoid putting the darkest color only on the visible lid.

This post shows how to tell whether your eyes are deep set or lightly hooded, the biggest makeup mistakes I see on this eye shape, and what to do instead. For a full step-by-step look, see my deep set eyes makeup tutorial. If your main issue is eyeshadow disappearing, my hooded and deep-set eyeshadow placement trick builds on the same idea.

Do: keep the eye open while mapping the shadow.
Do: lift the outer corner and softly smoke the lower lashline.
Don’t: keep the darkest shadow only on the visible lid.

Quick dos and don’ts for deep set eyes

Here are my eyes. I have a bit of visible lid space. If you have hooded eyes, you might not have much visible lid at all. Above it I have a slight hood, which is also where my crease sits. But the most noticeable feature is the prominent area above that hood, where the brow bone pushes forward. That is the area I like to shade to balance my eyes.

Instead of shading my actual crease, I imagine a new crease slightly higher in that prominent area and place my matte shadow there. That keeps the hood from taking over the whole look and gives the eye more lift.

Don’t: place dark eyeshadow only on the visible lid

See what this does to my eye? It sinks it in even further. The hood and the prominent area also look even more pronounced, because the contrast between my skin and that dark shadow is so strong.

Do: keep your eye open while applying shadow

The most important rule for both deep set and hooded eyes is this: keep your eye open while applying your shadow. The whole idea is to hide the hood a little, so you need to place the shadow on top of the hood and slightly above it. Keep your eye open so you can actually see how high you need to bring the color for it to show and work.

If you like stronger looks, the same placement rule still applies in my bold eye makeup for deep set eyes tutorial too.

Do: smoke the lower outer corner instead of stopping at a harsh line

Here might be the reason why people are afraid of a smokey eye. When it is done wrong, it makes the eye appear smaller. By lifting the shadow and smoking out the lower outer corner, the eyes look bigger and rounder.

Do: lift the outer V toward the tail of the brow

This trick works especially well if your eyes are also slightly downturned. Keep the eye open, look straight ahead, and place the deeper shade where it creates a lifted V on top of the hood instead of dragging the outer corner down.

Do: use shimmer where it helps the eye open up

This is partly personal preference, but I like to emphasize the visible lid with a touch of light shimmer. It rounds the eye a little and keeps the lid from disappearing completely.

That is really the main idea: check the shape with your eyes open and relaxed. Is the makeup lifting and opening the eye, or is it pushing the eye deeper? Once you learn to judge that, deep set eyes become much easier to work with.

Example tutorial: warm reddish brown makeup for deep set eyes

Now that you know the main dos and don’ts, here is the warm reddish brown eye look from the photos above.

Prime your eyes and add a matte color all over the eye. Bring it as high as you need to in order to hide the hood and soften the prominent area. Blend the edges until the shadow looks soft and lifted.
Deepen the outer corner in a V shape so that your eye gets a nice lift. A matte dark color works well for this. Blend, but keep the outer corner slightly deeper.
Add a touch of shimmer right on the center of the lid, where it is visible when your eye is open.
Line the eyes lightly and add mascara. Done.

Best products for this technique

The products that make the biggest difference here are a good eye primer, blendable matte shadows, a little shimmer, and brushes that let you place color precisely.

Eye primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion
Palette option: Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
Starter brushes: SEPHORA COLLECTION The Eye Brush Set
Upgrade brush set: SEPHORA COLLECTION The Total Brush Set

Products used in the makeup:

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, Custard
Madara Concealer, Vanilla
Madara Skin Equal Soft Glow Foundation, 50
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
Boho Bronzer, Sunkissed Glow
Kjaer Weis Cream Blush, Above and Beyond
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Morphe 3502 palette
Boho Lipstick, 204 Orchidee

FAQ

Where should eyeshadow go on deep set eyes?

Usually slightly above the area where the eye naturally sinks in, not only on the visible lid. Keep the eye open while mapping it so you can actually see the lift.

Should dark eyeshadow stay only on the visible lid?

No. On deep set eyes that often makes the eye look smaller and pushes the hood and brow bone forward even more.

Can deep set eyes wear shimmer?

Absolutely. A small amount on the visible lid can help the eye look rounder and brighter. The key is balancing it with matte structure above.

Does this work for lightly hooded or slightly downturned eyes too?

Yes. The same principles still help: eyes open, shadow placed a little higher, and the outer corner lifted instead of dragged down.

If you want more eye-shape tutorials next, read this eyeshadow trick for hooded and deep set eyes, my downturned-eyes guide, or this bolder deep-set eye look.

If you want help figuring out the most flattering makeup for your eye shape, come say hi on Instagram or contact me here.

Round deep set eyes need a slightly different makeup placement than classic round eyes or classic deep set eyes. The goal is to keep the eye open, add lift to the outer corner, and avoid making the lid look heavier than it is.

This tutorial is for eyes that look round and open, but also sit a little deeper under the brow bone. My model Linda has that mix: the inner part of the eye is naturally round, while the lid area can look a little hidden because the eye is set deeper. The same placement also works if your lids sometimes look lightly hooded from swelling or skin texture.

If your eyes are more protruding than deep set, start with my makeup for protruding eyes guide instead. If your main challenge is that eyeshadow disappears under a heavy crease, my hooded and deep set eyes makeup trick is the better first read.

Quick summary: makeup for round deep set eyes

Keep the crease shade soft and fairly high so it is still visible when the eye is open.
Add most of the definition to the outer corner, not the deepest part of the socket.
Create a soft sideways V or lifted outer-corner shape to balance the roundness.
Use shimmer on the mobile lid, but do not take it too high under the brow bone.
Keep lower-lash shadow close to the lashes so the eye stays lifted.
Choose liner that lifts outward instead of wrapping the whole eye in a round frame.

Is this your eye shape?

You may have round deep set eyes if your eyes look big or open from the front, but the brow bone or crease casts a shadow over the lid. The eye can look roundest near the inner corner, while the outer corner needs a little lift or length.

The easiest test is makeup placement. If a normal round-eye tutorial makes your eyes look too round, but a classic deep-set tutorial hides too much of the lid, you are probably somewhere between the two. This page is for that middle ground.

The best eyeshadow placement for round deep set eyes

For this eye shape, I like to build the makeup outward. The lid gets a soft shimmer or satin shade, while the outer corner gets the darker matte color. That darker color should point slightly up and out, almost like a very soft cat-eye.

The important part is not to make the crease too dark or too low. Deep set eyes already have natural depth, so a heavy crease shade can make the eye look smaller. Instead, use a light transition shade to make the socket look soft, then add your real definition closer to the outer lashes.

Everyday makeup tutorial for round deep set eyes

Prime the lid, especially if your eye makeup tends to crease under the brow bone.
Blend a light matte brown just above the natural crease so it is visible when your eye is open.
Add a medium matte brown to the outer corner in a soft sideways V shape.
Apply a satin or shimmer shade to the mobile lid and blend it into the outer corner.
Keep the lower lash line soft and narrow. Do not pull the shadow too far down.
Line the upper lash line thinly and lift the outer corner slightly.
Finish with mascara, adding a little extra volume to the outer lashes.

Festive gold makeup for round deep set eyes

A festive look can work beautifully on this eye shape. The same rule still applies: keep the darkest color in the outer corner and close to the lash line, then let the gold or glitter sit on the mobile lid. If you bring shimmer too high into the socket, the eye can start looking puffy instead of lifted.

For this look, I would now keep the upper edge softer than I did in the original photos. A slightly cleaner outer corner and a thinner lower lash line make the look more flattering for a deep set eye.

Useful products and tools for this technique

The product links in this section are affiliate links. You do not need these exact products, but the categories matter: a reliable primer, a balanced neutral palette, and a small blending brush make this placement much easier.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion or another eye primer helps shimmer and liner stay put on deep set lids.
Urban Decay Naked3 Soft Pink Eyeshadow Palette is a balanced rosy neutral palette if you want mattes, satins, and soft shimmer in one palette.
SEPHORA COLLECTION PRO Crease Brush #19 is the kind of small blending brush that helps place shadow without making the eye too smoky.

FAQ: round deep set eye makeup

Should round deep set eyes use eyeliner?

Yes, but keep it strategic. A thin upper-lash line with a small lifted outer corner usually works better than a thick line around the whole eye. Heavy liner all the way around can make the eye look rounder and smaller.

Where should shimmer go on round deep set eyes?

Put shimmer on the mobile lid and inner corner. Keep it below the deepest part of the socket, especially if shimmer tends to disappear or transfer when your eyes are open.

What should I avoid?

Avoid taking dark crease color too low or too far under the eye. That can make a deep set eye look heavier. If the makeup feels too round, add more definition to the outer corner instead of adding more darkness everywhere.

What should I read next?

Compare this tutorial with my guides for deep set and lightly hooded eyes, downturned eyes, and protruding eyes. And if you want more real-life makeup examples, come say hi on Instagram.

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Deep Set Eyes: How to Tell + Makeup Do’s and Don’ts