Just when you finally figured out your face shape, you suddenly realize your eyes have their own unique look, too. And while it might seem like overkill to harp on the shape of your eyes, it can actually help emphasize your best features.
Knowing your eye shape can help you learn how to best flatter them when applying makeup. Luckily, figuring out if you have round or almond-shaped eyes isn't as hard as it seems.
Ready to find out your eye shape once and for all? TODAY Style consulted top makeup artists to break down the six most popular eye shapes and some makeup tips for each of them.
Now all that's left is for you to get all dolled up!
What is my eye shape?
There are six main eye shapes — round, monolid, hooded, downturned, upturned and almond — and they're all fabulous in their own way. You may have also heard the following descriptions for your eyes: wide set, asymmetrical, big, small, close set and deep set. While they're certainly worth mentioning, these descriptions aren't all inclusive.
"These are a secondary description beyond shape. It's more so referring to the placement of where the eye is on the face," said celebrity makeup artist Colby Smith at Exclusive Artists.
And it's quite possible to teeter between eye shapes. "People can definitely be in between shapes. I commonly see almond-shaped eyes that are a little rounder than others. For the most part, though, the shapes are pretty definitive," said celebrity makeup artist Anton Khachaturian, whose clients include Lana Condor, Tia Mowry and Meg Donnelly.
Here's how to find your perfect match!
Round eye shape
Wondering if your eyes are round? Here's a quick cheat sheet:
- Round eyes are usually large, prominent and look more circular.
- The cornea of round eyes is surrounded by white all the way around.
- The inner and outer corners of round eyes are rounded and not pulled inward or outward.
Celebrities with round eyes:
Ashley Olsen , Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel all have round eyes.
Makeup tips for round eyes:
- Khachaturian recommends using eyeliner in the waterline to close up some of the white space.
- Round eyes are pretty versatile and can wear liner and shadows in most colors, according to celebrity makeup artist Sandy Linter:"Try a deep contour in the crease, a pale lid and a deeper shadow at the ends of the eyes."
- Go easy on the lashes! "Add mascara to top lashes only, focusing an extra coat or two on the outer lashes," said Ramy Gafni, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Ramy Cosmetics.
Monolid eye shape
Think you have a monolid eye shape? Consider this:
- Common in Asian women, monolid eyes feature a less apparent crease.
- Often called a shallow or smooth eyelid, monolids don't reveal as much if any of the eyelid.
Celebrities with monolid eyes:
Lana Condor, Sandra Oh and Lucy Liu have this eye shape.
Makeup tips for monolid eyes:
- Don't be afraid to play around! "Monolid eyes have less space above the eye, so it's a great opportunity to play with a fun color or a smokey feel under the eye and in the waterline," Smith said.
- Create dimension. "Use shimmering, light reflective eye shadows in the inner corner of the eye and dark matte eye shadow on the brow bone," said Glamsquad artistic director Kelli J. Bartlett.
- Go smokey! "I tend to go smokier and much tighter on the eyes, then soften out to create a stronger crease," Khachaturian said.
Hooded eye shape
Think your eyes are hooded? You may be right if the following rings true:
- Hooded eyes feature a heavy brow bone with a deep-set crease.
- When hooded eyes are open, the eyelid isn't generally visible and retracts into the crease.
- As you've aged, your eyelid space has diminished, taking on a hooded appearance.
Celebrities with hooded eyes:
Blake Lively, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone have hooded eyes.
Makeup tips for hooded eyes:
- Try a smokey eye. "Put color all over the lid and blend upward, or you can create a cut crease to create the illusion of a crease," Powell said.
- Add thick eyeliner to your upper lash line and matte eye shadow to your entire eyelid to balance things out.
- Seek consistency with shadow. "Apply a deep-toned eye shadow to the lash line and brow bone to create continuity of the lid," Bartlett said.
Downturned eye shape
Curious whether or not you have downturned eyes? Here's how to tell:
- The outer corners of downturned eyes are lower than the inner corner.
- Also known as a "descending eyelid," downturned eyes feature an upper lid that dips to meet the lower lash line.
Celebrities with downturned eyes:
Katie Holmes, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron have downturned eyes.
Makeup tips for downturned eyes:
- Create balance with shadows. "For downturned eyes you want to lift the outer corners with liner and shadows and extend them to create the illusion of a lifted outer corner," Powell said.
- Don't be afraid to try falsies. "This eye shape will also benefit from false eyelashes applied in a pushed up way in the outer corner. Try doubling the last lash, applying it on top of the one you just applied and take a lash curler and push it up," Linter said.
- Cat eyes will be your best friend. "Create the illusion of a lifted cat eye by drawing out eye shadow in a lifted, pointed shape towards the tail of the eyebrow," Bartlettsaid.
Upturned eye shape
Think your eyes are upturned? Consider the following:
- Basically the opposite of downturned eyes, upturned eyes have outer corners that turn upward and are higher than the inner corner.
- Also known as "cat eyes," upturned eyes tilt upward, giving the eye an exotic appearance. Ask yourself if you look like you've had an eye lift!
- The bottom lash line of upturned eyes curves upward to meet the top lashes at the outer corner of the eye.
Celebrities with upturned eyes:
Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner and Rihanna all have upturned eyes.
Makeup tips for upturned eyes:
- Emphasize your eye shape! "Extend your eyeliner on the upper lash line past the outer eyes."
- Want to create a more balanced look? "Use eyeliner on upper and lower lash line, but do not extend the liner past the outer eye. And add an extra coat of mascara to the lower lash line," Gafni said.
- Create symmetry by focusing liner on the bottom outer corners of your eyes.
Almond eye shape
You might have an almond eye shape if these traits sound familiar:
- Almond-shaped eyes have a smaller eyelid and are longer in width than they are round — just like an almond!
- This eye shape tapers to a point by the tear duct and the outer eye.
- The outer part of the cornea is generally hidden under the top and bottom lids. There is also an apparent crease.
Celebrities with almond eyes:
Beyoncé, Eva Longoria and Mila Kunis have almond-shaped eyes.
Makeup tips for almond eyes:
- Apply a light color on the lid and a deeper color in the outer half/crease of the eye to accentuate your almond shape.
- Go smokey! "Apply eye shadow across the eyelids, apply eyeliner to upper and lower lash line. Apply the same shadow you used on the eyelids to just below the eyeliner on the lower lash line. Follow with mascara," Gafni said.
- Linter suggests making your eyeliner thicker on the lower lid to emphasize your shape.