Where exactly should the shadow go?

Above the natural crease, often by three to five millimetres. Mark it with the eye open — anything placed on a closed lid hides completely when you look up.

Why does my liner transfer to the lower lid?

Because on a hooded eye the upper skin touches the lower when the eye is open. A waterproof formula and an eyeshadow base solve it.

Can I wear a smokey eye?

Yes, if the gradient sits above the crease. The standard smokey scheme does not work on hooded eyes because the whole gradient disappears into the fold.

Does curling lashes actually help?

Yes, and it is one of the most effective single steps. A curled lash creates space between lid and lash, which visually opens the eye.

Makeup for hooded eyes

There is one rule for hooded eyes: the shadow goes above the natural crease, and it is placed with the eye open rather than closed. Anything done inside the crease disappears entirely the moment you look up, however carefully it was blended.

MoodRoom founder — Makeup artist and instructor · Updated 2026-09-08

What a hooded eye is

A hooded eye is one where the skin below the brow partly or completely covers the mobile lid when the eye is open. It is an anatomical feature, not a flaw.

It often appears with age, but many people have it from birth, and it is common with an epicanthic fold. The cause does not matter. What matters is that standard technique does not work on it.

Where the shadow goes

The whole technique rests on one difference: the work is done with the eye open, not closed.

With the eye open, mark where the shadow line would need to be visible
That line sits above the natural crease — often by three to five millimetres
Dark tone only at the lash line and in the outer corner
Light tone immediately above the crease, to open the space
Highlighter under the brow — minimal, or the lid comes forward

Liner and lashes

On a hooded eye, liner most often either looks as though it is not there at all, or transfers onto the lower lid.

There are two answers: keep the line thin and soften it with shadow, or skip the line entirely and fill in the roots of the lashes instead. Curling the lashes matters particularly here — it creates space between the lid and the lash.

Why product transfers

On a hooded eye, skin touches skin when the eye is open. Any product that is not fully set will move from the upper lid to the lower one.

So a waterproof formula and an eyeshadow base are requirements here rather than preferences. That single change solves more than any refinement of technique.

What does not work

Two popular techniques are effectively useless on hooded eyes, and both appear constantly in online tutorials.

The first is placing shadow in the natural crease, which vanishes when the eye opens. The second is filling the entire mobile lid with a dark tone, which closes the eye further. Both work beautifully on a different eye shape, and neither works on this one.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly should the shadow go?: Above the natural crease, often by three to five millimetres. Mark it with the eye open — anything placed on a closed lid hides completely when you look up.
Why does my liner transfer to the lower lid?: Because on a hooded eye the upper skin touches the lower when the eye is open. A waterproof formula and an eyeshadow base solve it.
Can I wear a smokey eye?: Yes, if the gradient sits above the crease. The standard smokey scheme does not work on hooded eyes because the whole gradient disappears into the fold.
Does curling lashes actually help?: Yes, and it is one of the most effective single steps. A curled lash creates space between lid and lash, which visually opens the eye.