As we age, many of us notice the skin around our eyes gets looser and more crepey, giving the illusion of hooded eyes. And unless you resort to blepharoplasty, there’s very little you can do about tightening the skin. Which means applying eye make-up becomes a whole lot trickier (and messier).
For me, by far the most annoying product to apply is eyeliner. We all want a sleek, perfectly thin and lifted line on our upper lid, but if you have excess skin, eyeliner often completely vanishes once you open your eyes. Then there’s the outer creasing, which often leaves the flick looking all broken and crooked. Basically, when Taylor Swift sang: ‘Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man,’ she’d never dealt with my eyelids.
Yes, it’s enough to make you want to throw your liner at the mirror, take off your entire make-up and scream: ‘I GIVE UP!’ But my persistence has taught me all hope isn’t lost – it’s about knowing the tricks that allow you to disguise and lift your natural eye shape, for that sought-after ‘snatched’ vibe. And there’s one hack in particular that’s my go-to for ensuring I don’t leave the house giving panda.
It’s a trick I learned from creator @iv_mua, my go-to for pretty much anything make-up related given we have similar facial features. And it’s also surprisingly easy (take it from someone with the shakiest hands imaginable).
To start, take your waterproof liner and with your eye open, draw a dot at the outer end of your lash line. You then want to draw another dot just below where the lid on your skin creases, and then (trust me) connect the points with a line.
Next, you want to create the ‘flick’ effect by drawing a triangle, using the line you’ve just made as a base (you can make the flick however long you like). Then, draw a final diagonal line, connecting the second ‘dot’ you made to the middle of your lash line. All you need to do then is fill in the shape, et voila!
This trick works so well for hooded eyes because you’re essentially creating the illusion of lift around the fold of the skin, rather than fighting against it. Traditional eyeliner techniques are usually designed for visible lid space, which is why the second you open your eye, all your hard work disappears into the crease. This method keeps the flick visible, elongated and sharp – even when your eyes are fully open – which instantly gives that more lifted, sculpted effect. (Kendall Jenner, who?)
My (much improved) eyeliner after using the method
A few final tips from someone who has made every eyeliner mistake possible: always use a waterproof formula (unless you enjoy accidental smokey eyes by lunchtime), keep your eyes relaxed and open while drawing the shape, and don’t obsess over making both sides perfectly identical. Hooded eyes are rarely symmetrical anyway, so chasing absolute perfection is a fast-track route to frustration.
And if all else fails? A cotton bud and micellar water are every shaky-handed girl’s best friend. A quick sweep on the underside of a flick can do wonders to create a thinner, sharper shape. Thank me later.
