Ever spent 20 minutes perfecting your eyeshadow only to have it disappear the moment you open your eyes? Welcome to life with hooded eyes, where your carefully blended masterpiece tends to disappears faster than your last paycheck. The culprit? That extra fold of skin above your eyes that seems determined to eat every bit of eyeshadow you apply, leaving you wondering if you're forever destined to stick to lipstick while eyeshadow palettes collect dust. But here's the thing—hooded eyes aren't a makeup life sentence. Sure, those generic beauty tutorials might not work for you, but that doesn't mean you need to break up with eyeshadow forever.

But before we jump to eyeshadow makeup tips, let's straighten out the nomenclature first.

What are Hooded Eyes?

Hooded eyes sound complicated, but it’s actually pretty straightforward—an extra fold of skin that hangs from your brow bone, draping over your eyelid like a curtain. This fold can cover part (or all) of your eyelid, tucking it away when your eyes are open. The easiest way to tell whether or not you have hooded eyes is to stand in front of a mirror and try to spot your natural crease with your eyes open. Can't see it? Welcome to the hooded eyes club. The thing about hooded eyes is that it makes it tricky to see your eyeshadow, often swallowing it whole into your crease.

That said, hooded eyes are not a makeup disaster that needs “fixing.” They're just another eye shape that requires its own playbook. Here's your cheat sheet of advanced eyeshadow techniques curated for those of us with hooded eyes.

1. Start with a Primer

Hooded eyes mean more friction, and friction ruins good eyeshadow work. Primer not only makes the pigments in your eyeshadow pop but also helps them stay on longer without creasing or smearing.

The Undercover Gel Primer is perfect for this. It's a lightweight gel primer that smooths out oily lids and creates a crease-proof base for eyeshadow. The Vitamin E-enriched formula keeps your lids nourished while making sure your eye makeup stays put and visible.

2. Create a New Crease

Working with your natural crease? That hood will just eat up all your hard work. Apply eyeshadow slightly above your natural crease instead. This creates visible definition and opens up your eyes, making them look slightly wider.

New to eyeshadow? The Ultimate Glam Eyeshadow Palette has your back—a collection of easy-blend mattes, shimmers, and metallics with one-swipe color payoff.

3. Blend Upwards

The next bit is all about using the right eyeshadow blending techniques. Your hood already claims enough lid space, and blending downward only makes it worse. Instead, blend upward toward your brow bone. This prevents your eyeshadow from playing hide-and-seek under your hood, at the same time, creating the illusion of more lid space and adding a natural lift.

4. Use Lighter Shades

Darker shades make hooded eyes look even more hooded. Lighter shades do the opposite—they create depth without heaviness, making your eyes appear bigger and brighter. And if you really want to use deeper shades…

5. Use Dark Shades on the Outside

Those deeper tones aren't off-limits—they just need the right placement. Stick to the outer corners, pair with lighter shades on the inner corners.

6. Highlight the Brow Bone

A touch of highlighter or light shadow under your brow bone gives you an instant lift and dimension. This highlight creates definition and opens up your eyes without trying too hard. Plus, it balances out any deeper shades you've used elsewhere.

Debuted at Lakmé Fashion Week, The Rouge Bloom Eyeshadow Pro-Palette is a multidimensional palette that combines nine luxe mattes, four metallic foils, two wet glitters, a marble shadow, and a holographic shade—all enhanced by a built-in primer for improved color payoff and longer wear.

7. Tightline Upper Waterline

Tightlining your upper waterline with black liner is a ridiculously simple way to add instant depth and definition. It creates the illusion of thicker lashes while enhancing your eye shape. But keep dark colors away from your lower waterline—they only make eyes look smaller. Use a white liner instead there to make your eyes appear instantly wider.

You can't go wrong with the cult-classic The 9to5 Eyeconic Kajal, which delivers up to 24 hours of intense black pigment that's clinically proven to be twice as dark as regular kajal. Plus, it’s gentle enough for contact lens wearers and ophthalmologically tested for safety.

Not sure which Lakmé eyeshadow palette is perfect for you? Ask LUMI your personal beauty assistant, to help you pick out your ideal match.

Takeaway

Hooded eyes might love playing hide-and-seek with your eyeshadow, but now you know how to win that game. These techniques turn that challenging fold into your strongest feature. Because let's be real: your eye shape isn't limiting your makeup game, it's just asking for better strategies.