By Vanessa Quinteros
We all love amazing, flawless-looking lashes, and we all have different eye shapes to complement them. Whether you are playing with a strip lash, individuals, salon extensions, or Lashify DIY Lash extensions, you want to choose the most flattering style for you!
You look at the ads, watch the eye makeup hacks, or follow a tutorial you think looks great. Then after you have applied the lashes, you look and think, “This looks nothing like the girl in the tutorial!” Not to worry; this has happened to all of us! It happens because we don’t typically factor in our personal eye shape. The model or educator’s eye shape has an invisible influence on their final lash look, and naturally, yours will too.
But what if you don’t know your eye shape? You then start asking yourself, “What would look flattering on me?” “How can I figure out my eye shape?” Well, we have you covered! This article will share a detailed breakdown of how to determine your eye shape. Then it will be so much easier to choose the best lashes for you.
The Lashify DIY lash extension system has various lash styles and lengths that are fully customizable. This allows you to create various lash maps that are flattering to your eye shape and personal style. The possibilities are truly endless. So let’s dive in and figure out what your eye shape is.
How many eye shapes are there?
Most eye-shape infographics keep things pretty simple and group things together when describing an eye shape. You may find that your eye shape fits into more than one. Why? Because there are different degrees of eye shape or a combination of factors involved. To better understand this, when people say “shape,” that technically refers to round, almond, or cat eye. However, when we say monolid, hooded, or deep set, this actually refers to the lid type, not necessarily a “shape.”
Yet these descriptions are usually listed as an eye shape category. That is why you may find yourself having a combination of the descriptions listed. For example, someone can have a large almond eye that is also hooded. This doesn’t mean you have two eye shapes; instead, it refers to your eye size, shape, and lid type. Someone else can have an upturned monolid, which refers to lid type and positioning. You get the idea.
To keep things simple, we will also combine eye shape (almond, round, etc.), size (small, medium, large), lid type (hooded, monolid, deep-set, etc), and positioning (upturned, downturned, wide set, etc.) to create six basic eye “shape” categories. Click on the eye shape category below to get more details about that particular category, various combinations, and suggested lash maps.
- Round
- Almond
- Hooded
- Upturned
- Downturned
- Wide Set
- Close Set
- Monolid
How to determine your eye shape?
When determining the shape of your eyes, look straight ahead into a mirror, and make sure your head is straight. From there we will be looking at a few things:
2. Your eyelid space
3. How visible your iris is
4. How visible the whites around your iris are
5. The positioning of your outer corners
Let's start with our first shape...
ROUND EYES
The round eye shape is often also called “doe eyes” and can be small or large. They will have a visible crease, and you will be able to see the whites of your eyes around the iris. This can be above, below, or both.
Remember there can be different degrees of a round eye. They can be small, average, or large. Or they can be combined with other features. Such as a round eye with a degree of hooding
Round eyes benefit from mixing lash lengths, beginning with shorter, classic lashes at the inner eye before fanning out into longer, curlier extensions at the outer edge. When selecting extensions, people with round eyes will definitely want to get a gradient of lengths and densities.
ALMOND EYES
The almond eye shape is the most versatile. This means it can pull off almost any lash look depending on what other factors or combinations it has. Your eye is almond-shaped if, while looking straight into a mirror, your iris runs into the upper lash line and bottom lash line simultaneously. You won’t be able to see the whites of your eyes above or below the iris.
Almond-shaped eyes can also be large. Many incorrectly categorize almond eyes as round, simply because they are larger. Almond eyes can also have hooding and can be upturned or downturned. The combination of these secondary traits is what will define the best lash look for almond eyes.
HOODED EYES
A hooded eye shape refers to the crease being covered by extra skin. When the eye is open the eyelid is practically not visible. Typically, there is a prominent brow bone, and the skin from the brow bone covers the lid.
Many people with hooded eyes tend to also have deep-set eyes. The degree of “hooding” can also vary and change over time.
People with hooded eyes and deep-set eyes often have an extremely difficult time shopping for lash extensions that are both comfortable and effective because the hooding can interfere with strip lashes and vice versa. People with hooded eyes benefit from individual lashes on a practical level.
On an aesthetic level, lash extensions that pack a serious curl best complement these eyes. When lash mapping, place your longest lashes in the center with shorter lashes on the inside and outside.
UPTURNED EYES
Upturned eyes are characterized by the positioning of the outer corners of the eyes. Imagine drawing a straight line across your eyeball while looking straight. The line should be just above the inner corner of the eye (above the eye caruncle, or small, pink, globular spot in the inner corner), centering across the pupil, and sitting approximately above the ear canal.
We are all a bit asymmetrical so it's totally normal to have one side higher than the other. Now take a look at the outer corners of your eye. Do they sit above the line? If so, you have upturned eyes. Again you can have a combination of things going on, like an upturned, almond-shaped eye with some hooding.
Upturned eyes have a natural “cat-eye” appearance, so it’s best not to select very long lashes for the outer corner because it may cause the eyes to look droopy. Instead, keep the lash volume focused on the center with light to intense curl, depending on your personal style.
DOWNTURNED EYES
Just like their upturned counterpart, downturned eyes are distinct due to the positioning of the outer corners of the eyes. Imagine drawing a straight line across your eyeball while looking straight. Again, the line should be just above the inner corner of the eye (above the eye caruncle, or small, pink, globular spot in the inner corner), centering across the pupil, and sitting approximately above the ear canal.
We are all a bit asymmetrical so it's totally normal to have one side lower than the other. Now take a look at the outer corners of the eye. Do they sit below the line? If so, you have downturned eyes. Again, you can have a combination of things going on, and different levels of down-turning.
For example, someone can have a downturned, almond-shaped, monolid.
When we think about the best lash maps for downturned eyes, words like mysterious and fox-eye come to mind. Marilyn Monroe herself had downturned eyes, so draw your inspiration from iconic, classic Hollywood glam.
WIDE-SET EYES
Similar to upturned and downturned, the term wide-set describes the position of the eye socket on the face, rather than the shape of the eye itself. Wide-set eyes are further apart, although the prominence of the distance will be heavily influenced by overall face shape. You know you have wide-set eyes if the distance between the eyes, from one inner corner to the opposite inner corner, is greater than the width of a single eye.
When selecting false lashes, people with wide-set eyes will find that lash maps that place longer lashes near the inner corner are their best friend.
CLOSE-SET EYES
Conversely, close-set eyes, sometimes called narrow-set eyes, describes an eye position where the eye sockets are situated closer together. To check, look straight ahead in a mirror, and measure the distance between the eyes, from one inner corner to the opposite inner corner, using a ruler. If this distance is less than the width of one eye, your eyes are close set.
When choosing a false lash look, people with close-set eyes should aim for volume that emphasizes the outer corner. Flared and cat-eye lashes (especially combined with a cat-eye eyeliner) will balance your look.
MONOLID EYES
Monolids are specific types of eyelids that influence the overall shape of the eye. A monolid is a skin fold on the upper eyelid that makes it appear as if there is no visible crease line below your brow area. People with a monolid eye shape also tend to have straight lashes, at times pointing down.
When selecting their lashes, people with monolids have a myriad of choices. Often, people with monolids find that their natural eyelashes are flat or point downward, so people with monolids generally want lashes with a strong curl to sculpt the natural lashes and brighten the eye.
Choosing the right lash style
Every eye shape has its beauty! No one shape is better than the other. There are just different ways of wearing makeup, and lashes for each one. Just like clothes and different body types. And just like clothes, the lashes you choose will also depend on your personal taste, style, and comfort zone. So just because you have a certain eye shape doesn’t mean you have to stick to just one style, shape or size. Therefore, it's important to remember that choosing a style is not just solely based on your eye shape. In this series you will find great recommendations and tips for each eye shape that you can incorporate into many styles. This will allow you to create different lash maps for different occasions while following the recommendations for your eye shape.
Another factor to consider, is whether you want to accentuate your eye shape, or adjust it a bit due to your personal preference. For example…. You might have a round eye shape which you love. Therefore you want to accentuate the shape and stick to the “doe eye look”. While someone else may feel that because they have naturally rounded eye, they prefer to elongate them. So the lash placement and styles they choose may be different, even if they have the same eye shape.
General Pro Tips:
- Avoid placing lashes all the way to the first natural lash in your inner corner. Most of us have very short fine hair in our inner corners. They also tend to be straighter due to the moisture in that area. In addition the spacing between your inner corner lash line, and your lid can be limited. So for most people, it's not very comfortable to place a lash all the way to that last little baby hair. It’s totally okay to leave a couple of those out. You can curl them if they are very straight (our Lashicurl heated silicone lash curler works best), even add a little mascara when wearing the bolder styles. For the most part it looks very natural, and not noticeable.
- We recommend using core styles in the inner corner, even when using the volume styles. The volume Gossamer styles tend to have more curl and more fibers. Therefore, they might be too much for your inner corners. If you feel they are, a good solution is to start with a core lash in the corner, and overlap a volume lash over it. This is also a great tip for longevity!
- Avoid placing Gossamer lashes all the way to the last natural lash on your outer corner. On most eye shapes, placing a Gossamer all the way to the last natural lash can cause the eye to droop. We recommend bringing the last lash in a bit. You can also choose a smaller lash for the outer corner, and overlap a longer lash.
- Always apply your lashes to clean eyes. If you’re seeing smudges of yesterday’s makeup look, you need some pre-cleanse cleansing water. Resist the urge to test out those amazing makeup tips you got from your favorite Insta makeup artist until after your lashes are placed and set. You can absolutely wear eyeliner and eye shadow with your eyelash extensions, but don’t forget to (gently!) thoroughly clean up at the end of the day. We know you have a very committed and well-researched skincare routine, so don’t forget to practice good lash care too.
And there you have it!
An in depth look at eye shapes and some of our most useful Pro Tips! Remember to have fun experimenting with different styles and shapes. You may be surprised what you end up falling in love with. That's the fun of Lashify! The possibilities are endless. Make sure to join the Lashify Life community for more lash map inspiration!
Sources:
Orbital Hypertelorism | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
How to Tell if You Have Deep-Set Eyes | NVision Centers
What is my eye shape? The best tips for each, according to makeup artists | Today
