How to Determine Eye Shape

As a lash artist, it is important to know how to determine your customer's eye shape. Not all styles of lashes will look good on every eye shape — that's why it's so important to be able to determine what shape someone has! There are three main areas of the eye to focus on when determining the shape. The distance from one inner corner to the other, the shape of the eye, and the depth of the eye. Read through Lash Apothecary’s guide to identifying and beautifying each eye shape, then head over to our website to grab everything you need to bring bold, beautiful eyes to your clients.

MONOLID AND HOODED

To determine if an eye is monolid or hooded, take a look at the creases in the eyelid. Monolids have no creases and the eyelid will appear to be flatter. On the opposite side, with a hooded eye shape, there is hardly any eyelid visible and the brow bone will appear to be more prominent. For monolids, we suggest using dense and volumizing lashes to create more drama and depth. Hooded eyes are best framed with light and fluffy styles of lashes that will open up the eyes without looking too dramatic.

UPTURNED AND DOWNTURNED

For these eye shapes, you’ll want to pay attention to the corners of the eyes. If the outer corner is at a higher point than the inner corner, then the person has an upturned eye shape. If the outer corner is lower than the inner corner, then the eye shape is downturned. You can also try imagining an invisible line running horizontally across the eye, with the pupil in the middle, if the outer corner is above the line, then the eye is upturned, if it's below, then it’s downturned. Cat eyelash extensions can look great for both these eye shapes.

ROUND AND ALMOND/DEEP SET AND PROTRUDING

Look at the length between the top and bottom of the eye. Round eyes will typically have more distance and have a circular shape, making the eyes appear more open and alert. Almond eye shapes will have a shorter length but a longer width across the eye. These are the most common eye shapes, which is lucky because they can support almost any type of lash styling. Now, look at the eyes from the side. Deep-set eyes are characterized by the prominence of the brow bone while protruding eyes will seem to project outward from the eye socket. Deep-set eyes usually need more length at the outer corners to add depth and dimension, but protruding eyes can wear just about anything.

CLOSE SET AND OPEN SET

Finally, look at the bridge of the nose between the eyes. If there is no more than one eye width in between the two, then the eyes are close-set. Long lashes that give the illusion of bigger eyes are perfect for accentuating the natural beauty of these eyes or opt for cat eyelashes to make the eyes appear farther apart. If the width appears to be more than one eye's worth, they are wide-set. Most lashes suit these eyes perfectly, but if you really want to make pop, long voluminous lashes or criss-cross lashes are the way to go.