You’ve probably been there. You spend twenty minutes meticulously crafting the sharpest, most symmetrical wing in history, only to open your eyes and watch the entire masterpiece vanish into a fold of skin. It’s frustrating. It feels like your eyelids are literally eating your makeup. Honestly, most traditional makeup advice is written for people with massive amounts of lid space, which is why a standard hooded eyes eyeliner tutorial often fails the second you actually look straight into a mirror.
Hooded eyes aren't a "flaw" to be fixed. They’re just a specific structural reality where the brow bone sits a bit lower, or the skin folds over the crease, hiding the mobile lid. Celebs like Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, and Taylor Swift have them. They look incredible. But they also know that a standard "swipe across the lash line" approach just results in a thick, blocky mess that makes eyes look smaller instead of more open.
The secret isn't more product. It’s geometry.
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Stop Closing Your Eyes to Apply Liner
This is the biggest mistake. We’re taught to pull the skin taut or close one eye while we work. Don't. When you close your eye, you're working on a flat canvas that doesn't exist once your eye is open. For a hooded eyes eyeliner tutorial to actually work, you must apply your makeup with your eyes open, looking straight ahead into the mirror.
If you draw a straight line while your eye is closed, that line will hit the skin fold and "break" once you open your eye. You’ll end up with a jagged, disconnected shape. By looking straight ahead, you can see exactly where the fold falls. You can map out the wing over the fold or around it.
Keep your chin down. Look straight. This allows you to see the "real estate" you actually have to work with. If you have a deep fold that extends past the outer corner of your eye, you’re going to need the "Bat Wing" technique.
The Bat Wing Technique: A Game Changer
The Bat Wing is essentially an optical illusion. When your eye is open, it looks like a perfect, straight flick. When you close your eye, it looks like a little hockey stick or a bat’s wing.
Start by marking the tail of your wing. Extend it from the lower lash line upward toward the tail of your brow. Now, here is the weird part: with your eye open, connect that tail back toward your lash line, drawing right over the fold of skin.
- Use a fine-tip liquid liner (like the Epic Ink from NYX or a Tom Ford Eye Defining Pen).
- Trace the line across the fold.
- When you close your eye, you’ll see a gap or a "step" in the line.
- Fill in that gap to create a geometric shape that looks like a wing.
It feels counterintuitive to draw a jagged shape. It feels "wrong" to have a notch in your liner. But makeup is about how it looks when you're interacting with the world, not how it looks when you're sleeping. This technique ensures the wing stays visible and doesn't get "swallowed" or distorted by the hood.
Tightlining is Your Best Friend
Because lid space is limited, a thick line of liner on top of the lashes can take up the entire visible part of the eye. This makes the eye look heavy and recessed. You want to save that precious skin for eyeshadow or just a clean look.
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This is where tightlining comes in. Use a waterproof gel pencil (Marc Jacobs used to be the gold standard, but since that’s gone, the Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal or the Hourglass 1.5mm Mechanical Gel Liner are excellent alternatives). Instead of drawing on top of the lashes, wiggle the pencil between the lashes and onto the upper waterline.
It darkens the lash base. It makes lashes look thicker. It provides definition without taking up a single millimeter of lid space.
If you struggle with the pencil being too "pokey," try a flat definer brush and some cake liner or a dark eyeshadow. Press it into the roots. It’s softer, less intimidating, and stays put.
Material Matters: Why Your Liner Keeps Smudging
If you have hooded eyes, your skin is constantly touching. The top of the hood rubs against the lash line every time you blink. If you use a creamy, non-waterproof pencil, it’s going to transfer to your brow bone within an hour. It’s inevitable.
You need formulas that "set."
- Liquid Liners: Look for "film-forming" formulas. These dry down into a plastic-like layer that doesn't budge.
- Gel Pots: These offer the most control. Using a bent liner brush can help you get the angle right without your hand blocking the mirror.
- Eyeshadow as Liner: This is the most forgiving method. Use a damp angled brush and a deep espresso or charcoal shadow. It creates a softer "smoke" that hides imperfections better than a harsh liquid line.
Katie Jane Hughes, a celebrity makeup artist known for her incredible work with hooded eyes, often suggests using a very small brush to keep the detail precise. If the brush is too big, the product gets everywhere.
The "Floating" Liner Trend
Sometimes, the hood is so prominent that a traditional wing just isn't happening. That’s fine. The "floating" liner or graphic liner trend is actually perfect for this eye shape. Instead of trying to fight the fold, you work above it.
Draw a thin, sharp line just above the crease of the hood. It follows the natural curve of your brow bone. It’s bold, it’s modern, and it’s completely immune to being hidden because it’s placed on the part of the eye that stays visible when you’re looking forward.
Addressing the Lower Lash Line
Don't ignore the bottom. If you feel like your eyes look "droopy" with liner, try focusing the pigment on the outer third of the lower lash line. Connect it slightly to your upper wing. This creates an "upward" lift.
Avoid putting heavy black liner in the lower waterline if you want your eyes to look bigger. Instead, use a nude or beige pencil (like the Sephora Collection Colorful Wink-It Felt Liner in a light shade or a dedicated nude kohl). This extends the "whites" of the eyes.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Dragging the eye down: Ensure your wing never goes lower than the outer corner of your eye. If it dips, it pulls the whole face down.
- Over-thickening: If you mess up, don't just keep adding more liner to "even it out." You’ll end up with a black lid. Use a pointed Q-tip dipped in micellar water to sharpen the edge.
- Skipping Primer: For hooded eyes, primer isn't optional. The oils on your lids will break down the liner. Use something like the Urban Decay Primer Potion or even just a bit of concealer set with translucent powder.
Expert Insight: The Half-Wing
If the full wing is still too difficult, try the "half-wing." Start your liner at the middle of the pupil and extend it outward. Do not bring the liner all the way to the inner corner. This keeps the inner part of the eye "bright" and prevents that "closed-in" feeling. It’s a favorite trick for red carpet events because it looks incredibly clean in photos.
Actionable Next Steps
To master this, you need to practice when you aren't about to go out. Trying a new hooded eyes eyeliner tutorial ten minutes before a date is a recipe for a meltdown.
- Map with Shadow: Use a light brown eyeshadow to sketch out your wing shape first. It’s easy to wipe away. Once you love the shape, trace over it with your "real" liner.
- Check Your Lighting: Make sure your mirror is at eye level. If you're looking down into a compact, your eye shape will be distorted.
- Invest in a Fine Detail Brush: Even if you use a gel pot, the brush that comes with it is usually too chunky. Buy a dedicated "000" size artist brush or a high-end makeup brush like the Rephr 23.
- Test for Transfer: Once you apply your liner, keep your eyes closed or look down for 30 seconds. Give the product a chance to dry completely before you let the hood touch the lash line.
The goal isn't to change how your eyes look, but to emphasize their natural shape. Use the Bat Wing for drama, tightlining for everyday definition, and always, always work with your eyes open.