Makeup for Small Eyes to Instantly Make Them Pop

5 easy makeup techniques to open up your eyes and make them look bigger.

Do you have monolids or hooded eyes? Or perhaps your eyes are smaller in comparison to the rest of your face. Small eyes have their distinct beauty, but the usual makeup tips don’t always flatter them. For example, using a large amount of eyeliner on your eyelids can end up as unsightly raccoon eyes. Thick lashes can obscure your eyes even more.

We all deserve to celebrate our natural beauty. But we don’t want to accidentally make our eyes look even smaller when piling makeup on our lids. For that reason, the web is in need of more in-depth tips and tricks to applying makeup for small eyes. Here’s how to make your petite eyes pop with tried-and-true makeup techniques.

1. Conceal dark eye circles

Before you get started with eye makeup, it’s important to take a look at the area beneath your eyes. Are you struggling with dark eye circles? It’s important to tackle those first. First of all, the appearance of dark eye circles makes you look less awake. Second, they create a shadow on your face and draw attention away from your eyes, making them look even smaller than they actually are.

Concealing dark circles helps to brighten your face and open up your eyes. Make sure to choose the right concealer for your skin tone and skin type. For best results, use a natural concealer that blends more easily with your skin without clogging pores.

Avoid applying concealer directly beneath your eyes. Concealing your waterline and lashes will only shrink the appearance of your eyes! Start by dotting the concealer along the bottom edges of your dark circles. This way, the concealer will blend more seamlessly with your foundation and skin tone. Gentle blend in the concealer with your ring finger. You can also bake your concealer by dusting some setting powder on top. This will allow the concealer to better stay put. Now your eyes should immediately look more awake than before!

2. Define your eyebrows

There’s a reason why eyebrow makeup has been in the spotlight. Natural full eyebrows are trending right now, and for good reason. They bring balance to your face and highlight your eyes.

However, thick lush eyebrows aren’t going to work for those of us with smaller eyes. They can weigh down on your face and make your eyes look smaller. To avoid this, regularly groom your eyebrows with a tweezer. The trick is to not over-pluck! Eyebrows that are too thin or sparse can backfire and make your eyes look more narrow.

Eyebrow makeup for small eyes should focus on shaping and defining. This will help frame your eyes and draw attention to them, without making them look smaller. Gently fill in your eyebrows by following the natural curve of your brow bone. Define the tail of your eyebrows, as well as the underside of the arches. This will create the illusion of more space below your brows, highlighting your eyes more.

3. Lift those lashes

We’re going to use the same principle for your eyebrows and apply it to your eyelashes too. Defined eyelashes can brighten up your eyes. On the other hand, heavy thick lashes will weigh down on them.

For small eyes, it’s especially important to curl your lashes before applying any mascara. If you have hooded eyes, you’ll know that mascara smudges all too easily for you. That’s because your lashes point downwards. The trick is to curl your lashes first.

After curling your lashes, go ahead and apply your mascara. For small eyes, avoid applying a coat of mascara on the top of your lashes. Focus on lifting your lashes by applying mascara on the underside of your lashes. This will create the illusion of larger eyes. Apply 1-2 layers of mascara from the roots to ends of your upper lashes. It’s better to apply less, as too much mascara will weigh down your lashes. Instead, hold the mascara wand perpendicular to your face, and wiggle the wand to define individual lashes. Avoid applying mascara to your bottom lashes.

Bonus tip: Using a natural mascara will help you avoid clumping that can weigh down your lashes.

4. Tightline with eyeliner

The traditional cat eye won’t quite work with small eyes. It may seem intuitive to keep on building eyeliner on your upper eyelid to create larger looking eyes. But that big thick border you’ve just created ends up making your eyes look even smaller. It’s best to keep the space around your eyes clean and clear, so they can shine in all their glory without being overshadowed by excess makeup.

The best way to keep your eyes looking crisp while defining them is to tightline your eyes. To tightline your eyes, apply black eyeliner directly on your upper lash line. Use it to fill in gaps between your eyelashes. For smaller eyes, it’s ideal to focus on the top outer corners of your eyes. This defines your eyes without shrinking their appearance. The best eyeliners for tightlining are ones that offer stunning pigmentation and won’t irritate the sensitive skin around your eyes.

5. Highlight your inner eye corner

While outlining your eyes too much in dark colors can make them look smaller, highlighting them with brighter colors will open up your eyes. Instead of going for the usual smokey eye, try using a highlighter or white eyeliner. Apply it along the inner corners for a bright-eyed look. This draws more attention to your eyes and makes them look larger. You can also use a pale, shimmery eye shadow.

Hopefully these makeup tips help you feel more confident about your natural eye shape. We’re all different, and the same beauty tip doesn’t always work for everyone. Keep on experimenting with makeup looks to find what works best for you!