Whether you have small, deep-set, or hooded eyes, makeup has the power to make them appear dramatically larger, more open, and more awake. These 10 techniques are used by professional makeup artists on every shoot and they all work.
Trick 1: Waterline with Nude or White Liner
Lining your lower waterline (the inner rim of your lower eyelid) with a nude or white pencil liner is the single most effective trick for making eyes appear instantly larger. Dark liner on the waterline closes the eye and makes it appear smaller. A nude or white liner opens it up and makes the whites of your eyes appear more prominent.
Trick 2: Lift the Lashes with a Curler
A lash curler costs almost nothing and creates an immediate eye-opening effect before mascara. Clamp at the root of clean, dry lashes. Hold for 10 seconds. Release. Move slightly further along the lash and clamp again for 5 seconds. This creates a natural curl rather than a sharp bend. Always curl before mascara — curling after can snap lashes.
Trick 3: Highlight the Inner Corner
Apply a shimmery champagne or white eyeshadow to the very inner corner of your eye where the upper and lower lash lines meet. This is one of the most effective brightening techniques in makeup — it draws light to the centre of the eye and makes the entire eye appear more open and awake.
Trick 4: Apply Mascara to Upper Lashes Only
Applying mascara only to the upper lashes elongates and opens the eye upward. Mascara on the lower lashes can drag the eye downward and make it appear smaller. If you do apply mascara to lower lashes, use just one light coat on the outer lashes only.
Trick 5: Use a Light Eyeshadow on the Lid
Dark eyeshadow on the lid brings the lid forward visually, making the eye appear smaller and more hooded. A light, shimmery shade on the lid reflects light and makes the eye appear more open. Save the darker shades for the crease only, where they add depth without closing the eye.
Trick 6: Extend Your Brows
Brows that are too short make the eyes appear smaller. Extending your brow slightly beyond the outer corner of your eye with a brow pencil elongates the eye area and creates more space between the brow and the lid, making both appear larger.
Trick 7: Tightline the Upper Waterline
Lining the upper waterline (between your upper lashes) with black or dark brown eyeliner makes your lashes appear thicker and fuller at the root without adding a visible liner line. This creates the illusion of more lashes which, in turn, makes the eyes appear larger.
Trick 8: Apply Concealer Precisely Under the Eyes
Dark circles and puffiness under the eyes make them appear smaller and more closed. Apply a brightening concealer one shade lighter than your skin tone under the eyes, blending into a triangular shape pointing down toward your cheek. This brightens and opens the entire eye area.
Trick 9: Use an Eyelash Curler + Lengthening Mascara
Volume makes lashes look thick. Length makes eyes look big. For maximum eye-opening effect, use a lash curler then apply a lengthening mascara (rather than a volumising one) to the upper lashes. The upward curl and extended length draws the eye upward and creates an open, wide-eyed effect.
Trick 10: Blend a Matte Shade Just Above the Crease
Apply a matte shade slightly above your natural crease line. This is called a ‘cut crease’ or ‘lifted crease’ technique and is particularly powerful for hooded eyes. By placing depth above where the hood falls, the shadow remains visible when the eye is open, creating the illusion of a larger, more defined eye socket.
Quick Reference: Best Tricks by Eye Shape
Hooded Eyes
• Apply contour above the crease, not in it
• Draw liner slightly above the upper lash line
• Avoid liner on the lower lash line
Deep-Set Eyes
• Use light, shimmery shades on the lid
• Avoid dark shades in the crease — they deepen further
• Highlight the brow bone generously
Close-Set Eyes
• Highlight the inner corners
• Apply darker shades to the outer third only
• Extend brows outward
Wide-Set Eyes
• Apply dark liner and shadow to the inner corner
• Keep brows extended slightly inward
Final Thoughts
You do not need all 10 tricks at once. For a quick everyday fix, combine just three: nude waterline liner, inner corner highlight, and curled lashes with mascara. These three alone create a noticeable eye-opening effect in under 2 minutes. Build from there as your technique develops.