Over the last few years as a beauty blogger I have become very highly aware of my eyelids. Not just my eyelids, but how they do not do what I want them to do.
I have an issue that is driving me mad. It’s the kind of issue that I don’t think can be fixed unless I take drastic measures (which I swear to you I have considered). I have droopy upper eyelids. They have always been this way, it’s not something that came with age. It’s genetics, which really pisses me off. I actually clearly remember someone telling me once when I was in my mid 20’s that my eyeliner looked weird from the side because it was bent. I never really put together what was causing that until I started getting heavily into beauty blogging and see so many amazing pics and videos.
The issue with these droopy upper eyelids is that they get IN THE WAY. In particular it’s my right eyelid, which tends to be a bit droopier than my left. They get in the way of me wearing one of my all-time favorite eye looks – winged liner. The problem is, the wing looks bent once I totally relax my face and the lids begin the downward spiral (10 points to anyone who recognizes that reference).
This is me lifting my brows, as I am wont to do. I don’t know WHY I do this but I pretty much lift my brows a good 90% of the time when I am awake. I think it’s because I am naturally tense, and completely relaxing my face feels weird.
As you can see, the winged liner looks decent, not weird or bent. But…
This is my completely relaxed face. See how my upper lids drastically come down?
My left eye usually looks much better than my right because the upper lid doesn’t come down as far as the right one. So even when my face is relaxed, my left wing will look normal and not bent.
My right eye looks fine when my brow is lifted.
Ah but then, then I relax and there it is. That cursed bend in the fold of my lid.
And from a distance you can see it even better.
Now I could bring the line out at more of a straight angle from the corner of my eye giving me more of a Cleopatra eye, but it’s not really my favorite look.
Things could be worse, obviously. I am glad I have 20/20 vision (after PRK surgery) and I am glad my eyes are healthy. However this is something that still drives me up the wall with frustration because I am constantly trying to find a way around it.
There must be a way, and I am not one who gives up easily when I can’t fix something bugging me. I have searched high and low on YouTube and blogs for a solution but have never been satisfied with what I have come across. I find it interesting that there are NO YouTube “gurus” who have this issue! It makes me wonder, do the people with lids like this not even bother with these looks because they can’t do them, or is it a coincidence? I have even asked a few of them and a MAC makeup artist if there is a solution and no one really “gets” the problem I’m having.
Do you have this issue? Do you know any ways around it? What is the beauty bane of your existence?
-Kelly
120 comments
I don’t bother withthe wing anymore because I have the same problem as you. In the beginnings it really frustated me, but we have to live with it so no winged liner for me.
I have this problem too, only in my case brought on with age. I used to do a Marilyn style makeup a lot when I was in my late teens and in my twenties, but now I have the ‘droopy lid’ and can’t get the ‘wing’ right whatever I do, and it frustrates me
I have this issue! So far I haven’t found a solution. š I gave up on winged liner. The last thing I tried was to make the wing part longer, and that looked awful on me. I can live with my eyelids though. My current beauty bane is that my earlobes are not the same size, one is much smaller than the other. It drives me crazy because I’ve always wanted to have a second hole in each ear, but there is no room on my smaller earlobe. ><
Can you just get a second piercing on the one side? One of my 4 pairs on my left side closed up. I just skip that one when I put in all my earrings.
I do have this issue as well and it bothers me greatly because I love winged eyeliner. I haven’t found a way to work around it and, to be honest, I don’t think I ever will. I’m resigned to live my whole life not being able to rock a winged liner lol
Hello, I’m new to your blog and just found it recently.. just seen your post and I know you said you looked on YouTube but when I read your post it reminded me of an EnKoreMakeup video I seen called “Back2Basics: Hooded Lids 101 PART 2” just wondering if you’ve watched that video.. let me know, hope that helps š
Hmm I don’t think I saw that one, but I know who he is! I’ll check it out thanks.
Hands down (no pun intended), my cuticles. You’d think being a nail blogger, that I’d have my shit together, but noooooo. It’s a daily struggle to make/keep them looking presentable for those damned macro shots, and I fear it’s a losing battle.
On an eyeliner-related note (don’t hate me), I ONLY wear winged liner. It looks stupid on me if I don’t. lol
Oh trust me, my cuticles aren’t great either. I can’t seem to get them perfect like so many other bloggers do. Odd. I don’t hate you but it’s hard not to, what with your perfect winged liner and nail art talent… ;D
Kelly, I think your cuticles look really good in your photos, actually! I’m surprised that you don’t think they’re great! (And this is coming from someone who visits your blog soooo much and for years!)
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LOL,
I have this issue, but I wear winged liners everyday ^^
I draw a slightly bolder wing.. I think it hides it better. At least in my eyes.
Lots and lots of thoughs have gone through my mind, one is to shave down the bone behind so it wont be in the way of a perfect liner :’)
Though I guess, in a couple of years, I wont be able to do it without it looking weird…
Sigh.. But maybe liner is out of fashion and ugly by then *crosses fingers*
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I can’t do an even winged liner to save my life. My cuticles are bad too from working in a hospital and using hand sanitizer 1000x a day.
Try looking up a guy on YouTube named gossmakeupartist. He is amazing and has a whole video on different eye shapes, I can’t remember if he talks about eyeliner in that video but I am sure he has one. If not you can always email him. Hope that helps.
Thanks!
I’m pretty sure I have the same problem too!! Honestly, I found I have to wear my eyeliner differently on both eyes. I had found that when I applied my eyeliner, it looked fine, but when I would look in the mirror, both sides would look different and it drove me crazy. I eventually found out how to wear both eyes so they looked symmetrical from the front, and that means wearing both sides differently.
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This describes me pretty perfectly.
I have one congenitally drooping eyelid that’s visibly worsening as I get older. It’s to the point that my vision (already pretty bad) is getting obscured as the lid droops down. I am absolutely considering having my lid corrected surgically. So I feel your pain!
There’s nothing wrong with having something done so you can see better. I have said for years when mine start doing that, I am definitely getting surgery. I can barely see as it is without adding an obstacle coarse!
Hi Kelly, I know what you are talking about and I am thinking about the same issue every once in a while. I am 31 and have hooded eyes. If I draw the winged liner and open my eyes, it looks exactly like in your pictures. My solution is to either draw the line further outwards so that it avoids my lid before I draw it upwards or to thicken the whole line. What also helps is to draw the line with my eyes more open so that I can optically adjust it. This may result in a line that is not superstraight when my eyes are closed.
I am not sure if this is helpful in any way…
But Kelly: if I look anything like you at your age, I will feel very blessed! Your skin and everything looks so awake and so much younger than you are! You just look amazing! And the best thing about these little issues is that normally nobody can see them besides us š
Aw. I’m sorry about your eyelid dilemma. My ex-boyfriend has genetically droopy eyelids and we would mess around with him eyelids playing before and after. I used to tell him he should prop them up with toothpicks. His are much worse than yours though and make him look tired when he’s not. Mine have been pretty good, but now that i’m in my late 30s they are starting to get a little sad. š I’ve seen the commercials for this thing- http://www.eyemagic.net/, but I don’t know about its effectiveness. The laser surgery seems to be a good fix and not horribly invasive, although i’m sure it’s pricey.
Either way, i think you look fabulous, droopy eyelids or not.
Thanks š Yeah tape I cannot deal with, too weird… Surgery seem so drastic and really I do not want to do it, but if my lids ever start making me look super tired or older, I am THERE!
Hi! I’m very young and have this similar (natural) issue as well, it actually doesn’t bother me (it used to, ALOT) but I’ve come to terms with myself and the way I look.
However, I used to be really self conscious and there is one solution that I know of…
Double eyelid tape – it makes creases deeper and more prominent. It’s very popular in Asia because many women have monolids and prefer to have a crease. I think you should give it a try if the situation is REALLY bothering you š It might make your eyelids sag if you’re constantly wearing it 24/7…. but there shouldn’t be much of a difference if it’s just when you wear winged liner on an occasion. Search “double eyelid tape” in Ebay. Here’s a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyOIw2wHMpE
This is the only thing I can think of :\ I hope my answer helps at least a little bit. Good luck!!
I have seen the tape but it’s really not something I think I would be able to deal with. Thanks for sending the link! Glad you came to terms with it. š
Hey, yeah I have this too. I think it’s usually called a hooded eye. I either just have to put up with the bend/tucked away bit. Or extend the liner out beyond the fold or do a really exaggerated and thick line so that it manages to remain in view when my eyes are open.
This eyeshape also proves awkward for regular shadow looks too because there’s barely any lid visible when my eyes are open ;-/
x
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Ugh isn’t it annoying? Damn genetics!
I have the exact same issue on the exact same eyes thanks to genetics too! It ticks me off to no end. Freaking hooded eyes, ughhh.
The only advice I’ve been given for winged liner is to try and avoid it the best you can because it’ll make your eyes end up looking droopier than they already are but if you must, keep the wing as short as possible.
My mom and brother have eyes like this! She has always called them “eskimo eyes.” I always thought it was just a ‘her’ thing until my best friend, who happens to be Japanese, pointed out to me that it’s actually a typical asian eye shape. There are work-arounds! Maybe if you looked into eye looks by asian makeup artists, you could find one using an eye shape similar to yours. A quick search on youtube turned this up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1DWr9knNKI
She seems to have some tips on making a winged liner work with her eye shape. Just a thought!
Thanks I will check out that video!
I have this problem too. I have naturally hooded lids (i’m in my mid twenties), and my right eye for some reason is much more droopy then my left. This is magnified by the fact that I wear glasses. I can do winged liner on my left eye, but my right is the biggest pain in the ass. As far as I know, theres not much to fix this . The only thing I’ve seen is eyelid tape, which i imagine would be hard if u wanted to wear eyeshadow.
This is interesting reading the comments that so many people’s right eye is droopier than their left! I wonder why?
I have the same problem and it drives me nuts! Plus I have some residual paralysis on one side from Bell’s Palsy when I was 13 so I have to find two solutions but have them look the same when done! And the paralysis isn’t visible in real life except to the neurologist, but VERY obvious in still photos (http://instagr.am/p/OZC44GnIcN/) so make up consults are frustrating because they just think I’m being a hypercritical woman. I’ve considered drastic measures too. Maybe a day with a pro-pro would be the best way to learn a fix…now how to arrange that?! Lol
I went to a MAC counter once but the woman didn’t really *get* what I was saying. She basically seemed to think I needed to know the basics of a winged look, not how to do it with hooded eyes. Maybe I should try again.
You have hooded eyes – so do I. You might not be able to tell from my FOTD posts, because of the angles I choose, but my eyes are at least as hooded as yours or maybe more hooded. I have the same issue w/ winged liner that you have, especially with my right eye, which is more hooded than my left eye.
It’s possible to wear eyelid tape and it helps, but I don’t really like eyelid tape, plus I haven’t figured out how to wear eyelid tape & eyeshadow at the same time.
My solution is that I don’t really care that it’s a little bit wonky. I don’t wear winged liner when I want to look absolutely perfectly perfect, and the rest of the time, it looks good enough.
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Yeah eyelid tape isn’t my thing, I am too lazy and it just seems weird. Maybe I could try that hold Hollywood trick where they taped their hairline back and lifted their whole face! Kidding š
Everyone thinks I’m so weird when I say I lift my eyebrows. I’m so glad I’m not alone. I have issues with a droop lid & with the tail folding over. I don’t know what I do to make it work, I do a big wing, pulled out more and it isn’t as noticeable, but I still automatically raise my eyebrows.
Maybe we are just super tense anxious people haha!
I do it so my eyes appear more awake, since I have hooded eyes. It’s just second nature now, like sucking in my gut.
Also named Rachel and I also do this. lol
I have a very similar issue with my liner. My eyes are a bit more rounded and a bit more pointed-downwards than yours (which is oh-so-fun), and, indeed, one of them is wonkier than the other. Here’s what I do:
Start the wing before the end of your eye. Sounds crazy, but it helps lift up that area so the wing doesn’t end up straight or pointing down.
Don’t try to make the liner perfectly even, but try to get the same overall shape on each eye. That means you’ll need to tweak the lines individually in order to get a cohesive look (does that make sense? I sound like I’m on Project Runway!).
Draw a dash–open your eyes. Repeat a million times. Doing a swooping pass of liner is glamourous feeling, but generally not as precise as being crazy nitpicky.
I find I get much better results with gel/cream liners than with straight-up liquid.
Ok I am going to try that. I agree, I prefer gel rather than liquid also.
The bane of my existence is the fact that I have very little space to work in between my eyes and brows, and I can’t do the intricate makeup looks I see all over the place.
My eyes are deep set and on the smaller side and it’s the strangest thing, but one eye will switch off being smaller. Now it’s the left one, but for the longest time, the right was slightly smaller. My grandmother has this issue, but at least for her it’s always the *same* eye that is smaller!!
I’ve had Botox for my forehead a few times and the doctor was very good. I asked him to give me a subtle brow lift, but it didn’t really work because he’s conservative and doesn’t want to give anyone the Marcia Cross look.
I think the only help for smaller eyes is a brow lift, but I won’t do surgery. You’re not alone in your frustration, VV.
PS – Just to clarify, I didn’t mean to imply you have small eyes because you don’t.
Sometimes when I’ve been in the Japanese markets, I’ve been tempted to buy some of that eyelid glue they use to give themselves double eyelids. An Asian friend told me this wouldn’t work for me though. :\
I hear ya! I wish there was an easy non-surgical solution like some super amazing gel that lifts the lids after using for a month. Sigh.
Ok I’m being 100% honest here? I think your eyes look more gorgeous in the “relaxed” photo. Promise.
Bane of my existence? Uneven brows. Not only are they naturally different shapes but one naturally sits higher AND further back.
Couple that with the fact that only ONE of my eyelids has some drooping? I feel like I either look like I’m making faces or I don’t know how to do my brows. Some days I think I’ve totally embraced it, other days need work.
I also have the noticeably mis-matched brows, but look at pictures of Vivian Leigh! One of my MUA friends told me in regards to brows: Sisters, not twins! š
Seems to have become a support group for hooded eyes. I wish there was more makeup looks and tutorials out there for our eye shape. But you’re right, youtube gurus all seem to have that very open/plenty of lid space/obvious crease eye shape. Not like ours. ;-/
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Yeah isn’t it strange? I have been wondering why for awhile now…
I have the exact same problem and only with my right eye and I don’t think it’s from age, I think it’s from excessive brush use with eye shadow. I freelance for mac and let me tell you, we work that crease like it’s going out of business. I am insanely self-conscious about it. Have considered the same drastic surgery. Keep looking at topical treatments to no end. And then I see those info-mercials about this: http://www.eyemagic.net/about.htm
haha –Maybe it’s worth a try for us!
Yeah I have seen similar products but I want a permanent fix not some plastic thing I have to put on then worry about all day. So frustrating!
Yes, I have the same exact problem. I’ve just recently started attempting winged eyes, and what I do is draw my line almost like a check mark at the end. In other words, a pretty steep curve going up. Then, when my eyes relax, the winged look is there. Rarely, however, do both eyes match perfectly. I live with it.
My real beauty bane is excessively oily skin and combating shininess 15 minutes after applying makeup.
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I have this problem too! I have always had smaller deep set eyes but since I hit 30 I feel like its really gotten dramatically worse. I call it my wonky eye because in some pics it looks major wonky. I hate it.
It is hereditary and my grandmother had surgery for it. Usually if the droop starts causing vision issues it can be covered by insurance. Sadly mine is not that bad yet. I’m not a huge believer in cosmetic surgery but I gotta get this eye fixed someday.
Yeah I am just waiting for mine to get bad enough for it to be covered by insurance! š
I have asian eyes so, when my eyes are open, I look like I don’t have an eyelid. Almost every makeup tutorial/tips/tricks out there involves something to do with your eye crease. I don’t have one, so all of these tips do no good on my eyes.
You’re not alone with having flawed eyes when it comes to a favourite way of wearing makeup.
I have the same issue and I’m just 17! I do what a few other commenters do- I have to line both eyes a bit differently. When my eyes are closed, they’re obviously uneven, but it doesn’t really matter because when they’re open, they match! I’m a firm believer in anyone can rock any look as long as they tweak it to suit them specifically.
Also- I don’t know if people normally do this, but I draw the ‘wing’ part when my eyes are open, then close them to fill it in. I’ve found it makes it a lot easier to make sure the wing looks good!
*sigh*
Same problem here. My hooded lids completely cover the upper lashline with my face relaxed, so you can’t even see any liner. I usually only line the lower lashline because of that.
My issue isn’t with the bent liner so much as the transfer, because my eyes are hooded. *sisterhood fist bump*
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thanks so much for this post ! I have same problem too… like so many others here. Don’t think I can solve it, but it’s helpful to read through all the comments, and will keep on trying … just for fun if nothing else
Ok.. here goes… as a now PA and a former make-up artist for your favorite brand, here’s the best advice: botox, surgery, possibly Freeze 24-7.
Botox… if you find a skilled practitioner – remember you get what you pay for!!! – they can put a TINY amount at the tail of your brow and it can work to lift your brow. I’m talking 2-2.5 units. And girl – nothing like a little botox to brighten your day. And it can last for as much as 4-6mos. Eyes can be a little less than the rest of the face since they move so much. But it’s worth a shot – pun intended.
Surgery – it’s really a simple procedure. They make a tiny little elliptical incision cut in the upper eye lid – very thin through the layers – and remove it. It will open your eyes up dramatically. It’s pretty routine surgery and it takes no more than an hour. It takes longer for anesthesia than the actual surgery. And you will be golden in 3-4 days. I have many friends who have done it – and the results are amazing. Worth it – but, it’s surgery – and if you’re worried, then it might not be for you. But – again, results are amazing.
Freeze 24-7 – ok, I have friends who SWEAR by this stuff. I have never tried it. I have one girlfriend who uses it over botox, and you wouldn’t know the difference. It works great. You might give it a try – she looks smooth and lifted!
Make-up trick: I used to put the crease shade a bit higher on ladies with low sitting upper lids. I would have them look straight at me, assess the crease and put the shadow above it. It works to give the illusion of a more open eye.
It’s all about the illusion – isn’t it? Good luck with your decision – I say go for it whatever you decide – you’ll be happy.
I never knew that about Botox being injected at the tail. My doctor is terrific and I asked him to give me a brow lift with it, but it didn’t really lift. The forehead wrinkles were gone, but that was it. Maybe he didn’t inject at the tail of the brow.
Do you ever worry about the Botox drooping side effect? I would get it more regularly but that slight droop risk utterly terrifies me. I just canceled an appointment for it recently because I was so scared. The needles are nothing, but the thought of looking lopsided for months prevents me from going.
Never worry about the droop! I have an amazing MD. I have no idea about other MD’s but – the MD has to know the facial anatomy like their own name. He/She has to have an uncanny perception about which muscles lift (elevators) and which pull down (depressors). If they don’t understand that – and can’t visualize where they are in someone’s facial planes… then the results won’t be so great. Sad thing is that so many people are out there offering Botox for ‘cheap’. I even heard of a paramedic doing it!!! WHATTT???? What does a paramedic know about very specific facial anatomy ???….- not a lot – and any Tom, Dick or Harry can take the Botox class, doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing! Not to mention, people start doing it and get brazen, and inject in places they should not. i.e., the throat. Last thing you need is someone paralyzing your throat muscles… you can imagine how that would turn out. Never let anyone do your Botox unless they have a proven track record. I would go to a neurologist for my Botox before a family practitioner… think about it. Anyway… there’s also a little injection they can do – 1-1.5 units – under the eye – right below the lash line which can give the appearance of a more open eye. It works well if the MD is good. Just another thought.
As for the surgery – yeah, tis pricey. But – it’s pretty much a one time thing – and according to friends who have had it done – with amazing results – it isn’t so bad! Good luck with whatever you go for!
P.S. Best thing about Botox??? You could ‘try on’ your look – and if you really don’t like it? It will be gone in 4-6 months and you’ll be back to you.
Yeah I don’t think I would ever use Botox though. I can’t afford it anyway now that I am a full-time beauty blogger, haha. I have watched many videos on the actual surgery so I have seen how it’s done. But again, very drastic and expensive as well.
I have the same issue of extremely hooded lids. I’m pretty sure if I raise my brows up, I have another half inch of ‘workable’ area, and *still* have a pretty deep crease. I could probably hide a small army in that crease with my face relaxed!
Like some of the others that have commented, on my droopier lid, I make the wing more exaggerated. I get everything all done, relax my face – and then finish the wings so that they look more normal. Or… I do a small double wing, it hides the weird looking-ness a bit.
I dont see it! I dont think your eyeslids are droopy! I have 2 cousins and my Mom that has this problem. My cousins both got surgery on theirs when they were 30 . They got theirs paid for by insurance because it helps with sight.
My problem are my cuticles and my skin!! My cuticles are so dry and Ive tried everything! I still get acne as an adult!!
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Let me clarify; I see what your saying about droopy eyelids but I think you look great and I never noticed it until you said something!
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I think it was Rae Morris that I saw a video of where she was explaining that she thinks everyone should put their makeup on with their eyes open. I started doing this and it helped a ton in finding the right angle/length of winged eyeliner that will work for my eye. I have a much more pronounced hooded eye than you do (imo anyway) too. I usually just drag the liner out a bit further and angle it up a bit higher to get the effect I want. I have some pictures from a makeup class I did that’s a really good example of what I’m talking about. I could email them to you if you like š
I agree with the trying to do it with your eyes open. That’s how I do mine. If you’re going to have some uneven-ness, would you rather it was when your eyes are open, or on those blink-fractions-of-a-second?
Also… it’s not a bad eye look. It’s harder to work with because of the fold, but there are a ton of gorgeous monolid looks, and a ton of gorgeous no-fold looks. Half way in between should have its own set of looks too. We just need someone to champion that eye style and make everyone ELSE want to get plastic inserts/surgery to look like us š
you and i have had this conversation before – i have the same problem and mine is worse cause i have small angled eyes. and the area under my brow is much larger than my actual eyelid myself
its frustrating and aggravating – so you aren’t alone. If you find a solution pls share
big hugs
I have a lot of folds in my eyelid. It’s on both sides, but the left eye in particular is troublesome when doing winged eyeliner. I find that keeping the eye open and not tugging much on the skin helps a great deal. I don’t really look down or close the eye when I create the wing.
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I never noticed this unil now, but I have the same problem! I wear winged eyeliner every day (been doing it for years), and I truly never noticed it because I have a habit of keeping my eyebrows raised when applying makeup or checking it in the mirror. I read this post and then decided to check mine in their relaxed state, and realized mine have the exact same droopage. I’m not going to toss out my winged liner routine though because I love it too much (also because I’ve been doing it for so long, I feel like I look weird without it). I say if it’s what you love, you should wear it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks as long as it makes you happy — isn’t that the point of makeup anyways? š
Since I hit my 40’s, my brows have been my beauty bane. When I was younger, I never plucked my brows other than to prevent the uni-brow look. I enjoyed my slightly untamed, thick, dark brow. Since I hit my 40’s however, my brows have not only lightened, but have gotten patchy. I have tried plucking and shaping them, but I haven’t quite figured out how to make them look decent. I have tried pencils, I have tried powders… It drives me crazy every time I do my makeup. It doesn’t help that they are not quite even!
hello! you might want to try out the double eyelid stickers (those that look like a crescent), it can help to “lift” up your lids a little bit so that they don’t look as droopy.. then you can try out the winged liner.
If you’re wondering enkoremakeup addresses hooded lids and shows you some tips for it.
yep I figured ppl would beat me to the “hooded lid” suggestion by now, but how about perhaps looking at any of the asian eye liner tutorials too? maybe there’s a possible tip or trick there as well?
I use eyelid tape. It really helps me.
I have the exact same problem but no solutions… I like to wear winged eyeliner anyway but I know that it doesn’t look as pretty as it is on other makeup gurus š
love, from France š
ooohhh the bane of my makeup looks. i have kind of a weird eyelidshape. im half filipino so i have a crease in my eye and u can see my eyelid, but it sure as hell aint where my socket bone is!!! doing creasework on my eyes is the biggest bitch of all time. i finally am slooowwly getting the hang of it now, but i have to be at just the right position (usually standing) to get it looking right, and it takes me about 40 min to do my makeup now. i guess there are just some things u have to accept about yourself and try and move past them. if itmakes u feel better, i dont think the winged liner looks bad on u at all. at least u can get a straight line!!
I have the same problem, and add to the mix that I am half Asian so my eyes are really small to begin with…UGH! I’m glad I’m not alone but I know how much it sucks.
I Have the same dropped eyelid issue. That is why I don’t use any kind of eyeliner on the lid or eye shadow I really don’t like it on me hard to explain. I just use eyeliner on my lower waterline mascara blush an a bold matte MAC rebel and wet and cherry picking lipstick for night and a natural lip or lighter color of matte lipstick by a day look,
I really have tried but its really gets in the way.
I read somewhere that 70% of women have hooded eyelids. So I’m in good company! Mine have moved south as I have aged too. The trick I do, and I like how it works, is with my eyes open, I put a small dot where I want the end of my wing tip to be. I do have to exaggerate it to make it noticeable. And then, when I close my eyes, I can fill in the rest of my liner.
Bane of my beauty, I’m getting a turkey neck!! I will never rule out plastic surgery!
Oh I feel your pain! I always had nice eyelids but as I got older the droopier my eyelids got. Add to that, after years of suffering with migraines, I finally started getting botox injections. Now the botox helps with the migraines but girl… I have to physically hold up my eyelids just to put on mascara! When that botox kicks in at full tilt, it’s hard to see out of my left eye! After my last visit to the neurologist, I told her about it and she injected me higher in the forehead and so far *knockonwood* the droops haven’t been as bad. Whoever said fifty was nifty was lying. š
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Well I normally wouldn’t chime in and say the same thing everyone else has, I wanted to claim the 10 bonus points and just say NIN, right?
I also have a bit more hood that I would like with my eyes too, and like other folks have commented too, I have too much real estate on my upper eye-under the brow area also.
To match your music reference with another, everything looks perfect from far away. ;o)
Lol I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who almost constantly raises their eyebrows!
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I *think* I have hooded eyes, but I don’t think I have the same issue where it extends. I might, I just don’t pay enough attention – I can’t ever get my “wings” to match up so I just gave up, for the daily routine anyway. My real beauty bane is my eyebrows. They don’t grow!!! Just the white hairs underneath do. My brows are naturally on the thin side anyway and I plucked the heck out of them in high school. I saw Damone Roberts sells some sort of Rogaine-type thing for the brows, LOL…but I don’t know if I’m willing to spend $38 or so if I don’t know it works. I never shaved them off or anything, they are still there….just not thick enough to get a nice shape. Plus I’m terrified that if I get the white hairs waxed, the person will screw up and take some of the precious dark hairs I have!!
Downward Spiral reference = NIN???
You should maybe consider getting your brows tinted, that can really do a lot to make all the small hairs become more pronounced and therefore the brow looks fuller :3
Thanks for the recommendation, I think I’ll look into that!
Yep, same problem here and the right eye is a bit worse. Genetics hasn’t played nice with my eyelids, dangit! I finally gave up on winged liner because it just doesn’t work. There’s a girl at work who totally rocks her winged eyeliner. SO jealous!
I have the same problem and I’m only 18, and I also find my self raising by eyebrows a lot because I know my makeup looks better when I do. I have just settled with going with a longer and thicker line to get the winged look.
Nice NIN reference š
My bane is a toss-up between my hooded eyelids and my eyebrows. I spend a ridiculous amount of time plucking and waxing so I don’t look like Eugene Levy. Grrr.
I have this problem and I’m only 19 years old. I haaaate it. I feel like oh I have this awesome eye makeup on, but no one can tell cuz my droopy, excess eyelid skin. I hate it so much. I find that with eyeshadow, using a transition color recedes the hooded part more, but that’s the only tip I have :/ I think the only solution may be an eyebrow lift?
I saw this blog post by Dempeaux a few months ago. It looks awesome, but I could never get myself into the habit of doing it every day to see whether it works…. If it works for you, definitely let all us other hooded-eye girls know!
http://www.dempeaux.com/?p=6788
Hmmmmm I am a serious skeptic when it comes to stuff like that but who knows. I wish she did full face before/after pics so we could really tell if her expression was the same.
I just figured out this year that I have hooded eyes. I could never figure out why my eye makeup never looked right when my eyes were opened naturally…face palm. I’ve started watching Vintage or Tacky because her eyes are similar to mine, and just today I watched one of her most recent videos (something with bold purple shadow) and she did a winged liner and I can’t wait to try the little trick she did. I think it might work for you too.
I heart Cora! I watch her videos also and yes, she has somewhat similar eyes to mine also, but I think mine are more pronounced. I’ll check out the purple shadow video then, thx.
Aww, haha. My eyes do this too! I just gave up on winged liner and try to wear extra mascara on my outer lashes. š
I have an eye issue as well. I have this weird little crease over my tear duct on each eye. I haven’t found any youtube or bloggers with this issue either. It makes inner corner highlights look sloppy and hard to blend. And of course my favorite makeup style would be the arabic style, with the liner ending in neat little points outside the tear duct. I cannot figure out how to do those points evenly or smoothly. Thanks for the post!
I have droopy lids like that too but they don’t seem to be quite as drastic as yours. Or rather it doesn’t go all the way to the wing tip on my eyes. Because of my droopy lids I pretty much never wear eyeshadow unless it is beige and/or a solid color. And I always wear a winged liner. If I spend forever doing eyeshadow with contours and multiple shades and colors, as soon as I drop my eyebrows the fold covers it all up and it looks stupid. Basically when looking at me straight on all you can see is my lashline and above the crease to my brow. But I think the winged liner accentuates my actual eyes and detracts from the droopyness plus I like the dramatic pinup look of winged liner and red lips.
Yeah, I have this problem as well (and I’m only 18 so yay), and my eyebrows are closer to my eyes (like if I do a smokey eye it looks like I did black up to my eyebrow, because my eyebrow is nearly at my socket line).
The best way I can deal with it is to draw the line out a little longer than my lash line (just past where the droop is) and the do the wing, then I bring the liner down a bit to kind of connect it to just to where the bottom lid begins. I hope that makes sense. And you also have to make sure you do NOT lift your brows or flatten the lid while doing the wing, or it will become uneven.
Love your blog by the way!!
Great post VV clearly created lots of conversation. Thank you and thanks everyone who added their tips. Would love to hear how your quest continues Kelly. š
I have the same issue with my left eyelid. I just try to make the wings lower so it doesn’t reach the fold really. I agree it is totally annoying
Yep, I have the same problem – hooded eyelids. I know it’s only going to get worse (being 18 years old now); because it’s hereditary from my mum’s side. Hers have gotten really bad – she can’t even wear eyeliner on her upper lash line any more without it smudging. It’s partly due to how she applies it (thickly) – but she has tried numerous formulas which are supposed to be smudge proof and they still smudge, due to those annoying hooded lids.
I know blepharoplasty is an option, but that seems drastic. Plus, the scars from it are visible whenever your eyes are shut – it’s hidden in the crease when eyes are open though.
I saw an interesting post a while back on dempeaux.com about facial exercises to strengthen the muscles around the eyes to lessen the hooding/drooping, but I don’t know how much that would do for genetically-inherited hooded lids..
Kelly, your eyes aren’t bad because you have normal size eyes!
I have deep set slightly hooded eyes, but they are small. I’m 52 and had “young people cataract surgery ” at age 44. The woman at the opthamologist’s office made me so self conscious because she told me I had really small eyes and when I look in the mirror now that’s all I can think of ! I used to be so proud of my pretty blue eyes!
The real bane of my existence is hereditary dark circles, which I’ve had forever but at this point make me look constantly tired. My 13 year old daughter already has them!
I have this problem as well, so much so that I never even bother trying looks with more than one color of eyeshadow, because most of the time you cant see it anyway. Mine have always been like this as well, as well as having dark circles under my eyes that I have never been able to fully cover up no matter what concealer I try
I feel your pain. I have hooded eyes and I always have to try to compensate when doing liner for that wrinkle from the hood. One of my tricks is to keep my eyes open and relax and draw the wing. Then close my eye to fill in the wing, if that makes sense.
My husband is Asian and I’ve seen a number of his female friends actually using those little eyelid stickers that open the eye just for this reason. The eye actually looks bigger and more opened.
I have the exact same issue and I also always find that I constantly have my brows raised so that my lids look normal! I have the worst time trying to take photos of any eye look because of this. Unless I go heavy and high above the crease with my shadow you can’t really see it with my droopy lids. I gave up on winged liner a long time ago :(. I like Phyrra’s suggestion, I may try that!
Yeah I am trying anything and everything humanly possible to fix this haha!
I totally get this! I’m still in high school, so I’m guessing these heavy lids are just biological. š
Agree on the cuticles too! Chronic nail-destroyer since forever. Your nail polish reviews have inspired me to try new things and save my nails longer! Thanks!
Hi! I’m sorry to hear about this but really – more than anything else, I thought your eyes were so pretty! Your irises are really really beautiful š I love my winged liner and would be devastated if I couldnt wear it anymore š
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Welcome to the life of an Asian lol. Didn’t read the whole thread since it’s sooo long, but in case it wasn’t mentioned- opt for eyelid glue. I would recommend eyelid tape but personally I think that thing’s too messy and fickle to work with. Eyelid glue is inexpensive and sold in asia and in Asian beauty stores in the US (which sometimes you can find nested inside Asian supermarkets). It’s a glue that stays permanently sticky/never really truly dries, so your the part of your lid that you have glued together with the applicator will remain stuck to each other all day. I used to use it all the time in middle school-high school until my one eyelid (that I had issues with) finally resolved itself. This comment mightve made the glue seem more complicated than it is, but it is EASY PEASY. I don’t see how anyone would have issues learning how to use it. And of course, it’s not painful or weird-feeling at all to apply it onto the lids. Basically, I’m saying you can potentially recreate your eyelid crease using this glue.
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Also, I recently found at RiteAid some sort of as-seen-on-tv(???) gimmicky product they were selling.. I forgot what they called it but it’s basically the asian eyelid tape (not glue) marketed towards American (non-asian) women for droopy eyelids. But that stuff was selling for like.. $20-29? Eyelid glue should be around 10$.
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Hi Kelly !
I have the same problem as you do, except I don’t use to lift my brows (maybe I should think of it actually, huh? ^^) so my eyes always look quite tired or doggy like.
If you find any solution I’ll be very happy to read it in another blog post. I thought of taking a makeup lesson at MAC about eyeliner but it’s kinda expensive here in Europe. I use to draw the line shorter, or thicker (but it’s weird, too Amy Winehouse alike for my taste and most of the time I remove it when I’m finished), or a little bit lower but it’s not right anyway.
I hope to read about that soon in your beautiful blog !
And downward spiral makes me think Trent Reznor.
Bye and thank you for writing those nice posts every day!
Gads, My hoods are even worse than yours! I had an artist friend draw a star at the end of my eyebrow because Kat Von Dee rocks that look so much… And oh lord it only drew attention to my old lady saggy lids! Noooooooo!
So much beautiful eye shadow has gone missing in my lids never to see the light of day again! I’ve pretty well given up!
It’s rather nice to see everyone’s posts and know we’re not alone with this affliction ā„ I hope you find a solution that works for you in all these suggestions! Maybe I’ll have another go as well. š
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So this is why I just refused to wear eyeliner for years, also because I hated pencil and couldn’t apply it straight and as a youngin’ hadn’t learned about the wonders of gel and liquid. Anyways, I’ve learned to deal with the droop by just following the shape of my eye. I barely wing and that solves the problem of the crooked line but it does make more dramatic looks difficult to achieve.
I’ll also wing the bottom and do more of a cat eye and just have it extend out from there…My eyes are round enough that I can pull it off without looking silly.
I’ve had hooded eyes since I was born. lol A friend of mine in middle school said I had “reptile eyes.” I had no idea what she was talking about.
I extend my wing out further and make it thicker above where it creases. First step is to leave your eyebrows relaxed when you draw it. In other words, do not lift the brows. Second step, lift the brows and you will see a space that will need to be filled in with liner. Step 3, fill in the gap and touch up!
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I have winged my liner for yrs now since this style came back (was big in the 60’s with Twiggy and Cher both doing it – inspired from Liz Taylor in Cleopatra that really did a ton to change make up looks of the time). Sunny this yr my left eye esp has a droop to it that won’t let me do a wing anyone even if I use my best Bobbi Brown jell liner that was always perfect for wing lining. I guess I thought I would escape this problem as I will be 60 end of this Oct. Nope..it hit darn it. I have tried a ton of things to get round it and nothing so far is worked and I do have a ton of makeup experience and know most all the tricks from work as a movie studio (later independent) make- up artist. I never wanted to get any kind of aesthetic plastic surgery before. But I am seriously thinking of looking at what it will cost to get rid of this hanging tissue coming down from over my eyelids. Thus far it does not look puffy and I think only I really notice it. Guess if this is all that happens in aging I would be really lucky. I did not seem to get the jowls that run in my family.
I have the same issue as you and have never worn winged liner. It just does not work for me and that’s ok.
I think 90% of women who aren’t Asian have this problem. The problem isn’t that your eyelids are “droopy” they just have a crease. Like most women, myself included, the crease extends all the way to the outside of your eye, meaning that winged eyeliner gets caught up in the fold and gets slightly distorted. From the front, the distortion isn’t really noticeable at all, but from the side, it is more obvious that the line has a break where it goes into the crease.
Honestly, winged eyeliner does the EXACT same thing on my eyes. Does it stop mean I’m going to stop wearing it? Absolutely not. The imperfection is so small, no one is going to notice, and if they do (and feel the need to comment), the problem isn’t your eyeliner, but the other person’s own insecurity.
Winged eyeliner looks great on you, but honestly the “problem” you have isn’t really a problem at all, just the anatomy of most non-Asian eyelids.
I have the same issue and I keep trying to work that wing but I always end up laughing so hard that I just cry all the makeup off. The best I can do is a little wedge liner.