Eye Shapes Explained: almond, round, hooded, monolid, deep-set, downturned, upturned, close-set, wide-set — how to identify each and the rule for each
Eye shape is read from four things — whether the crease shows, whether the whites show around the iris, the angle of the outer corner, and the spacing between the eyes — and most eyes are two shapes at once. The shape decides where depth, light and the liner go and how thick the liner can be; it never decides the colour. This is the hub for the eye-shape series; each shape's full guide is linked below, and the general zones are in How to Apply Eyeshadow.
The four readings
| Reading | Look for | Shapes it separates |
|---|---|---|
| Crease | Visible with the eye open / covered by a fold / absent | Almond & others / hooded / monolid |
| Whites | Lid touches the top of the iris / white shows above or below | Almond / round |
| Outer corner | Higher than inner / level / lower | Upturned / neutral / downturned |
| Spacing | Gap between the inner corners ≈ one eye-width / less / more | Average / close-set / wide-set |
| (Depth) | Eye sits back under a prominent brow bone with natural shadow | Deep-set |
| (Size) | Small relative to the face; little lid | Small |
Read all four with the face straight and the eyes relaxed; a tilted head or a raised brow changes every one.
The nine working shapes
| Shape | How it reads | The one rule | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almond | Visible crease, lid touching the iris, level corners, average spacing | The standard map; almost everything works | How to Apply Eyeshadow |
| Round | Whites show above or below the iris; the eye is as tall as wide | Elongate — depth and a wing outward, no full rim | Makeup for Round and Small Eyes |
| Small | Little lid; the eye is small for the face | Light and thin; depth only at the outer third; nude waterline | Makeup for Round and Small Eyes |
| Hooded | A fold of skin from the brow bone covers the crease when open | Place with the eye open, above the fold; matte lid; liner where it shows | Makeup for Hooded Eyes |
| Monolid | No visible crease; a continuous plane from lashes to brow | Vertical gradient from the lash line, placed open; thin liner, tightline | Makeup for Monolid Eyes |
| Deep-set | Sits back under the brow bone; natural shadow in the socket | Bring forward — light lid, crease colour above the socket, thin liner | Eye Makeup for Deep-Set and Downturned Eyes |
| Downturned | Outer corner lower than inner | Lift — outer V and liner angled up, liner stopping before the corner, light lower line | Eye Makeup for Deep-Set and Downturned Eyes |
| Upturned | Outer corner higher than inner (a natural cat-eye) | Balance — depth along the lower outer lash line, a wing that follows the lift without exaggerating it; avoid pulling everything further up | — (below) |
| Close-set / wide-set | Gap under / over one eye-width | Light in and depth out (close) / depth in and light out (wide) | Makeup for Close-Set and Wide-Set Eyes |
Upturned eyes
The lifted outer corner is what most other shapes are made up to imitate, so the work is balance rather than lift: depth placed along the outer half of the lower lash line to level the corner, a wing that follows the natural angle without extending it, the crease colour blended out rather than up, and — if the lift is very pronounced — the deeper shade kept off the outer upper corner. Everything else follows the almond map.
Combinations
Most eyes are two of these, and the rules combine without conflict:
- Hooded + small: open-eye placement, light lid, tightline, no thick liner.
- Round + downturned: elongate outward and lift — the wing angled up along the brow tail.
- Deep-set + hooded: light lid, colour above the fold, checked open.
- Monolid + small: vertical gradient, thin liner, nude lower waterline.
- Close-set + hooded: the outer-third depth placed above the fold.
- Almond + any spacing: the standard map with the spacing adjustment.
What shape does not change
Colour choice, finish, longevity, or the bridal register — a bronze smoky eye, kajal and a red lip suit every shape; the placement of the smoke and the thickness of the kajal are what move. Eyeliner by shape is in Eyeliner Types, Tools and Application; lashes by shape in False Eyelashes.
Reading a client at the trial
Face straight, eyes relaxed, daylight; each of the four readings noted on the face chart; the combination named; the placement chosen; then the eye made up with the client looking straight ahead, not down, and checked open at every layer. A photograph straight-on and one at three-quarters, in daylight and flash.
From Chhaya Yadav's experience
Observations from bridal and teaching work in Jaipur — professional observations, not statistics.
- Hooded-and-something is the most common combination in my chair; the open-eye rule is the first thing I teach in the eye module.
- Students learn one almond map and apply it to every face — the eye-shape reading at the start of a trial is what stops the smoky eye from vanishing.
- The four readings on the face chart are how my assistant knows what to do on the sisters' eyes without me.
- "Which shape am I?" is usually two shapes — I name both and place for the dominant one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my eye shape? In a mirror, face straight, eyes open and relaxed: does the crease show, or is it hidden by a fold (hooded) or absent (monolid)? Do the whites show above or below the iris (round) or does the lid touch the iris (almond)? Is the outer corner higher (upturned), level, or lower (downturned) than the inner? Is the gap between the eyes about one eye-width (average), less (close-set) or more (wide-set)? Most eyes are two of these at once.
What is the difference between hooded and monolid? A hooded eye has a crease that is covered by a fold of skin from the brow bone when the eye is open; a monolid has no visible crease at all — the lid runs smoothly from lashes to brow. Both are made up with the eye open, but the hooded eye's colour is placed above the fold, while the monolid is built as a vertical gradient from the lash line.
Which eye shape is the 'standard' in tutorials? Almond — visible crease, lid touching the iris, corners level, average spacing. Almost every generic tutorial is drawn on an almond eye, which is why the same steps disappear on hooded, monolid, deep-set or downturned eyes. The shape-specific guides adjust the placement.
Does eye shape change the colours used? No — it changes where depth, light and the liner go, and how thick the liner can be. A hooded eye and an almond eye wear the same bronze; the hooded eye wears it above the fold, the almond eye in the crease.
Key takeaways
- Four readings: crease, whites, corner angle, spacing (plus depth and size).
- Nine working shapes, each with one placement rule; most eyes combine two, and the rules combine.
- Shape moves depth, light and liner; it never changes colour.
- Read it at the trial, note it on the chart, make up with the eyes open.