By Jo Baker, celebrity makeup artist. Last updated July 2026.
Short answer: On hooded eyes, a fold of skin hides your crease when your eyes are open, so eyeshadow placed in the crease vanishes the moment you look ahead. Place your definition shades above the natural crease, onto the lid that stays visible, and keep shimmer on the center only.
You do a full eye look, open your eyes, and most of it has folded away out of sight. Nearly every client with hooded eyes has described that exact moment to me, and it has nothing to do with your technique. It’s placement. Over two decades on red carpets and shoots, hooded eyes are one of the shapes I work on most, and once you know where the color needs to sit, they’re one of the easiest to flatter.
What are hooded eyes, and how do you know if you have them?
You have hooded eyes if a fold of skin covers part or all of your crease when your eyes are open and relaxed. Close your eyes and there’s plenty of lid; open them and the lid space seems to disappear under the hood.
Quick test: look straight into a mirror. If you can barely see your eyelid and your crease is tucked under a fold, your eyes are hooded. It’s a common shape, and skin relaxes with age, so many people develop it over time. Standard tutorials fail here because they tell you to put color “in the crease” — and on a hooded eye, that’s the one place it can’t be seen.
The one rule that changes everything: work with your eyes open
Map your shadow with your eyes closed and you’ll open them to find the definition gone. So do the reverse. Apply and check your key shades with your eyes open, looking straight ahead. Your working crease isn’t the anatomical one — it’s the line where the hood meets your visible lid. That’s where the deepest shade belongs.
It will feel too high. Trust it anyway. When your eye settles back to its normal open position, that shade reads as clean definition.
Which eyeshadow finish works best on hooded eyes?
Finish matters more than color on a hooded eye. Matte does the structural work; shimmer, used sparingly, opens the eye.
| Finish | Where to use it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Matte (mid to deep) | Crease line and outer corner | Reads as believable shadow and creates depth without highlighting texture. |
| Soft shimmer | Center of the lid only | Catches light and makes the lid look larger. |
| Heavy shimmer / glitter | Avoid across the lid and in the fold | Emphasizes crepiness and creases faster on a hooded lid. |
Step-by-step: eyeshadow for hooded eyes
You need a few matte shades and one soft shimmer. A small, edited palette beats juggling singles here — the Micro Palm palettes are credit-card size with the exact shades that flatter every eye shape, hooded included. A neutral set like Desert Road Trip is the easiest starting point.
- Prime the lid. Hooded lids sit against more skin, so shadow creases faster. A thin layer of primer, or concealer set with powder, stops color migrating into the fold.
- Lay a neutral base. Sweep a matte, skin-tone shade across the whole moving lid up to the brow bone. It evens the surface and gives darker shades grip.
- Find your working crease, eyes open. Looking straight ahead, take a medium matte on a fluffy brush and draw lightly where the hood meets your visible lid. Less product than you think.
- Build upward. Add a deeper matte along that line, blending up and out toward the tail of the brow. Small back-and-forth motions, thin layers, soft gradient.
- Define the outer corner. Concentrate your darkest matte in a soft sideways “V” at the outer corner, pulling up and out. This lifts the eye against the downward pull of the hood.
- Light on the center. Pat shimmer or a lighter matte onto the center of the lid only — eyes open, so you can see it catch. Keep it off the fold.
- Brighten inner corner and brow bone. A touch of your lightest shade in both opens the whole eye.
- Tightline, then lash. Thick liner on top gets eaten by the hood. Tightline instead — press liner into the upper lash line from underneath — then finish with a lifting mascara like Tarantulash, wiggling from the root and flicking up and out at the corners.
Common hooded-eye mistakes to avoid
- Mapping with your eyes closed. Check your key shades open, looking forward.
- Color in the anatomical crease. It disappears. Go higher, onto the visible lid.
- Skipping primer. More skin contact means faster creasing.
- Thick upper liner. Tightline to keep lid space.
- A wing that points down. Flick it up toward the brow tail to lift the eye.
How long should a hooded-eye look take?
Five minutes once you know the placement. Base, one transition, a deeper shade at the outer corner, a center shimmer, tightline, mascara. That’s a complete, long-wearing look you can do before your coffee’s cool enough to drink.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you put eyeshadow on hooded eyes?
Place your transition and definition shades above your natural crease, onto the visible part of the lid when your eyes are open, rather than in the anatomical crease, which the hood hides. Keep shimmer on the center of the lid and concentrate the darkest shade in a soft “V” at the outer corner.
What kind of eyeshadow is best for hooded eyes?
Matte shades are best for definition because they read as believable shadow and don’t emphasize texture. Use one soft shimmer only on the center of the lid to add light and the illusion of more space, with a primer underneath to prevent creasing.
How do I make my hooded eyes look bigger with eyeshadow?
Set a light base across the lid, keep the darkest color at the outer corner rather than all over, add a small shimmer to the center of the lid, brighten the inner corner, and tightline your upper lash line instead of using thick liner on top. Lengthening mascara flicked up and out at the corners lifts the eye further.
Why does my eyeshadow disappear on hooded eyes?
Because the hood hides your crease when your eyes are open, so any color placed in the crease folds out of view. Applying your definition shades higher, with your eyes open so you can see where they land, keeps the color visible all day.
Is eyeliner good or bad for hooded eyes?
Thin, precise liner is great; thick liner isn’t. A heavy line on the upper lid gets covered by the hood and makes the eye look smaller. Tightlining, pressing liner into the base of the upper lashes, defines the eye without eating into lid space.
The takeaway
Hooded eyes reward smart placement, not more product. Work with your eyes open, keep definition high and shimmer central, and let matte shades carry the structure. With an edited palette, you get a look that holds from morning to last call.
Shop the Micro Palm palettes — designed by a celebrity makeup artist, vegan, cruelty-free, and built for real life.
