A Guide To Applying Make-Up On Mature, Hooded Eyes

First, Get To Know Your Face
"Lots of people have hooded eyelids, but they become much more common as we age,” says A-list make-up artist Caroline Barnes. “It happens when the socket or skin underneath your brow bone is in excess. The easiest way to know if you have them is by taking a close look at your lids – if they look slightly hidden, or less visible, you’ve probably got hooded lids. As we age, gravity tends to result in a tent-like effect anyway, so it’s more common than you think.” Make-up master Florrie White agrees: “Hooded eyes look like horizontal half-moons. It’s where the eyelid folds over your eye socket, so you’ll find there is more of a crease at the outer corners of the eyes, as well as on the lids themselves.”
 
 
Practise Your Make-Up Placement 
"Having hooded lids doesn’t mean you should avoid eye make-up altogether – it just means application is key,” continues Caroline. “The most flattering way to shape the eye is to start by carefully pushing back the skin. Then, take a very simple matte or cream eyeshadow – like MAC’s suits-all Cork shade – and apply it in a half moon shape from your inner upper lash line, up towards the socket and centre of your lids. Blend this thoroughly, keeping the tone light underneath your brow. This will add the illusion of wideness and depth. You can go a bit above your natural socket, but not too high. It shouldn’t look made up – just simple. Keep any shadow you use two to three tones darker than your natural colouring for optimum results that are more youthful, too." Florrie adds: “They key is not to avoid, but to adapt. You can still cheat a flick with your eyeliner with mature, hooded eyes. Do this by creating a disjointed line from the outer corner of the top lash line, which then skips over the crease and continues up. The line will be broken when you look down, but when your eye is open it will look neat. Practise with patience and don’t rush.” 
 
 
Do Experiment With Colour
"It’s worth noting that when you add a darker colour, you make your features recede,” explains Caroline. “Conversely, a tone that’s lighter than your natural colouring will make something more dominant. Therefore, with hooded, more mature eyes especially, it’s important to play with the two, and blend for the best results. Opt for palettes like Charlotte Tilbury’s cult ones which allow you to mix and match easily for a softer, more diffused finish." Florrie adds: “Avoid overly opaque shades with this in mind, they will just wash you out and highlight the excess skin and any wrinkling. Stick to warmer tones and textures. On the latter, I recommend investing in non-transferable powers and cream eyeliners that are dubbed ‘long-lasting.’ If you have oily lids, remove any excess grease with beauty blotting papers and dust with a finely milled translucent powder – this will stop hooded lids from causing any smudging or creasing.”
 
 
Forget Any In-Depth Application Techniques
"While you shouldn’t skip make-up application altogether, there’s no point trying to do a cut crease – a technique used to define your lid by using contrasting eyeshadow colours, with little to no blending,” says Caroline. “The problem with hooded eyes is you’re more likely to draw attention to them and build intensity, which ends up looking heavy. So keep things simple." Florrie agrees: “Don’t stress about trying to recreate certain looks. It’s important not to resist the shape or age of your eyes. You should play with looks that are suited to exactly what you have and the texture of your skin – otherwise it will look forced.”
 
 
Avoid Too Much Highlight & Shimmer
"While tempting, highlighter shouldn’t be used under your brows or underneath the eyes,” advises Caroline. “Doing this will bring forward the hooding and wrinkling of the eye, instead of softening it. Try to keep shimmer to a minimum – you want to sculpt, not highlight. You can, however, use a soft metallic in the tear duct to add brightness and width." Florrie adds: “If you really want to wear shimmer, an easier way to wear a nod of it is by blending the formula up and over your entire eye socket. But make sure you really blend it in so there isn’t any dustiness to the look. Doing this all over the socket means it can be seen when your eyes are open, which will just catch the light beautifully for a pretty hint of something.”